On March 4th, 1925, Florence Prag Kahn became the first Jewish woman to serve in the United States Congress. She served from 1925 to 1937, and earned great respect from many of her colleagues during her term. Kahn was born in 1866 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was the daughter of Mary and Conrad Prag, who were both Polish Jews. Kahn was their oldest child, in addition to a brother who died at the age of 10. In Utah, her father sold supplies to miners who were searching for gold, but the family was eventually forced to relocate to California after his business failed. In California, Kahn’s mother taught at the same San Francisco Girls’ High School that Kahn graduated from. Education, both Jewish and secular, was highly valued in Kahn’s household. In 1887, she graduated from the University of California, one of only seven women in her graduating class. Like her mother, she became a teacher, specifically working in high schools to teach English and history. In March of 1899, she married Julius Kahn, who was an actor and politician. At the time of their marriage, Julius was a first-term U.S. representative. Florence helped her husband throughout his career. After he died in 1924, she ran for his vacant seat at the request of Republican Party officials. Upon winning the election, she became the first Jewish congresswoman, and only the fifth woman in Congress overall. Kahn served on a variety of committees throughout her political career, including becoming the first woman to participate in the Military Affairs Committee. Notably, Kahn was a staunch supporter of the F.B.I., and even became close friends with its director. She also firmly opposed Prohibition and worked to reduce the restrictions on alcohol sales imposed during that time, as she believed the government should not regulate such virtues.In 1936, Kahn lost her bid for reelection. After returning to civilian life, she participated in a variety of Jewish and women’s organizations. In 1948, Kahn died from heart disease. She is remembered for her wit, her support of women in government, and her sons Julius Jr. and Conrad. May her memory be a blessing.