Bella (Savitsky) Abzug (1920 - 1998)

Born 24 Jul 1920 in New York City, New York, New York

Died 31 Mar 1998 at age 77 in New York City, New York, New York

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Elaine Martzen [send private message]

Biography

Bella Savitzky was born in 1920 in New York City, New York. She was the daughter of Emanuel Savitsky and Esther Tanklefsky, both Russian Jewish immigrants.^[1][2][3]

Bella attended Walton High School in New York City and was the class president. After high school, she went to Hunter College of the City University of New York. ^[3] She was a political science major, and was also elected president of the student council. After graduating, she met her husband, Martin Abzug, the son and partner of an affluent shirt manufacturer, while visiting relatives in Miami, Florida. They married on June 4, 1944. ^[4]

Bella earned a law degree from Columbia University in 1947, and was admitted to the New York Bar that same year. As a lawyer, she focused on labor law and also took on civil rights cases in the Southern United States. She was also a co-founder of Women's Strike for Peace, a women's peace activist group.^[3]

Bella was elected to the United States House of Representatives, and was in office from January 3, 1971- January 3, 1977. She was one of the first members of Congress to support gay rights and introduced, along with Ed Koch, the Equality Act of 1974, the first federal gay rights bill. She ran for Mayor of New York City in 1977, but did not receive the nomination.^[3]

After leaving the House, Bella founded and ran several women's advocacy organizations. She co-founded the Women's Environment and Development Organization in the early 1990s. She also developed the Women's Caucus.^[3]

Bella died on March 31, 1998 in New York City due to complications from open heart surgery.^[3] She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1994.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7D1-F85 : accessed 16 November 2016), Bella Savitzky in household of Emanuel Savitzky, Bronx (Districts 251-500), Bronx, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 403, sheet 8A, line 10, family 132, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1476; FHL microfilm 2,341,211.
2. ↑ United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQLS-VLN : accessed 16 November 2016), Bella Savitzsky in household of Esther Savitzsky, Assembly District 8, Bronx, New York City, Bronx, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 3-1313, sheet 6B, line 47, family 127, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2493.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_Abzug
4. ↑ Jewish Women's Archive, Blanche Wiesen Cook.
5. ↑ https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/bella-abzug/