Solomon was an important organizer who reached across boundaries of religious conviction at the local, national, and international levels.

[2] Solomon was born in Chicago on January 14, 1858, the fourth of ten siblings, to Sarah (née Spiegel) and Michael Greenebaum.

[5] Solomon’s parents set an example of strong civic involvement; her mother organized Chicago's first Jewish Ladies Sewing Society, where they made clothes for the needy, and her father founded the Zion Literary Society, was a volunteer fireman, and also helped found Chicago's first Reform synagogue, Kehilath Anshe Maarav.

Many of Solomon's ideas for the National Council of Jewish Women stemmed from her experiences with the Chicago Woman's Club, which emphasized philanthropy and education.

Her husband, Henry Solomon, often accompanied her on business trips, and the whole family travelled to Berlin for the International Council of Women Convention in 1904.