5J PA THE DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE THE EARLIEST JEWISH RELIGIOUS SCHOOL IN AMERICA FOR EASTER SUNDAY Something Entirely New Cherry Ice Cream Custard Pint and Quart Bricks Order Now from Your Dealer It's a Real Treat ICE CREAN COMPANY Glendale 4140 DR. I). de SOLA POOL probable that Joseph Jeshitrum Pin a, who aced as Ilazan after Pereira went in England, for sonic reason did not serve as teacher of the young. For we find that in the fall of 1760 "At a meting of Parnasim & Elders, Was ordered, that the Said Parnasim, should write to Mr. Benjamin I'er- reyra, to procure a Person, qualified to teach the Chihlren of this Congre . gation the Hebrew Language, and agree to allow such teacher, Forty Pounds pr Annum: Twenty Pounds of which to lie taken out of Hazan's Salary, the other Twenty Pounds to be Paid out of the Sedaka." .\ year and a half later the problem of finding the teacher had been solved: for we find in the Minute Book of the Congregation under the (late of April 25. 1762, that "the Par- nasini, and Assistants; agreed with Mr. Abraham Is. Abrohams to keep a 'niblick school in the Hcbra, to out interest to recount what we know teach the Hebrew Language, and of the story of this earliest American translate the same into English, also Jewish religious school. to teach English, Reading, \Vriting Beginning in the Seventeenth Cen- & Cyphering. The Congregation to tury. The Hazan as Teacher. allow loin Twenty Pounds per An- In the eighteenth century, there num with liberty of having offerings was no public school system in New made him in Synagogue. He is to Y ork City, and the synagogue had to teach all such Children gratis, that provide both secular and Jewish edu . can not afford to pay, all others to cation for the children of its mem- be paid for Quarterly, as he may bers. From the beginnings of the agree with those who send them to community ill the middle of the school. In case the Hazan should sevententh century, some provision he absent o r indisposed, Said Abra- was probably made for instructing the ham. is to perform in that function, young. What was its nature we do and if the fore-mention'd allowances not know. The first fact on record should happen to fall short of Expec- is the opening of a special school tation or his deserts, upon applica- "()n the 21st of Nison, the tion to the Parnasini and .assistants itli day of Pesach (1731), the day 01 - I bey are to lake it into Considera- completing the first year of the open- tion." ing of the synagogue, there was made A month later, 5.1a y 21,th, 1762, it fs codez (consecrated) the Yeshiliat noted that "at a 'meting of the Par. called Minhat :Arch, in the name of nassim and .\ssistams 'Mr. Abram Is. the following gentlemen, Mossch son :Abrahams Declared he could not of Sarah and Jahacob, of Abraham, undertake keeping school for the sum I and of Mrisseh Mendez de Costa, for alcove mention'd. The Majority the use of this Congregation Sheerit therefore resolved to allow said Abra- Israel and as a Ileth Ilamidras for ham Forty Pounds per annum out of the pupils, in conformity with the the Seilaka." From an incidental note, we per- direct ion to that effect given by Jahacob Mendez da Costa Signor, re- haps learn that not all the children siding in London, to Messrs. 'Monk - of the Congregation attended the chay and David Gomez of New York. school kept by the "Ribbi," as the And may God bestow Ili , Blessing teacher was usually called. For on October 21, 1764, it was resolved that upon us. Amen." The teacher was probably the all the children in Synagogue Ilazaii, lint we know no further de- "whether Scholars or not, who are tails until Hazan ',doses Lopez de seated, on the places, in the Corner, Fonseca left the New York Congre - appropriated for them while there, or gation to at as Ilazan in Curacao. shall be governed Icy the Ribbi, He was succeeded by David Mendes turit'd Prone thence, on proper appli- cation to the Parnassitn." Machado, a refugee from the Portu- On one occasion, in February, 1768. guese Inquisition, who was elected on January 30th, 1737, "to at as Mr. .\ brahams, the teacher, undertook to act as Shammas, at a time when hazan or reader to this our K. K. dc the- regular Shamniits had been sus. Seherit Yisrael. The Said M r. pended from his office. This arrange- Machado promising . and obliging ment lasted for about a fortnight himself to exercise said office, and until clue Shammaa was reinstated. also promises and obliges himself to The teacher was also used, from time keep a publick school in due form to bins, as an emergency Hazan. for teaching the Hebrew language, On March 6. 1768, it was "resolved either the whole morning or after- that for the future Abraham Mira. noon as he shall think most proper. hams the Ribbi, should have Ten and any poor that shall be thought Pounds alowed him, in Consideration unable to pay for their children's of his removing from the House hell earning they shall Ice taught gratis." now lives in belonging to the Syna- While Machado was head of the con- gouge, & that the Ilazan (Gershon' gregational school in 1744, Joshua endcs Seixas) is to Go into said Isaacs bequeathed "£50 to our con House the first of May next, after gregation of Jews in New York. the which Time he IS to have no Allow- income to be for the support of a ance for House Rent. Mr. Abrahams Hebrew School to teach poor chil- the Ribbi, soliciting for Fifteen dren the Hebrew tongue." Pounds in Place of Ten Pounds, it 'Three years later, on April 5. 1747, was agreed That if at the close of the it was agreed that the Hazan "David year, any moneys should Remain in Mendez Machado shall attend at the the {lends of the Parnas Belonging Ilebra to Teach Children the He- to the Synagogue, that he should brew, from Niue to Twelve Each then Pay to the Ribbi, the Sum of morning and from two till live Thurs- Five Pounds, to make up the Sum of day afternoon, to receive eight shill- Fitteen By him Solicited For." ings per quarter from each child that On December 26th, 1785, when the comes to said school and one load Congregation was passing through the troublous times following the wood yearly front each child. Also that the parnass or one of the ad- Revolution, a meeting seas called to pintos shall visit the said school elect "a Hazan, Shochet and \stab. Also that said Mr. Machado Shama s; and to consider of the pro- shall teach such children gratis that priety of appointing a Ribbi." Ger- S110111 clenches Scixas, the former can't afford payment." In March, 1748, Benjamin I'ereyra Hazan of the Congregation, who had been acting as Hazan in Philadelphia succeeded Machado as Whether or not lie carried ou'ille during the British occupation of New congregational school in the Helga York, was elected Ilazan. But appar- , ently he was not willing to act as or congregational building i s no The story of the historical develop . meat of religious instruction in American Jewish communities is usu- ally opened with the year 1838 when Rebecca Gratz organized a Sunday school in Philadelphia, and when the Reform Congregation in Charleston, South Carolina, also opened a religi- ous school. But the story of Jewish religious instruction in America goes back far beyond this. We possess illuminating notices about the religi- ous teaching in the community in New York City, which begin just one century prior to 1838. These facts are contained in the earliest extant Minute Books of tile Congregation Shearith Israel. .\s these notices throw an amusing and instructive light on modern 'questions of rcligi- cus school acommodation, teachers salaries, charges for instruction and similar problems, it may not be with - on Easter Sunday Is a responsibility but "McMillan's" can make good. They have ready for your selection the best in every line of food stuffs—from the every day staple to the rare prod- uct—from the crisp, fresh green to the choice canned fruit or vegetable. Milk Fed Poultry. Salads and garnsihes. Pastry made to your special order. Main 5520 For the convenience of responsible pa- trons we will open an account upon receipt of satisfactory references. We send no goods C. 0. D. G. &. R.. McMillan Co. Woodward at Fort D. 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ASK FOR MEDINA The Medina County Creamery Co. 28 Market Street I stated in the records. But presume teacher. For the minutes of the ably he did so; for we find action meeting read: "The Cong: then pro- being taken on December 7, 1755, ceeded to the aftixg: of a 1(ibbi and to change the meeting place of the after debating on the safe, it was school It was then decided at a moved & seconded, that Public No- eeting of the Parnasim and Elders rice be given in Synagogue That any of the Congregation, "that Twenty person capable of keeping a school, Pounds pr arum be added to the Sal- deliver in their proposals in writing 221 - 227 MONROE Wm. P. Ternes Co. QUALITY—SERVICE Phone Hemlock 4034 SAVES FOOD! CRYSTAL ICE CO., Ltd. 1215 - 1217 WEST JEFFERSON AVENUE Arithmetick. In the Summer from 9 gregation that no Person has yet to 12 in the forenoon & from 2 to effered to serve as Ribbi and it was 5 in the afternoon & in the winter lesolved that the further time of Six- and that the from 10 to 12 in the forenoon and ' ern \\*eel' s he alluw.(1 Iron 2 to 4 in the afternoon & that Parnassim & Junta exert themselves the children may be strictly kept to to procure Terms from some proper their learning, the Parnasim and the Person & then convene the Congre- Elders according to their Seniority garcon." It seems clear that no stut- engage to visit sd school monthly able teacher was forthcoming, con if that Ilazan Seixas was virtually com- to examine the children and judge the Scholars under the liazans care pd;1171 to take charge of the education But being a man of advance in their learning; the above ' the Yfflull4' additional Salary to commence front independent spirit, he did so on his De- ,.., e : O , niremr)ragri,T", o,,, f ;D last Rash a Shanah & to continue ' wll , len, us ', 7o-k us '"' '' ll ' - "" whilst the Ilaran discharges the duty "timer 7, 171)3, shows was paid £32.10 per quarter for keep- above expressed." ing school, a marked increase in the About a year later, on September „ s of the teacher. But Seixas 5. 1756, it was voted "that the Hazan s ' e' e la m rls. to have effected a further im- he excused from keeping school o Sundays in of the Health al i ernon on ascot. I,rovement on learn, his salary; his ill stale agreeable to a f of stray note we that in for, the from fob O gducft oii:igr alowing r e li gsi.oe ua sr , 1,7c91410, oh, . e what he setts forth in his petition." what iin t h s a re gn v' c .a O Hazan Pereira resigned his odic re- pounds a year for each child. A re- ill shortly afterwards account health, and it was on agreed by of the port of Ephraim Hart, Parnas, and adiuntos to writilit to Jacob Hart, dated September 20, 1794. "Parnasirn & s in existence, in which they declare the Parnasim & Elders the Por- i toques Congregation of of London to "that the school children had made very little progress" since their last send us one to whome wee ordered v i sit fifty Pounds Starling Salary pr an- It is clear from the foregoing, that num to serve as Hebrew, a Hazan English & teach the poor children & in the eighteenth century, preceding 0 Spanish; the Letter being dated ye the foundation of the present Talmud Apparently th Torah of the congregation, which 4th Elul, 5518." ac made possible in 1801 by a be- II was Congregation was not immediately Page 7.) successful in finding a teacher. It is U t1 Cadillac 3509—Main 4404 Phones West 28 West 1392, West 4340 • ry of the H•zan un Condition that tic the Parnassim and Adjuntos by he opens a School at his owe house this day three weeks, when the Con- the week t bryday after- gregation are to meet & the same every day 111 (loon, II oh. Days and Fast Days Ex- understood, Ice laid before that it be the them—:And Ilebra will be appro- poor dol.. evicted) & teaches such r iatcd for the use of the School.' dren Gratis that shall have an order P from the Parnas Presidente, the Ile- l'hree weeks later, in January 15. brew, Spanish, English, writing & 1786, "The Parnas informed the Con- Steam Tables and Restaurant Equipment Lumber - Coal - NET WEIGHT Bayou. Soda Fountains Carbonators, Metal Furniture and Supplies 3199 TWELFTH STREET, AT D T. R. R. Every Voter • Dining Detroit Cadillac 4980 E SEVEN Branch Yard—Warren Ave. and P. M. R. R. 0= 0=1 0= 0= 0 = 0 = 0 1=0 YOUR COAL O Order It. Now! YOU CAN DEPEND ON US TO SUPPLY YOU wrrii QUALITY COAL AND COKE 0 PROMPT SERVICE 1 East Side Coal Co. 1 (continue On WHOLESALE AND RETAIL Cherry 1731 Main Yard—Maple St. and G. T. R. R. (ono=01=0=0=0—•0=0) :1 1