Friday, October 18, 1957—THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS - 32
Communal System of Jewish Education
By MORRIS GARVETT
Chairman, Education Division
Jewish Welfare Federation
In recent years one of the dominant themes
in our American community life has been the in-
terest in and concern with Jewish education, which
has been universally accepted as a basic requisite
for Jewish survival. Certainly it is one of the more
positive tendencies in Jewish communal life today.
In practical terms this has meant an increased
allocation of communal resources to Jewish educa-
tion. More dollars and more leadership are con-
sistently being dedicated to its development. In
most cities, communal or Federation funds in ever
increasing amounts have been spread among a wide
range of institutional schools which had tradition-
ally received such funds. In Detroit, we sought a
different solution.
Federation adopted a policy based on the
conviction that a community school system,
operating under a central administration, holds
the greatest possibilities for a wide-spread and
meaningful opportunity for Jewish education.
We feel that such a school system can best
provide the resources necessary to improve
the educational process. It can attract qualified
teachers, develop curricular and teaching aids,
establish high standards and proper grading
and acquire the facilities and means of trans-
portation necessary for the operation of an
afternoon Jewish school.
To this end, the education division of the Jew-
ish Welfare Federation undertook to encourage the
United Hebrew Schools to develop a program which
would satisfy these needs: (1) a school which
would be representative of community goals for
Jewish education and yet be sufficiently flexible
to accommodate varying points of view; (2) a school
which could and would evolve a sound system of
Jewish education; (3) a school which would have
the resources for service to other schools in the
community.
With the assistance of leadership drawn from
various segments of the community, the United
Hebrew Schools undertook a re-examination of its
program. It also began to develop relationships
with local synagogues, leading to the establishment.
of UHS branches in their buildings. These branches
offered an intensive weekday educational program
4 rp
to the children of the neighborhood
and of the synagogue.
Currently, the UHS operates
afternoon programs in four syna-
gogues and one temple. In addi-
tion, it has two such programs in
its own buildings and one in the
Jewish Community Center - United
Hebrew Schools building in Oak
Park. Miring the last few years
the Yiddish week-day schools, Sho-
lem Aleichem School, United Jew-
ish High School, and Workmen's
Circle School have affiliated them-
selves with and are now being
G
- arvett
administered by the UHS. In this
manner the UHS offers a Jewish education to
the broadest groupings in our community.
Last year the UHS, exclusive of its affiliates,
had over 2,600 students. This year the school an-
ticipates an enrollment of nearly 2,900. It is im-
portant to note that these youngsters are enrolled
in a program which offers the full span of edu-
cational experience. It begins with the pre-school
child in the nursery, provides a five-year elemen-
tary course, a four-year high school course, and
culminates in the Midrasha, the College of Jewish
Stu- dies.
This year, the community will complete construe-
Annual Education Issue
Statements by Detroit Communal
and Educational Leaders
Stresses Quality, Not Quantity, of
Jewish Education in Detroit
By MOVSAS GOLDOFTAS
Director, United Jewish Folk
Schools
tance of more learning and bet-
ter results and doing away with
part time teachers. Each teach-
er must give his full time and
effort to the school.
A new experiment by the
Folk Schools, of activities
among adults, proved very suc-
cessful. A conversational group
"Dabru Evrith," to speak mod-
ern Hebrew, has been organ-
ized. This is not a regular He-
brew class for adults to learn
to read and write Hebrew, but
a means of brushing up the
knowledge of Hebrew acquired
in their youth. The response is
remarkable.
The month of Jewish educa-
tion should inspire professional
educators, as well as laymen in
Detroit, to get together and look
for a solution to improve edu-
cation in the community. Our
pride for the future should be,
not the number of children we
educate, but what type of edu-
cation we offer to our younger
generation.
tion of a new building to house the Midrasha and
the United Hebrew High School which are open to
the graduates Of all our Jewish schools. The steady
growth of the high school, with a present enroll-.
ment of over 100 students, is a noteworthy achieve-
ment.
The size of the student body and the construc-
tion of a suitable high school building assure our
Jewish adolescents of a rich educational experience
during those years when the learning process can
have its greatest effect upon them.
Federation has also undertaken to render service,
through the UHS, to other schools in the com-
munity. Such schools have been supplied with per-
sonnel or have been offered various treaching and
curricular aids. One of the more positive contribu-
tions was the establishment, last year, of a training
course at the Midrasha for Sunday School teachers.
The training and certification of regular teachers has
long been a part of its function.
In this manner, the Jewish Welfare Federation
is_ developing its concept of a community system
of Jewish education. In the last 10 years, our
financial commitment has increased nearly three-
fold. In 1947 our allocation to Jewish education
was $118,850. In 1957 it is $324,894. A decade
ago our expenditures for Jewish education repre-
sented 22% of the total communal expenditure
for all local services. Today it is 33%.
While Federation continues to support the after-
noon school programs of the United Jewish Folk
School and the Yeshivath Beth Yehudah with sub-
sidies presently totaling $33,000 annually, our pri-
mary responsibility is the development of the corn-
munal school system. Our experience confirms the
conviction that we are developing a sound system
of Jewish education, acceptable to the vast majority
in our community who are making it possible
through their contributions to the Allied Jewish
Campaign.
Time for Community Examination
Jewish Education Month— a Re-Evaluation
By ELBERT ELAZAR
Superintendent, United Hebrew
Schools
For the past several decades,
the goal of Jewish Education
Month has been to impress the
Jewish community with the im-
portance of Jewish education as
a means for Jewish survival. In
been successful, as is indicated
some measure these efforts have
by an increasing interest in
Jewish education on the part of
American Jewry.
This interest is best reflected
in the substantial increase in
enrollment of
children in all
types of Jewish
schools.
Though t h e
task is not fully
completed, w e
feel that the
time has come
to redirect the
emphasis of
Jewish Educa-
tion Month.
Now, it is not
enough to focus
attention on
Elazar
Jewish educa-
tion per se, rather it is a must
to use this opportunity for a
community-wide examination of
the processes of that education,
particularly as to their ability 1
It has become a tradition in
the United States to proclaim
one month of Jewish education
at the beginning of each school
year. Detroit is following the
same pattern, and The Jewish
News deserves credit for its
service to the community, al-
though education should go on
the full year round and not be
limited to one month.
The schobl year 1957-58 shows
a significant interest in Jewish
education. It seems like Jew-
ish parents have, all of a sud-
den, realized the importance of
Jewish education for their chil-
dren and rushed to enroll them
in Jewish schools. According
to reports by
the principals
of Jewish
schools, the in-
creased enroll-
inent this year
is remarkable.
T h e United
Jewish Folk
Schools has Midrasha Building for Higher Grades
almost doubled
the enrollment
over last year's
By DAVID SAFRAN
the Jewish Welfare Federation,
registration.
and MANDELL BERMAN
is now taking another step in
With the in-
Education
Month
Co-Chairmen
this direction. The new High-
creased interest
It
is
with
great
pleasure
that
School-Midrasha building is now
Goldoftas in Jewish edu-
cation, which is a very positive we greet the Jewish community nearing completion and will
and encouraging factor in itself, on the occasion of Jewish Edu- provide the facilities for intensi-
the community is now posed cation Month. While Jewish fication as well as expansion for
with a new serious problem— education is of daily interest to students in the Hebrew and
the lack of qualified teachers many of us, it is, nevertheless, Yiddish High school and the
good to devote a month each Midrasha (College of Jewish
and overcrowded classes.
The time has come to ask year to concentrated commu- Studies).
ourselves: What kind of a Jew nity-wide involvement in the
The Midrasha has already
will we bring up with a system challenges, problems and suc- made it possible for a sizable
of one or two times-a-week pro- cesses of this most important number of young persons to
gram? What will the child take area of Jewish endeavor.
enter the classroom as Hebrew
away with him after he gradu-
Our community has seen a teachers, and we believe that
ates? Even with two hour ses- remarkable growth in the num- the erection of the High School-
sions four and five times a ber of children attending our Midrasha Building will serve as
week—as the United Jewish elementary Hebrew and Yiddish a stimulus to other students to
Folk Schools has been practic- schools. During the past seven continue with their higher Jew-
ing the past few years — I years, the_ enrollment in the ish studies.
would hesitate to state that we United Hebrew Schools has
Until recently, the Jewish
cover the program fully.
almost tripled. _Today our ma- community was concerned
The recently held school con- jor concentratior: must be the chiefly in combatting anti-Se-
ference of the Labor Zionist development of a bound, organ- mitism and establishing the
Organization in Detroit, stressed ized program for secondary and rights of the Jew in educational,
once more that the aim of the higher Jewish education.
economic and social spheres.
Folk Schools must be quality
The Jewish community of Today the role of Jewish edu-
instead of quantity. The confer- Detroit under the le=adership of cation becomes paramount. The
ence adopted the school pro- the United Hebrew Schools and entire organized Jewish com-
gram emphasizing the impor- with the active cooperi,ition of munity must be prepared to
to bring us to the goals we have the Torah and the utterances of
set for ourselves.
the Prophets.
Is the Jewish school as it is
When one examines the
curricula of all types of Jew- constituted today really in a
ish schools, it becomes ap- position to implement these
parent that there is near- goals? Can we attain these goals
unanimous agreement on fun- when the average Jewish stu-
damental principles, despite dent attends Hebrew school for
any claims to significant dif- only three to four years prior
ferences.
to Bar Mitzvah? Can we attain
these goals when, even with a
These principles, or goals, longer than average period of
are, basically: 1) the develop- attendance, the student is in his
ment of a sense of belonging to Hebrew classes a maximum of
the Jewish community and a six hours per week? Can we
sense of responsibility to the attain these goals when the
Jewish people; 2) the develop- student's environment is such
ment of an understanding loyal- that he receives little or no en-
ty to Jewish traditional and couragement to continue his
cultural heritage and a sense studies past Bar Mitzvah or
of participation in the activities Confirmation?
of the religious, social, and cul-
Can we attain these goals
tural institutions of our people;
3) the development of a desire when there is a crucial lack of
to actively participate in the trained -professional scholars
upbuilding of the land of Israel; and teachers, particularly
4) fostering a love of the He- needed to educate those who do
brew language, based upon continue past elementary
knowledge, through which the school? Can we attain these
vast stores of Jewish culture goals when we are sorely in
and civilization have been pre- need of educators, thinkers,
served, transmitted, and en- school administrators and li-
brarians necessary to develop
riched through the ages.
and implement practical ways
Above all, the Jewish school to transmit these ideas? Can we
aims to develop a moral indi- attain these goals when we lack
vidual whose conduct in life will proper texts and supplementary
be guided by the teachings of materials to aid our teachers
in their work?
Time and Funds Needed for Growth of Local Schools
devote more time, money and
effort to insure the growth and
development of institutions to
fulfill their task.
We therefore call on all
Jewish organizations to dedi-
cate some time during Jewish
Education Month to the consid-
eration of the needs and prob-
lems of Jewish education in
Detroit and to stimulate, in
their members, an understand-
ing of the role and value of
Jewish education, not only for
their children, but for the
adults as well.
Jewish educational facilities
for children are available in
almost every area of Detroit
and suburbs through the com-
munity's United Hebrew Schools.
FaCilities for adult education
have also been developed in
many of the synagogues as well
as the Midrasha.
We would like to express our
gratitude to the Jewish News
and its publisher, Philip Slo-
movitz, for dedicating this issue
to the advancement of Jewish
education.
In all these areas begin-
nings have been made and in
most of them progress is
continually being made. How•
ever, it is too often limited to
the work of a few dedicated
people who have consecrated
themselves to the task of pro.
viding a meaningful Jewish
education for our young.
Once again Jewish Education
Month serves as a challenge to
each and every one of us to
examine these goals and to
question our ability to meet
them, with a view toward devis-
ing ways to rise to the challenge
they present. If Jewish educe-
tion is to succeed in enabling
the Jewish people to survive
as more than a cult, answers to
the above questions will have
to be found.
With the goals of Jewish edu-.
cation nearly universally ac-
cepted and the problems con-
fronting us so large, only by
mobilizing the resources of a
strong united Jewish commu-
nity can we hope to make prog-
ress toward achieving these
goals.