Gertrude: New book describes life of social reformer Weil

Gertrude Weil would not have liked this editorial.

But then Miss Weil did not like publicity of any kind directed at her, she felt others deserved the accolades. She was simply doing what any right-thinking person would do, she always said.

Miss Weil was a social reformer who was one of Goldsboro's most famout residents. A new biography of her came out this month, and if you consider yourself a Wayne County historian you need to get the book and read it. Otherwise, you will have missed a chapter in the county's history that is seldom told but vitally important.

The book is by Leonard Rogoff and is titled "Gertrude Weil: Jewish Progressive in the New South."  

Miss Weil died in 1971 at the age of 91. She worked tirelessly all her life to bring about social change at a time when women and minorities were considered second-class citizens. She was a suffragette in the 1920s and '30s and a civil rights advocate in the 1960s. In between, she took on many other causes to right what she considered society's wrongs. She was an amazing woman. Rogoff's book captures her selfless spirit and desire to improve life for others. It belongs on the shelf of every Wayne County history buff.

Published in Editorials on April 20, 2017 10:17 AM