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Anne Goldstein (January 16, 1913 - March 14, 1983) was a leading female amateur athlete (in basketball, softball, and volleyball) in Chicago through the 1920s-1940s (throughout the Great Depression and war years). Anne Goldstein remains a top Jewish-American female athlete.

Early Life
Anne Goldstein was born on January 16, 1913 in West-side Chicago to Abe and Rose Goldstein. Abe and Rose Goldstein were Jewish immigrants that came from Russia in 1905. Anne was born and grew up in an area in West-side Chicago, as the Goldstein family lived in a small and crowded household in the Maxwell Street neighborhood that was home to many Chicago Jews at the time. Abe Goldstein (Anne’s father) was a tailor, starting out as a tradesman and then later becoming an owner of Abraham Men’s Clothing (a men’s clothing shop) in 1923. As Abe grew in prominence, the Goldstein family moved to the North Lawndale neighborhood (along with many other Jews that grew in prominence at the time). Additionally, Anne had three older siblings (also born to Abe and Rose Goldstein).

Athletic Career

 * Anne Goldstein’s athletic career began at the Jewish People’s Institute. This was a settlement house that sponsored several athletic teams and events, including the Jewish People’s Institute Girls. The Jewish People’s Institute Girls was one of the top women’s amateur basketball teams in Chicago, which Anne joined at the age of 14. Anne was even featured in the Chicago Herald for her success in a victorious game at the young age of 14, saying “And then little 14-year-old Annie Goldstein made a basket, beating the overtime whistle by a second and winning, 13 to 11, for dear old JPI. The game was played on the Beloit floor before 3,000 fans.”1 This was a promising start to an athletic career that would later span decades.
 * Goldstein played high-level amateur basketball at a young age. At age 19, she graduated from Marshall High School. The delayed graduation was likely due to her focus on sports over academics.
 * Goldstein led the JPI women’s basketball team to their extremely strong 29-1 record in the 1927-28 season. The team traveled and competed throughout the Midwest. Goldstein proved herself to be a dominant offensive and defensive player. At 5 feet 3 inches, Goldstein often played the “forward” position. Throughout the next several years, the team had an outstanding 157-6 record.
 * Goldstein also played for the JPI Women’s Volleyball team after the basketball season, leading the team to five championships in six years (at the Amateur Athletic Federation tournament) from 1928 through 1933.
 * The JPI women’s basketball team also competed against African American women’s teams (which was not particularly common at the time), such as the Roamer Girls and Olivet Baptist Church.
 * Unfortunately, the Jewish People’s Institute suffered from financial hardships from the Great Depression and the girls teams were ended after the 1932 season.
 * Anne Goldstein (as well as two other top players from the JPI Girls teams) then joined the ‘Spencer Coals’ team in 1932. This program was funded by a coal supply company called the Spencer Brothers Company. This team (and program) was not specifically meant for Jews, although having three girls from the JPI made the women’s team heavily Jewish. The girls were coached by Mark Singer, a legendary coach at the time who coached many teams to championships. Anne Goldstein led the team to several championships and remained a leading scorer.
 * The team then turned into the T.J. Bowlers (funded by political Democratic candidate Thomas J. Bowler), which the coach, Mark Singer, was signed for (and took the girls of the former team with him). However, in April 1936, Anne Goldstein (along with nine other members of the T.J. Bowlers) were suspended from the Central AAU league for unprofessionalism, as they had employment related to sports (such as a “physical instructor” in Anne’s case), which was not allowed. However, Coach Mark Singer continued to play Anne, which led to the entire team being banned by the Central AAU.
 * Anne Goldstein also played softball. She started in the local leagues and then joined the team “Kilmer Trees” as a part of the Chicago Major Girls Softball League (along with a few other basketball players). Her softball accomplishments were even covered by the Chicago Tribune and local newspapers, which did not often report on women’s softball.
 * Anne Goldstein was also mentioned in the Jewish magazine The Sentinel’s “Sports” column that was led by a former Jewish male athlete, Irv Kupcinet. This column very rarely mentioned Jewish women in sports, which is why the mention of Anne Goldstein was particularly notable.
 * By the 1936-37 season, Anne and her teammates were un-banned from competition (by the Central AAU). Women’s amateur sports opened for the men’s sports in the Windy City League, where Anne led her female teammates in competition (making it to the semi-finals and traveling across the United States).
 * For the 1937-38 season, Anne Goldstein joined the Bill Rand Girls, which was a highly successful women’s sports team at the time with leading athletes such as Goldstein and Marion and Mercedes DeSutter. They competed in the Windy City League competition and the annual American Tournament (winning the championships). However, Goldstein was already older by this season with declining skills, which were evident by her lesser contributions to the team’s success throughout this season. She finished her basketball career with the 1938-39 season.
 * Anne Goldstein continued to play softball for several more seasons, with her larger and heavier physique making her a stronger softball hitter and pitcher. She played for the McCabe Boosters and later the Down Drafts (which was coached by Anne’s husband, Hy Gomberg). The Down Drafts won the American Tournament, which was one of the largest and most prestigious tournaments at the time.

Marriage and Family
Anne Goldstein married Hy Gomberg on June 22, 1934. Hy Gomberg was a coach in local Chicago softball organizations, which is where he and Anne met. He also coached the Down Drafts softball team, which Anne was a part of around 1938. Around that time (according to the 1940 census), the couple lived together with Anne Goldstein’s parents closer to North-side Chicago. Anne Goldstein Gomberg and Hy Gomberg later moved to California.

Death and Legacy
Anne Goldstein and her husband spent the remainder of their time living in California. Anne Goldstein Gomberg died on March 14, 1983, and Hy Gomberg died on July 3, 1998.

Anne Goldstein left quite a significant legacy in Chicago Jewish history, although her name is not highly discussed in modern times. Growing up as a Jewish woman to immigrant parents, she comes from a society where women were a symbol of motherhood and tradition in the household. However, Anne Goldstein’s story shows the remarkable achievements in athletics of a Jewish woman across the span of decades. Her legacy also puts into context the legacy of organizations such as the Jewish People’s Institute, which promoted both Jewish men and women who had athletic potential. Anne Goldstein symbolizes the progressive nature of some Jewish women during the time of the Great Depression and war years, while also leaving record-breaking athletic achievements for women in Chicago at the time.