Collection: Aunt Naomi

Annie Gertrude Landa, better known as Aunt Naomi, was a celebrated British Jewish writer, journalist, and playwright who shared Jewish teachings through story. Raised in a literary family, she began writing plays and stories as a teenager. In 1904, she married Myer Jack Landa, a fellow writer and collaborator, whose works often credited her influence. 

As Aunt Naomi, Gertrude’s weekly children’s column in The Jewish Chronicle became a household staple, blending Jewish folklore, tradition, and engaging narratives. She also wrote a women’s page under the pseudonym Sheba, which addressed societal issues beyond the conventional women’s topics of the time. Gertrude also championed intellectual property rights, winning a landmark case, Landa v. Greenburg, to protect her pseudonym.  

She was a vocal advocate for tradition and greatly involved in politics. She organized charity events and proposed the King Edward VII Jewish Memorial Fountain. It was stated in her obituary by her husband that, had it not been for her declining health, she would have been a Parliamentary candidate. 

Gertrude’s legacy continues today. Her writing has left a profound impact on Jewish literature, and journalism. Her daughter, Ruth Landa, continued the family’s literary tradition as a poet and actress, no doubt inspired by her parents. Gertrude’s stories were not only entertaining but also preserve a rich cultural heritage for generations.