An Organizational Response to the Working Woman

In the summer of 1982, the magazine Voluntary Action Leadership published “As I See It,” an opinion piece by Dadie Perlov, then executive director of the National Council on Jewish Women. It was based on a presentation made at the Symposium on Women, Work and the Family, sponsored by the Association of Junior Leagues. Thirty years ago, women who had been stay-at-home moms and community volunteers were transitioning into full-time paid jobs - a challenge for voluntary associations of women as well as families and employers.

This Voices article, reprinted with permission, feels both historical and strangely modern. It focuses particularly on the all-volunteer membership/service association, but raises important questions for any organization involving members of either gender. Three decades later, have we answered Perlov's questions? Or do we still grapple with them? At the end of this reprinted article, readers will enjoy an unexpected Epilogue: Perlov's response to the article she wrote over 30 years ago.