It's Jewish Education Month .

United Hebrew Schools

The Need Is Great
For Hebrew High
School, Midrasha

By JUDGE N. J. KAUFMAN

VHS Education Month Chairman

• President, United Hebrew Schools

The past year has witnessed
consolidation and growth in the
United Hebrew Schools, which
has as its aim to provide every
child in our community with a
sound, modern and intensive
Jewish education.

I am happy to report that
the officers of the Federation
have a keen understanding of
the importance of a commun-
ity system of Jewish educa-
tion and realize that if such a
system is to develop and
prosper it must be given the
financial opportunity to do so.
During the past _year, the
Federation provided about 50
percent of our budget.

- We have continually tried to
improve the professional status
of • our teachers. Their salaries
have been increasing and in
comparison with other com-
munities, Detroit is in the fore-
front.
During the past year, the
Sholem Aleichem School becafne
an affiliate of the United He-
brew Schools, in which we
rendered supervisory, financial
and administrative assistance
and control. This relationship
has been successful and may
serve as a pattern for future
developments in the community.
We are continuing our pro-
gram of Talmud Torah-Congre-
gation relationships by pooling
our resources and establishing
good schools, properly admini-
strated , and quartered in fine
buildings. In line with this pol-
icy, this past year we entered
into a new partnership with the
Beth Abraham Synagogue.

About two years ago the
United Hebrew Schools estab-
lished a branch in Oak Park,
housed in a public school. At
the present time, this branch
has over 200 children and is
growing rapidly. We all real-
ize that we cannot serve our
children properly in a public
school. In accordance with
our policy of community
planning and with the assist-
ance of the Jewish Welfare
Federation, a new • joint He-
brew School-Jewish Commun-
ity Center Building is now
under construction on Ten
Mile Road in Oak Park, and
will be ready for occupancy.
in. 1956.

We now have 12 school buses,
10 of which have been bought
in partnership with the Fresh
Air Camp and the Jewish Com-
munity Center, plus two station
wagons. Approximately 1,700
children use the United Hebrew
Schools' buses each day to go to
and from Hebrew school.
It is true that our budgetary
expenses have been rising from
year to year. However, we, of
the United Hebrew Schools, feel
that the community will have to
prepare itself to set aside even
more funds to reach the many
hundreds of Jewish children
not yet attending a Jewish
school.
The enrollment in our schools
proves to us that Jewish par-
ents are interested in Jewish
education. It is now our re-
sponsibility to focus their atten-
tion on higher Jewish educa-
tion. For this, a modern central
Hebrew High School and Mid-
rasha Building will be needed,
plus the necessary staff to pre-
pare and inspire our leaders of
tomorrow.

2.4

—

DETROI T JEWISH NEWS

Friday, October 21, 1955

of the richness of Jewish life.
It gives meaning to the strug-
gle of our people for accept-
ance in the community of na-
tions and gives us reason to
be proud of our Jewish heri-
tage.

I am deeply honored to have
been appointed chairman of the
23rd observance of the Jewish
Educational Month of the
United Hebrew Schools. This
event coming so shortly after
When your child attends
the observance of -Rosh Hash- classes in the United Hebrew
anah and Yom Kippur, provides School, you can also participate
those Jewish parents, who have in the Parent-Teacher Associa-
children of Hebrew school age, tion and the special seminars
an opportunity to put into prac- for parents. You will not only
tice some of the vows they benefit from the educational
made for this New Year.
values which _these groups pro-
The United Hebrew Schools vide, but will gain satisfaction
is a vital force in the devel- in knowing that you are par-
opment of Jewish youth in ticipating in the wholesome de-
our community. Its varied velopment of your child.

By ABE KASLE

Our enrollment last year, in-
cluding our nursery, elementary
department, Hebrew Hi g
School and Midrasha, was over
2,300 students. This year we
anticipate an increase of about
30 per cent more.

The Time Is Now to Honor
Pledges Made for New Year

Children of the United Hebrew Schools receive guidance

from librarians at the Esther Berman building. The library

is one of two established by the schools whose slogan is
"Today's Readers Are Tomorrow's Leaders." The other

library is at the Rose Sittig Cohen Bldg., 13226 Lawton
The libraries serve students and teachers and are open to
the entire community for circulation. A full selection of

Hebrew and English books, fiction and non-fiction, histories,

encyclopedias, stories and biographies are featured at the

libraries. A varied collection of current .periodicals also is

available.

Emphasize Need for Higher Education

Teaching Must Be Raised Beyond
The `AlepkBeth' Elementary Grades

By ALBERT ELAZAR

Superintendent, United -Hebrew
Schools

In the past year, a number of
conferences have been held
throughout the country on be-
half of Jewish education. At
these conferences, outstanding
Jewish educators assembled for
an interchange of ideas to find
an answer to a number of prob-
lems with which every com-
munity has been faced. Next to
the problem of staff, the main
discussion has been focused on
higher Jewish education.
From the statistics of the
American Association for Jew-
ish Education, it was disclosed
that approximately 400,000 chil-
dren are receiving a Jewish
education of some type, includ-
ing the weekday Hebrew school,
the all day school and the Sun-
day school. Only five -percent
attend a school of higher learn-
ing.
With such a small percentage,
the feeling is that too small a
percentage of Jewish children
who receive some sort of Jew-
ish education, ever go beyond
the stage where it is possible
for them to receive more than
a smattering of Jewish knowl-
edge. Even with our better
standards, and more diversified
programs, an elementary Hebrew
school can .do little more than
lay a foundation for Jewish
learning.
It is after the child comes to
the threshold of maturity that
one can even hope that he
might have some understanding
and appreciation of the teach-
ings of the Prophets, of the role
of Jewry in the world history,
of the Hebrew language and
culture, of Jewish philosophy,
of the meaning of the contents
of the Siddur.
In the United Hebrew Schools,
33 percent of the graduates of '
our elementary schools in the
paSt three years have entered
the high school department.
However, due to the fact that
to attain the goal of graduation,
the students must not only be
capable, but must also have a
certain stamina for overcoming
the difficulties of hours, outside
attractions and many times lack
of understanding on the part of
adults, only about 10 percent
complete the course of study
and graduate to the Midrasha,
our College department.
Our figures may be more en-
couraging - than those of the
country at large, but neverthe-
less, we are not satisfied. We I
solicit the help of the home, the

synagogue and the leadership
of the community.
It is not sufficient to merely
mention Jewish education. It
must be kept in the forefront at
all times, and the goals of
higher education must be em-
phasized. Recognition must be
given those who are found eligi-
ble and who take advantage of
the opportunities offered them.
It is only then that we can
hope to go beyond the little
more than "aleph-beth" of Jew-
ish education.

In the Folk Schools

Classes Stress
Positive Outlook

By MOVSAS GOLDOFTAS

Director, United Jewish Folk Schoc'ls

The United Jewish Folk
Schools in Detroit was created
and founded by the Labor Zion-
ist Movement and has been in
existence since 1910. During
these 45 years, the School has
served the Movement, as well
as the entire community.
The objective of the United
Jewish Folk Schools is to give
children a profound J e w is h
background, to appreciate Jew-
ish culture, to understand ethi-
cal and moral values and Jew-
ish problems and to be proud of
being a Jew. The Halutz Move-
ment in Israel, the life in the
kibbutzim and their achieve-
ments is emphasized.
The course of study extends
over a period of five years with
classes meeting five days a week':
for 11/2 hours each day. Study
of Hebrew begins in kindergar-
ten and pre-first grade. To-
gether with Hebrew, Yiddish is :
also taught, especially in the
higher grades. Jewish history
and American Jewish life are
favored subjects in our school,
and traditions and customs are
being practiced.
With the beginning of this
term, the School has been
moved to the Northwest section,
at the MacDowell Public School,
4201 W. Outer Drive. In the
near future, by Hanukah, the
new building on Schaefer and
7 Mile Road will be completed,
and a new chapter of Jewish
education will begin in our
community.
Let's hope for the day when
the new building will be the
headquarters of the entire move-
ment and also a cultural con-
tribution to the entire com-
munity.

program, which includes the
study of Jewish history, tradi-
tions, customs and ceremonies,
provides a well-rounded
knowledge of the faith of our
fathers and an understanding

At the Yeshivah

Talmudic Precepts
Preserve Intact
Jewry's Traditions

By Rabbi
M. J. WOHLGELERNTER

Director, Yeshivath Beth Yehudah

Yeshivath Beth Yehudah is
chronologically rounding out 40
years of service to the commun-
ity. Its day school, for Jewish
and general studies on the ele-
mentary and secondary level,
was developed in the last dec-
ade, and is the only one of its
kind on the local scene.
While the term Yeshiva has
come to be associated with the
so-called "parochial school" it
retains its original meaning as
a center for advanced Bible and
Talmud study and for the pres-
ervation of Torah.

Pupils in both the part-time
and all-day sections receive
many hours of instruction in
the classical sources of Juda-
ism. A large number of stu-
dents continue after high
school graduation either at the
rabbinical seminaries away
from home or at the Beth
Hamidrash of the local acad-
emy.

The distinctive nature of Ye-
shivah education is not limited
to content and volume of for-
mal schooling. Its strength de-
rives from a form of life fos-
tered and perpetuated by it.
The avowed aim is nurturing
Talmid Chochom—a citizen for
the Jewish community,, not nec-
essarily a rabbi or teacher or a
layman conversant • with the
prayerbook, but one who fully
understands the authentic He-
brew heritage of Tanach and
Gemora and Shulchan Aruch.
An entirely new type of Jew-
ish youth is making his appear-
ance today. You will find this
modern Yeshiva Bochur (and
his counterpart, product of the
Beth Jacob School for Girls) on
the Wayne University campus,
in Young Israel,, the religious
Zionist groups and Agudath Is-
rael. He has activated his fam-
ily and friends to a new aware-
ness of Jewish values and an
ever-widening circle of our pop-
ulation is beginning to appre-
ciate a set of Jewish standards
hitherto neglected.

As Judge of the Juvenile
Court for the County -of
Wayne, I know of the tre-
mendous value in the social
and moral development of the
child that such participation
can afford. I sincerely feel
that the reason so few Jewish
children appear before me
here at the Juvenile Court is
the part that such organiza-
tions as the United Hebrew
Schools play in the educa-
tional and recreational guid-
ance of our boys and girls.

I want to urge all Jewish par-
ents to become acquainted with
the fine staff of trained workers
provided by the United Hebrew
Schools during Jewish Educa-
tional Month. Then enroll your
child, and you will find him
grateful and appreciative of the
opportunities you have given
him as you watch him develop .
into a responsible adult in our
Jewish community.

Sholem Aleichem Schools

Faith_ iii Heritage
For Over 30 Years

By MOISHE HAAR

Director, Sholem Aleichem School

During the past 30 years, the
Sholem Aleichem Institute
School has devoted its energies
to all phases of Jewish life and
expression, especially stressing
the heritage and ideals of the
Jewish people.
The educational program of
the Sholem Aleichem School is
based on a double premise:

1. That the Jewish people
are one;
2. That any subject or ex-
perience which has positive
significance for the Jewish
people is worthy of inclusion
in the school's educational
curriculum.

Striving for the most ad-
vanced methods of teaching, the
school fosters a well-balanced
and child - centered program
which aims at providing young-
sters with a sense of belonging
in their lives as American Jews.
Through instruction in - Yid-
dish and Hebrew, Jewish his-
tory, literature, culture, teach-
ing of customs and holiday cele-
bration and the Jewish renais-
sance in Israel, children are
prepared for the basic knowl-
edge of Jewish life. They are
encouraged to continue their
training in higher schools of -
Jewish learning.
Not affiliated with any con-
gregation nor with any organ-
expressing an ideology,
In this article, written as it is ization
Sholem Aleichem Schools are
following the conclusion of religiously
and politically inde-
Sukkot, I should like to cite
to teach without incul-
the number of Detroit homes pendent
in which were constructed cation of dogma.
Hebrew and Yiddish are both
booths for the holiday. Like-
wise, for Simhat Torah and taught, not because the school
Purim and other rituals, Ye- is language-centered, but be-
shivah students and teachers cause it is felt through the
study of language children gain
have shown the way.
It is common knowledge that a fuller insight into Jewish cul-
Yeshivah pupils can fill com- ture and values.
The Sholem Aleichem School,
petently any role assigned to
them, in pulpit or pew. It is now affiliated with the United
they who may be found among Hebrew Schools, is recognized
the daily and sabbath worship- and accredited by the Jewish
pers, as a matter of course, Welfare Board, and receives
without need of high-pressure some financial subsidization
campaigns and special attrac- from the Jewish Welfare Feder-
tions.
ation.

