by Linda K. Jacobs | Jul 27, 2015 | Uncategorized
Syrian women were important contributors to the economy of the Syrian colony of New York from its very beginnings in 1880. They worked in the needle trades, either in their homes (where they made lace or sewed) or in factories owned by Syrian men sewing kimonos,...
by Linda K. Jacobs | Jul 20, 2015 | Uncategorized
We’ve all heard the story: “My grandfather came over from the old country with nothing but the clothes on his back. His uncle [or cousin or friend], God bless him, supplied him with a shenta [pack or satchel] and goods on credit and sent him out to peddle. He couldn’t...
by Linda K. Jacobs | Jul 17, 2015 | Uncategorized
The history of midwifery in the United States and particularly in New York City is a vexed one. Midwifery was a common profession for immigrant and native women in nineteenth century America, one of the few—peddling was another—where a woman worked for herself....
