Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-01
SIMON ON SABBATH SCHOOLS
Omaha Rabbi Discusses q Phase Of the
Jewish Religious Work.
HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THE END DESIRED
Methods suggested whereby the In
terest of the Pupil May he
Awakened and Held Al Various
stages of His Life.

read a paper before the Sabbath School
section on The Problems OF the Jewish
Sabbath School, which was very well re-
ceived. Rabbi Simon considered his study
under FIVE heads: The General Problem
Of Religion and Education "The Specific
Problem Of the Jewish Sabbath School,"
THE Problem Of Method and the Stand
point OF Interest" TT Problem Of the
Curriculum" and h Problem Of the
Teacher" Under the first head he dis
cussed at some length the general condi-
lions Of religion and education, arguing
that they "are now converging toward each
other from different standpoints." Psychol-
ogy, he argues. is the means which is
bringing the two together. Under the
second heading. he contends that the Jew
needs the Sabbath school institution in
order TO preserve the identity OF his race
and his religion. Taking up the third di-
vision OF his topic, Rabbi Simon said;
In introducing the third problem OF
method and standpoint OF interest let me
lay down FIVE generalization from which
all subsequent ideas will be drawn.
() A child reproduces in his soul the
life history OF the race.
Cb) A child should be fed according to
its appetite. A child will not digest ideas
It cannot assimilate.
(c) The old testament is our text book
OF religion, through personalities. psalms
and prophecies, but Jewish literature in
its entirety Of thirty centuries development
is an enlarged edition Of Jewish life and
experience and must not be neglected.
Id All methods that can aid in the en-
richment OF sentiment, in the quickening
and control OF the will, in the stirring Of
impulse to high ideals, In the IMMIGRATION
OF religious functioning can be legitimatized
W..Nak
school.
(e) The education Of the Jewish child
today is destructive only in its relation
TO his historic mission. The Jew has his
high born mission to be the Exponent OF
religion. He has besides Gods commits
sion to him to hold fast to It until he is
called by Him TO surrender that charge.
The statement Of the problem OF inter-
est needs an added word OF explanation.
Every student of child life knows that at
certain years In its growth the child Is
unmistakably interested in and wholly
absorbed by certain characters. When a
child says he is more interested in Esau
than in Jacob, that Esther IL more at
~tractive to him than Ruth, is It a prefer
ence not to be reckoned with? When the
children OF the lower grades evidence a
special fondness for the babyhood OF Moses
anu IL Nail VI ohlhN III NhAAt az bA'N
a pedagogue a splendid opportunity. When
a child Graves for red rather than white,
for pictures of war, than for pastoral
scenes, is he not telling us in a candid.
confessional way wherein he needs direc-
tion and training? DR.. George e. Daw-
son has published a very suggestive article
on "Children's Interest in the Bible" and
while it may have been written from q
purely Christian standpoint to make Jesus
come in the fullness of Messianlc expecta-
tion. yet withal IT is a scholarly assurance
of what Is possible in the realm Of religious
culture from the standpoint OF interest
Suppose you apply this method to YOU
pupils and you will find that the young
est children revel In myths and folklore
older ones long for heroic and dramatit
situations, others grow more advanced. hut
their entire interest in ethical and relig
ious episodes. and so on. In fact, tn
bible is a pedagog's book. Pedagogical
Seminary, vol. vii, 1919.
This does not mean to bring into a clas
room everything that may interest chill
dren. am looking at this question from
the child's view as a racial deposit. A chill
may display more interest in Cain than Il
Abel. Here is an interest that needs train
ing, not claiming. To put the matter COD
cisely, I quote from an article by Waite
Ia I1tINtgt WIN uAAhs IL 80" Va
l is exclusive, not inclusive. 1t tells u
what not TO place before the children
Nothing that is not interesting; not every
thing that is interesting; not anythin
because II is interesting"
Interest is Essential.
Let ne bring IN this connection
statement OF two that is logically relate
70 the foregoing discussion.
-. .Ns., kna, puygIah Mt the nnQ
showing which some Of the brightest publ
Auohool pupils make in the Sabbath schoo
N have come 10 the conclusion that the
have simply not been interested. Whetht
IL be the fault of the teacher or OF IN
curriculum / shall not take time to cor
slider. yet l am tempted to put the lea'
blame on tn child. There is no success
in forcing interest. 1t is a waste OF valu
able energy and time. Not interested chi
dren are called lazy" II active, they al
termed "mischievous." Who ever hear
OF normal children being lazy? They Al
bundles OF nervous, hdgety energy, which Il
some reason or other they cannot utilii
during the Sabbath school session. Interei
the mischievous or lazy children in son
line Of mental Cor mRnuaD activity al
cordinE 70 the bend and trend OF the
minds. and they will readily redeem then
selves! Invariably a child OF this descril
tion is suffering from religious dyspepsi
duo either to overlooking OF to underfee'
ing. Pessimism is said to come from a b
liver, and this aforementioned spiritu
indigestion - we'll nigh pathological. Chi
dren who cannot be interested are Il
Varlably starving, hungering for the prop
food in wise proportions according to the
Appetites. Maybe the atmosphere, such
excessive humidity with its sensation
stickiness and irritability and lassitude m
be an melting cause for indispOsition. tt
influence of weather or crime. is now e
Eaging the serious attention OF penologisi
why may not the relation OF weather
education be deserving some heeting co
sideration? 1t seems TO me after all, tn
20 study a child's interests and to guid
both the lessons and the interest, thereb
is a true and scientific axiom Of teaehir
Problem of Curriculum.
Our Sabbath schools number four class
kOs pupils: (a) Consists OF the children fro
to s years OF age; (b) Consists OF I
Feh!ldreu from s to 10 years Of age;
Consists Of the children from lS to 16 yea
OF age; (d) Consists Of the children fro