Fanny Goldstein was the first mother to pass the Pennsylvania bar exam.
The Ukrainian-born trailblazer moved to South Philadelphia in 1905. She earned a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania at a time when few women attended college. She married real estate developer Isaac Goldstein a year later, and gave birth to a daughter, Lois.
Goldstein earned a law degree from Temple University in 1932. She was the only woman in her class. Specializing in real estate law, she worked with her husband until the 1950s then focused on family mediation. Goldstein later toured the country, giving lectures that promoted social equality for women and civil rights. She was also a leader in the World Jewish Congress on Zionism.
Goldstein died on June 6 from complications of a hip injury. She was 102.
Posted on June 30, 2004 11:58 PM