Newcomb Nursery School

The Newcomb Nursery School was founded in 1927 with the leadership of a group of well-educated Jewish women committed to progressive education. Erected with generous support and leadership by Edith Rosenwald Stern, others among the initial group were Blanche Sternberger Benjamin, Lillian Godchaux Feibleman, Irma Samson Barnett, Helen Stern Seiferth, Helene Goldsmith Godchaux, Tess Mayer Crager, Marion Odenheimer Saal Moor, Ethel Landau Jacobs, and Pauline Mendelson Bloch. They were joined by nine Catholic and Protestant women. They wanted children—from interested families and those of Tulane faculty—to be educated cross-culturally, learning from each other’s religious orientations. Newcomb Nursery also served as a laboratory school where Newcomb students could witness child development firsthand. It was one of the first nursery schools and first cooperative nursery schools in the US and Edith Stern recruited teachers from Columbia University as well as Newcomb College.

Stern continued support of the school throughout her life, as evidenced in the photo to the right showing a celebration of a new building in 1957.

The photo at the far right shows but one example of the three or even four generations who attended the school. Harriet Stern Rosenthal (in white blouse) also authored children’s books and worked on children’s television programs, long an important part of the NCJW storytelling efforts.