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PAGE EIGHT

Shall Jewish Education Stand Alone?

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gram of Jewish education should oc-1

cupy; that the community must think I
in terms of the problem as a whole
and not in terms of individual schools,
whether of one type or another • not
By BEN ROSEN,
in terms of congregational schools as
Director of Jewish Education, Philadelphia.
opposed to communal schools and not
even exclusively in terms of organiza-
Eat aaaaa from An Address Delivered at Slsaarey Zedek Synagogue.
tions which embrace all the schools
particular type such as the Tel-
The development of Jewish educa- ity. In order to understand why this of a
solution
was
arrived
at,
it
is
necessary
I mud Torahs Association or the He-
tion in this country shows conclusive-
brew Sunday School Society. And we
ly that we have always reckoned with to familiarize oneself with the ante- have reason to be proud of what has
the American public school system. cedents of the immigrants who came been done to date. When the atten-
We have developed a supplementary here, especially since 1881. The great tion of the community was called to
system of Jewish education. The sup- wave of the so-called Russian Jewish the terrible state in which its school
plementary Jewish school is the dis- immigration was the result not of a buildings were found and in which
came with the
a boat contribution a Jews to our sys- , slow movement but
It but a small proportion of the popula-
To force of a volcanic eruption.
- tem of American education.
ti•ri was housed, the community re-
discard this plan would be a conks- ' marked a flight from the grinding
sp onded nobly. Eight hundred thou-
F.-
- - - sion of weakness of the Jewish school pressure of economic misery and poli- sand dollars was set aside for ale
I tics! discussion and was the imme-
system.
.!diate
result
of
the
massacres
inaugu-
ish ed u
The whole tendency i n J ew
0
rated under the reign of Alexander in addition t o $500,000 for a Y. M. H.
cation is away from the idea of one I
of a fund of $3,500,000 to be
A.,
or two hours a week instruction. The 1 III.
raised. So enthusiastic was the com-
School as a solution to the I When these immigrants came to munity
' about this enterprise that,
,
•--Sunday
roblem a religious instruction has these shores; they were confronted by even after the quota was raised by
•
Ibsen discarded even by the Prates- conditions decidedly different from $600,000, that sum too was exceeded,
tants.
How much less dare we Jews those they were accustomed to in their with the result that practically $4,-
=
former homes. One can readily real- 500,000 was secured for the erection
=--- : adopt it as a permanent solution. A
__
survey of Indiana showed that only ize the chaos in which they found of new buildings. Never before in
- one-half of the Protestant children themselves. It seemed that the whole any community in this country was so
-=_=:
of Indiana attend Sunday School; one- structure of the Russian Jewish life large a sum of money set aside speci-
▪
.÷-7
half of those who do go are absent tumbled down like a house of cards fically for Jewish educational build-
-
when they were faced with the reali- ings.
-•=
---
. -- - I one-half the time; one-half of every
Sunday
School session is given over i ties of American life. Not only were
▪
The president of our federation, the
1
Ito opening and closing exercises in- they in a new geographical land, but Hon. Horace Stern, called into being
-=-
stead of lessons. The result is that the political, economic, social and reli- a committee of 16, representing all
-
-=" the Indiana children who do go to gious surroundings were entirely new. the elements in the community. This
Sunday School receive a total of 12 The most difficult factor they had to committee has been engaged for the
",-,-- hours of religious instruction annual-I contend with was the tierce economic last half year in a thorough study of
EE ly. What shall the Jews say to a I struggle.
the problem of Jewish education in
The educational institutions which all its communal aspects, and they are
- proposal which would have us teach
E.--
= the heritage of 4.000 years in a few had been developed in the old country about to submit a comprehensive re-
E-
•-=- hours a year? The idea of learning I were naturally
over without
changes brought
to this country
and port. ft is hoped that, as a result of
-•.=
--- has been one of the strongest motive any
this study, the community will set
while
they
successfully
served their itself to the task of developing a sys-
forces
in
Jewish
life.
-
-=--
The Jews arc not only brothers in ' purpose in keeping alive the traditions tem of Jewish education which will
E-
—
....:7 faith, but they share a joint trust tolof Jewish life and learning there, in
place it in the foremost rank in this
Cadillac 4584
208 Book Building
-P-
short while these very same institu- country.
a to transmit
preserve, to develop and
the common heritage of their learningltions degenerated and became ill
What do we mean when we speak
and traditions. If one community I . adapted to the new conditions of of community responsibility in Jew-
falters in this task, the other must 1 American life.
ish education? In philanthropic en-
Students of Jewish life in America deavor not more than 5 per cent are
take on renewed courage, and if we
trace the history of Jewish learning are familiar with the great tragedy the beneficiaries, while 95 per cent of
throughout the centuries we will find which resulted from the attempt o n the community are the potential hove-
that when the light of the Law was the part of these immigrants to ad- factors. In .lewish education practi-
extinguished in one land it was just themselves to the conditions of c ally all are the beneficiaries. There-
kindled all the more brightly in a American life. The cleavage between fore, Jewish education cannot' have
P. J. Miller, Asst.
arents and children, the consequent beneficiaries in the philanthropic
more favored land. Thus the respon-
Edw. H. Goebel, Mgr.
sibility for spiritual leadership was ass of parental authority, the slow t ense; it must aim at self-support.
the
banks
disintegration of Jewish home life, th e This support must come from the par-
passed on from Palestine to
SEDANS
BODY AND FENDER
of the Euphrates and the Tigris, and breakdown of the standards of the old ents through adequate tuition fees.
RETRIMMED
Jewish communities, during which
BUMPING
from these centers westwar
The responsibility of the community
European lands and the North- Af ri- ! time no provision had been made for lies in the following direction:
WINTER
SEAT COVERS
can shores: Italy and Strain, France new affiliations with the realities of
To create a desire in the par- 0
CURTAINS
and Germany, in eaeh of these lands American life-all this tells a story ents for the Jewish education of their
GLASS
the native Jewry Dossed a period of ■ of a tragedy which surpasses in men- children.
UPHOLSTERING
apprenticeshin, and each. in due time, I tat anguish the physical suffering of
2. To develop the personnel for the
ENCLOSURES
matured to mastery and leadership in the Jews in the eastern communities. schools and other educational agencies.(
the realm of Hebrew letters and
3. To provide adequate buildings.
But there were forces which rapidly
thought, when the light in the Orient brought
.affairs.about a change in this state
4. To support new efforts in the
Phone Glendale 3676
grew dim. In their turn, these lands 9
All these changes resulted educational program for which the
declined, and the cycle rotated east- in
` the development of a communal parents have not yet been educated
0
ward to Poland. Turkey and latterly consciousness.
to assume full responsibility.
Flossie. The nineteenth century with
In the first place, the immigrants
5. To co-ordinate all the agencies
-v- concentrated in a few centers of popu- in the community and to raise the go
I
all tho c-nfusioo it wroollit
ish thinkin., wi'nessed the dawn
in .le of lotion. One-half of the total number standard of Jewish education.
a new spirit and promised a veritable were found in New York City, prac-
You have a great opportunity in
renaissance in some of the western tically
75 per cent of the remaining Detroit. The Talmud Torahs have,
n
countries. Then came the unhappy number congregated in ten large coin- under the leadership of Mr. Isaacs
tragic twentieth century; the Old munities. This concentration of popu- and Mr. Rabinowitz and their asso-
World was laid waste and desolate. lotion tended to restore the stability ciates, made fine progress in increas-
and out of the ruins, the historic soul of the Jewish groups.
ing the number of pupils and in im- O
Formerly Campbell & Halliday.
cried out, "America, lead the way.
In the second place, the economic proving the quality of the educational
Thy turn h as come. Prepare for the i improvementwas very rapid. The work. Nevertheless only 40 per cent 0
glorious epporturity of destiny. Keep opportunities for economic advance- of your child population receives any
faith with
Shall we keep ment were eagerly seized upon and we kind of Jewish education whatsoever.
hist
th history."
faith with history by discarding the know that today great wealth has been Despite the successful campaign last
ideal of Jewish learning, And how . acquired by many Jews.
year the problem of financing the He-
ran we conceive of the promotion of
Throughout this entire struggle, the brew schools in Detroit has not yet II
.
Jewish learning unless we have a communities did not overlook their re- been permanently solved. You are 0
sound system of elementary and 1 sponsibility to their brethren who now engaged in discussing a plan of U
PROMPT SERVICE
impoverished circumstances, affiliating the schools with the fed- 0
secondary schools.
I were in imp
The careful observer of the devel• , in need of medical aid of institutional eration. Because of the sympathetic
points t in Jewish communal life 1 I care. The great generosity of the interest of the leaders of the federa-
opments
3968 GRAND RIVER AVENUE
to an entirely different solu-
tion of the problem of Jewish educe- Jews kept pace with the increase in tion in educational work, I feel con-
wealth, so that we find throughout the fiident that this alliance will prove
DETROIT
namely
that Jewish education country the establishment of Federa- most helpful; certainly in the solu-
I
must become a communal responsibil- tions of Charities, which have become tion of the present vexing problem of
models for all forms of organized phil- financing the Hebrew schools and to
anthropic endeavor in this country . provide for the extension of educa-
Since the peroid of the war and after, tional work. Give it your sunport.
TtlEISULTIM
gEnriMS$51Wir
the unparalleled outpouring of mil If I may indulge in prophesying, I
1
lions of dollars for the relief of suf venture the statement that many
, tering abroad, has had a tremendous years will not elapse before you will
effect in consolidating the various ele- decide to do what has already been
ments within the Jewish communities. done in Cleveland, what is likely to
Slowly the need for philanthropy at be done in Philadelphia and what I
home also diminished and as the pal- humbly believe will ultimately follow
liative phase of federation activities in every large Jewish community in
was put on an efficient basis, the fed- this country, namely, the organization
eration came to realize that at best it of all the educational activities on a
was concerning itself only with a small communal basis. Suuch an organiza-
tion, though co-operating with the
part of the population.
They began to turn their attention Federation of Charities, will make its
sal to the community for moral
seriously to the normal aspects of a pp
Jp Jewish life. The conception of what
constitutes communal responsibility in
Jewish life paralleled the development ,
in the American municipality. For-
merly it was thought, that a commun-
ity ought to help the individual only
in abnormal situations. This concep-
tion changed when the community be-
gan to look after certain normal needs
of every individual. The greatest step
forward in this direction was made
when the American community under-
took the work of general education.
There remains another force in
Jewish life which has brought about
a great awakening. I refer to the
renaissance of the Jewish spirit as re-
flected in the movement for the re-
Company's 76th Annual Statement, January 1st, 1926.
establishment of a Jewish homeland in
Palestine, as a center for Jews
throughout the world. Nothing else
has so stirred the consciousness of
communities to the need for ordering
the normal phases of their communal
existence. As a result of these forces
it became apparent that the foremost
problem which faces the Jewish com-
munity is that of Jewish education.
It is a very significant fact that
practically in every Jewish community
with a population of 26,000 or more
efforts are being made to organize the
activities in the field of Jewish edu-
cation en a common basis. In Bos-
"Over 75 years of sound, uninterrupted Progress."
ton. Philadelphia. Baltimore, Chicago,
and Cincinnati the initiative in this
matter has been taken by the Feder-
ation of Charities. In Newark and
St. Louis the Federations have re-
cently decided to undertake the or-
ganization of the Jewish educational
work. In Pittsburgh and San Fran-
cisco the organization of educational
efforts is being fostered by the agen-
cies themselves. In Cleveland we have
the first attempt made by all the edu-
cational agencies in the community to
develop the communal program of
Jewish education entirely independent
of the federation.
The development in these larger
communities has had its effect in the
2222 First National Bank Building,
rest of the country. Although New
York was the first city to concern it-
Detroit
self with this problem. it seems to
have made the least headway. because
Telephone Cadillac 2477
of the tremendous size of the com-
munity and the heterogennus elements
which constitute its population. But
New York City, primarily because of
the influence of the Bureau of Jewish
Education, is responsible for the de-
velopment of nation-wide movement to
"It pays to have an account with the Aetna."
solve the problem of Je-ish educa-
tion.
I may be pardoned if I dwell a bit
on what has been done in the com-
munity where my own efforts are at
present concentrated. During • period
of five years a conscious attempt has
been made to interpret to the com-
munity the importance which the pro-
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