Elma+Ehrlich+Levinger+Research+Project

**By Chase Whitehead**
 * Elma Ehrlich Levinger**

Elma Ehrlich Levinger was born on October 6, 1887, in Chicago to Samuel and Sarah (Fernberg) Ehrlich. At age eighteen, she became a teacher in rural __schools__ in Iowa and Illinois for two years. After attending the University of Chicago (1907–1908) and Radcliffe College (1911–1912), where she studied English and drama, she gradually extended her talents as a teacher to Jewish education. Combining the arts and community service, she worked as the director of a junior drama league in Chicago in 1912, and as director of entertainment for the Bureau of Jewish Education in New York City (1913–1915). On June 15, 1916, she married Lee J. Levinger, who later became a rabbi at the __Veterans__ Administration Hospital in Menlo Park, California. The couple had three children, Samuel Harold, Leah Judith, and Joseph Solomon.

Sharing a belief in the importance of Jewish education for American youth, the Levingers worked collaboratively on a book entitled //The Story of the Jew for Young People// (1929). Through her books and as editor of the magazine Jewish Child, Levinger actively sought to build a strong cultural identity among Jewish youth in the process of American assimilation. Her series of tales, //In Many Lands// (1923), emphasizes the role of different traditions in connecting Jews throughout the diaspora. In her book Great Jewish Women (1940) and her biography of Henrietta Szold called //Fighting Angel// (1946), she highlights the importance of women’s contributions to Jewish life.

Combining her roles of community leader and writer, Levinger also attempted to cultivate Jewish identity among middle-class women. //The Tower of David// (1924), published for the National Council of Jewish Women, is a collection of stories that served a social purpose, especially for Jewish women’s organizations. Underscoring the ability of the short story to “amuse, inspire, and instruct,” the book __offers__ suggestions on how to plan programs accessible to a variety of women.

A member of the national council of jewish women ’s National Committee on Religion, the National Council for Prevention of War, the __Birth__ Control League, and Hadassah, Levinger was a vocal participant within the Jewish community, as well as a prolific writer.

Elma Ehrlich Levinger died suddenly on January 28, 1958, in Hawaii, while traveling to her home in Los Altos, California, after a three-month __vacation__ in the South Pacific.

=//__**Poetry Analysis**__//=


 * "SIMCHATH TORAH"**

"It was good to give thanks to the L-rd For the sun and the rain, For the corn and the wine He bestowed, For the golden-wreathed grain: But now as the festal week ends, 'Neath the palms that we wave, We cry thanks to the Giver of Good For the Torah He gave.

For the Law of the L-rd it is good, And His precepts are right: The simple of heart He makes wise; His commandments bring light; More goodly His Words than fine gold, Ay, a treasure to save; And we __thank__ with rejoicing our G-d For the Torah He gave.

O harvesters, rich in your spoils, Not alone by the bread Which we __win__ by the sweat of our brows Are the sons of dust fed; Nay, we live by the Words of His mouth, And 'neath palms that we wave, We cry thanks to the __Giver__ of Good For the Torah He gave."

Levinger was a strong influential poet during the time period of the Harlem renaissance. She had a a different approach to the way she wrote her poetry. Within her poetry she incorporated the message of he religion as well. Being a strong believer of the Jewish religion she used some messages of this religion within her poem "Simcath Torah"

Throughout her poetry she tries to get the point of the social differences and inequality. However, while she is showing this social difference she is greatly expressing some religious beliefs throughout her poetry as well. "More goodly His Words than fine gold, Ay, a treasure to save" (13-14). This quote represents her belief in god and her religion taking a major role in her poetry.

Also throughout the poems she has written she expresses some of the ways to act on her religion as well as explain their beliefs. "Nay, we live by the Words of His mouth" (21). This quote expresses how she uses her religion to make a statement. This statement represents how she feels life should be lived. According to her religion it should always be lived in accordance to the words of god.

"We cry thanks to the Giver of Good" (7) This represents the attitude that most African Americans had at this time period. They were all dealing with all types of abuse. The severity of this abuse varied from verbal abuse to physically being beaten. No matter what they dealt with they had good attitudes. Most were also religious and while being beaten they still would attend church and be willing to thank god for all the good things he has given them.