Free Rachel's Hope by Shelly Sanders Page B

where she was born, eager to cover dangerous uprisings in the name of truth.
    â€œFrom my very childhood,” says Strunsky of her decision to report from Russia, “I have felt the charms of Russia: the call of its pain, its suffering people, and its heroism.”
    Though Anna Strunsky is exceptionally courageous and ambitious, she is one of many San Francisco Jewish women determined to achieve a higher status within society. Dissatisfied with their traditional roles as wives and mothers, these women are revealing their competence in managing responsible positions usually held by men. This is most evident at the settlement house and medical clinic in the South of Market district, run by the Emanu-El Sisterhood, a German-Jewish group of women established at Temple Emanu-El in 1894. This Sisterhood also runs a dormitory in the Fillmore District for single, working Jewish women.
    A second example of women leading women can be found in the local chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women. This organization spans the entire country, invites women of all economic classes, and oversees activities that help the poor and elderly.
    At Mount Zion Hospital, the ladies’ auxiliary has evolved from typical roles for women such as cooking, mending linen and visiting ill patients, to raising funds and being appointed to board of directors committees. This shift in women’s roles did not come without a fight. At first, the male board of directors of the hospital refused to give these women more responsible roles. When the ladies’ auxiliary of the hospital warned the board it would leave if their women weren’t allowed to take on more responsible tasks, the board relented. Another barrier was broken.
    âš“ ⚓ ⚓
    September 1, 1905
    Rachel Paskar
    35 Sixth Street
    San Francisco, California
    Dear Rachel,
    Thank you for sending me your Yiddish article, which I have published in the most recent edition of Israel’s Messenger . Since you wrote your first article for me, I have seen a great improvement in your work. Your article has provoked much attention here in Shanghai. Everywhere I go, I hear people talking about American women. Some are in favor of women like Strunsky, and many more are appalled at the idea of a woman reporter. Your piece has opened the minds of people and elicited heated disagreements. You have come a long way in your writing, since your days in Shanghai.
    Now, with a heavy heart, I must advise you to move forward, to stop writing in Yiddish for Israel’s Messenger , a small publication with a narrow readership. It is time for you to write stories for big American newspapers, to receive a byline with your full name. You have the talent. I know the English language is an obstacle, but I also know you will soon be writing as if you had been born in America. When you set your mind to something, you don’t let anything get in your way.
    I suggest you start with this article. Rewrite it in English and submit it to a Jewish publication.
    I wish you the best and hope you will send me a copy of your first published article in America.
    Sincerely,
    N. Ezra, Editor-in-Chief, Israel’s Messenger

7
    T he moon hung low and was slightly obscured by wispy clouds in the Moscow sky. Streetlights shone, illuminating the stone Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge over the glossy Moskva River. It was almost nine o’clock and people still strolled along the Lenvika Street sidewalk, enjoying the warm, summer evening. The sounds of horses trotting and coachmen issuing instructions echoed through the streets. Sergei held his hands behind his back and sauntered toward the riverbank, casting sidelong glances in all directions. One amorous couple sat down on a grassy spot close together and appeared to be fascinated by the half-moon. A family with four little girls, clad identically in white dresses with red sashes, rushed along the sidewalk as if they had somewhere important to be.
    Sergei shifted his