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VOL. 47, NO. 36
Friday, September 7, 1945
HEBREW IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS
By JUDAH LAPSON
maintained Semitics departments
one could take courses in
Biblical Hebrew. However, not
until 1930 was modern Hebrew
successfully introduced in an
American public high school.
Since then, the vogue has spread
to many other schools and colleg-
es. Jewish life and culture have
thereby been intensified and Am-
erican democratic life has thus
been enhanced and enriched.
Credit for initiating the strug-
gle to introduce Hebrew in New
York high schools back in 1929-
30, must go to Avukah, the Amer-
ican Student Zionist Federation.
The committee which labored to
persuade the New York Board of
Education and Board of Superin-
tendents of the desirability of of-
fering Hebrew as a cultural sub-
ject in the high schools was led
by Dr. Stephen S. Wise and the
late Judge Otto A. Rosalsky. Af-
ter what almost seemed like a
lost battle, the Board of Educa-
tion recommended that Hebrew
be included experimentally, as an
elective subject, in the Thomas
Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln
High Schools on the opening of
the schools in September 1930.
These two schools were known to
have a majority of Jewish stu-
dents.
To preserve the experimental
nature of the project, students
showing any knowledge of Hebrew
were automatically disqualified.
The 95 students who were ad-
mitted were told that they were
enrolling for Hebrew at their own
Disk — that while its status in the
curiculum was in doubt, no for-
mal credit could be claimed for it.
The experiment was beset with
additional handicaps. There was a
serious deficiency of modern He-
brew-language textbooks devoid
of religious content (in accord-
ance with public school regula-
tions) and geared to the adoles-
cent age group. Teachers had to
be found who were equipped for
this dew experiment. A course of
study' had to be perfected in a
way that would meet the state
requirements. All these needs,
however, were promptly filled, by
the New York Jewish educational
agencies of the time (the Bureau
of Jewish Education headed by
the late Dr. Samson Benderly and
the Jewish Education Association,
headed by Dr. Israel S. Chipkin ),
working in close cooperation with
the authorities.
wh ere
The following article by the
director of the Hebrew Culture
Council of the Jewish Educa-
tion Committee of New York
was written on the occasion of
the completion of fifteen years
of progress in the promotion of
the Hebrew language and cul-
ture in the New York City high
schools with which the author
has been closely identified.
One of the most fascinating
stories in the history of the He-
brew language in modern times
deals with the introduction of
that language as an accredited
course of study in American high
schools and colleges. Not that He-
brew is a new subject in Ameri-
can academic life. During the col-
onial period and until about a
hundred years ago, Hebrew not
only was taught in most American
universities but in many of them
was also a required subject for
graduation. In New York State
between 1909 and 1923, one could
take State Regents examinations
in Hebrew and thereby earn cred-
it towards a Regents or College
entrance diploma. In fact over a
thousand students did take the
examination in Hebrew during
that period.
Many American universities
and theological seminaries have
Work on Edmond
de Rothschild
Published by ZOA
a
SECTION THREE
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
WASHINGTON, D. C. — The
publication of "Edmond de Roths-
child—Palestine Pioneer," a bio-
graphical work, by Isaac Naiditch,
veteran Zionist and close friend
of tie late Baron, was announced
recently by that Zionist Organi-
zation of America. This volume is
the second of a series of books
on Zionism and Palestine pub-
lished by the ZOA as part of its
publications program under the
auspices of its national publica-
tions committee headed by Judge
Louis E. Levinthal of Philadel-
phia.
Announcing the publication of
the book, Dr. Israel Goldstein,
ZOA president, pointed out that
the name of Baron Edmond de
Rothschild has been legendary in
Jewish life and particularly
among Eastern European Jewry.
Known affectionately as Molly
ha-Yaduah, the "well known ben-
efactor," the late Baron played a
historic role in the colonization of
Palestine which earned him the
title of "the father of the Yi-
suv."
(Continued on Page 15)
The enthusiasm and devotion
of the students made a deep im-
pression upon the teachers and
principals from the very start. As
a result, Hebrew struck deep roots
in the New York City high
schools and has gained status for
itself on a par with all other
modern languages in the curricu-
lum.
In 1932, the New York Board
of Education officially adopted a
syllabus covering three years of
High School Hebrew. The aims of
the course as defined in that syl-
labus are "To develop to the point
of enjoyment the ability to read
Hebrew, and to instill an appre-
ciation of Hebrew culture and
civilization." The Sephardic (mod-
ern Palestinian) pronunciation
was adopted. In 1938, after a
good many students completed
the three-year course, the Board
of education adopted a syllabus
for fourth-year Hebrew.
Itebrew is taught as a modern
living language. In the advanced
grades the student is introduced
to the literary creations of mod-
ern Hebrew literature and is kept
abreast of the growth of the lan-
guage in modern Palestine. While
studying the language, the stu-
dent learns also Jewish history,
the geography of Palestine, He-
brew songs and folk lore.
Partly as a consequence of the
success of Hebrew in the New
York City high schools, a number
of local colleges and universities
of hundreds of students to con-
have taken account of the desire
tinue their studies of Hebrew and
Hebrew culture on a more ad-
vanced level. Brooklyn College,
one of the largest of institutions
of higher learning operated by
the municipality, has recognized
Hebrew in the modern language
group, and recorded a register of
close to 600 students shortly after
the courses were established. Dr.
Abraham I. Halkin and several as-
sociates have ben entrusted with
this department,
New York University, one of
the largest universities in the
country, has favored the Hebrew
cultural movement on the cam-
pus, and many leading members
of its faculty have fostered it by
setting up the New York Univer-
sity Jewish Culture Foundation.
The invaluable services of the
Foundation and its director in
the dissemination of Hebrew and
Hebrew culture on the campus
have recently been rewarded by
the University when it announced
the establishment of a chair in
Hebrew Culture and Education
with Prof. Abraham I. Katsh in
charge. This department is unique
in this country in that it enables
a student to specialize in Hebrew
or Hebrew culture and education
and receive the degree of Bache-
lor of Arts, Master of Arts, Doc-
tor of Philosophy, or Doctor of
Education in these subjects on a
par with the other major lan-
guages and cultures.
More recently, Hunter College
followed suit when its faculty
and the Board of Higher Educa-
tion of the City of New York
agreed to include Hebrew courses
on a permanent basis, and ap-
pointed Dr. Israel Efros as asso-
ciate professor of Hebrew. In
these institutions of higher learn-
ing advanced students may take
specialized studies in Hebrew on
an advanced level, while others
may enroll for elementary He-
brew.
An inquiry addressed to col-
leges and universities by Dr. Ab-
raham I. Katsh has revealed that
300 of them recognize Hebrew
for admissions credit, 150 were
ready to give credit for Hebrew
as soon as a demand arose. An-
other discovery was that 159 uni-
versities and colleges of liberal
(Continued on Page 16)
ROSH HASHONAH GREETINGS .. .
A VERY HAPPY, PROSPEROUS
AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR
TO OUR MANY
FRIENDS AND PATRONS
LAFER BROS.
WHOLESALE GROCERS
1323 BROADWAY
—1
ss
Rosh Hashonah Greetings!
joins you . .
GOLDMAN'S DRUGS
TYler 4-7900
Now at 8901 LINWOOD AVE.
•
in Greeting the Dawning
of the New Year . . .
Prescription Specialists
Since 1899
I. H. Pelavin and H. Ceasar
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Our sincerest wishes
To Our Patrons and to
Detroit Jewry for a Year
of Health Happiness, and
Peace
5706 — 1945
We extend sincere good wishes for a
New Year filled with happiness and
blessed with full measure of prosperity
and may these wishes continue to find
fulfillment into the many years beyond.
CHARLES H. LOTT
General Manager
BUY WAR BONDS
DETROIT- LELAND -HOTEL
DETROIT. MICHIGAN
CASS—BAGLEY
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