The Jewish Republican Rep. You’ve Never Heard Of
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, left, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, right, yesterday unveiled a portrait of Florence Kahn (1866–1948), who in 1925 became the first Jewish woman to serve in the U.S. Congress.
The Utah-born, California-reared Kahn, a Republican, was also among the first women to graduate from the University of California, Berkeley. Her education served her well: When her congressman-husband, Julius, died, she won his seat — and went on to represent San Francisco for the next 12 years.
The House’s Office of History and Preservation has an enlightening multimedia presentation about Kahn’s life and work. It can be seen here.
Kahn’s portrait, unveiled as part of Jewish American Heritage Month, will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
