New-York tribune., 1906-05-07
NEW TECHNICAL SCHOOL
Fine Building for Girls To BE For
maEIy Opened This EUening.

The handsome home of the Hebrew Tech
nical School for Girls. at 18th street and Second
avenue which IS 20 be formally opened this even
ing, is the outgrowth OF a philanthropy started by
one woman. Tne school. which is five stories high
and covers quarter Of a block in area, really had
its birth on the sands OF Coaey Island in the sum-
ner Of 1855 At shat time Mrs. Minnie D. Louis
was a guest at the old Manhattan Hotel on a par
tlculariy oppressive day, and saw the East SIDE
women who with their hordes OF children, had
gathered around the piaZzas driven forth into the
hlistering sunlight. not because they were poor but
because their squalid. dirty appearance menaced
the trade OF better patrons. Mrs. Louiss brother
was at that time a physician connected with the
Board OF Health. and when she told him Of the dis
heartening things she had seen he suggested that
she start class among East Side children 20 teach
them personal cleanliness and respect for public
property for in his daily trips through the district
he had seen the need Of such instruction Mrs
Louis's experiences can best be told in her own
words:
This idea appealed TO me so strongly that i'm
nediatey wrote a detailed explanation OF my plan
20 the rabbi OF Temple FL. where was pre-
pairing the Sabbath school children for confirTna-
zion He submitted my letter to the board Of the
Temple and they all volunteered to help me carry
out my ideas. Louis May, one OF the members,
offered 81 a week for every pupil that would
attend the school, and in a very short while we
started in two rooms the top floor OF No. l05
East Broadway.
we began with twelve pupils teaching them
Saturday afternoons everything possible, from
physical exercises TO the art OF washing them
selves and dressing their hair, including little
lesson from the Bible. These girls. without eXcep
ton worked in sWeatshops on the East Side. and
Saturday was the only day they could come TO our
classes We gradually interested more people. and
the girls were taught some spelling. reading and
writing The next year we moved 20 large quar-
ters with lS0 children.
These girls learned quickly and soon became dis
eontented with their occupations the problem
OF how 10 help them 70 something better arose.
ITO help Us in this undertaking the children Of
the wealthy families in the uptown Sabbath school
started & fund. and thus with the help OF many
friends and newspapers. we enabled TO move
into No. 2s7 Henry street, where We gradually
established class IN stenogTaphy and typewriting.
TO carry this work larger scale, we de-
cided 10 institute an advisory board composed
Of the men members. CIeretofore only women
had worked.) The school grew rapidly from the
twelve pupils with whom started In the
stenography class accommodated 40. and In
the manual 100. making total of 270 pupils
who received daily instruction from a. m to
.. m.
81 was forced by circumstances TO resign my
presidency. and Nathaniel Myers. a retired law
yer who with his wife deeply interested in
the work. was elected president Mr.. Myers be
came a strenuous worker and besides making
changes to better the chances Of the girls
he started 20 collect money toward erecting
larger building than the one in Henry street by
interesting Adclph Lewisohn. who gave $lSO.O0O
Jacob Schiff who gave $4,000 and John D. Rookie
geIler. who gave $4,000.
1T Is to Mr.. Myers that we owe these excellent
results. The building opens without any debt
whatever. and what Mr.. Myers is working for
Is a perfect night school regime. and am sure
that II will not be long before we have that"
The new building boasts Of a modegnly equipped
gymnasium. a large auditorium with a stage. to
be used by the graduates Of the school for dra-
matte performances musicals. etc There are six
classes in stenograPhy ana an accounting room
for those who want to learn bookkeeping only:
manual training course, which is separate and
complete in itself, comprises instruction in dress
making. drafting fine mending. millinery design
"The school has undoubtedly grown" said Mrs.
not 6eviated from our original purpose-that IS, to
tnbue in the children of foreign parents or those
born the other side habit OF clean living. We
have furnished model bedroom 20 teach them
aoW 70 Keep their sleeping rooms clean ana
room the third floor.
Heretofore the pupil who was untidy was taken
down TO the janitors room. to be shown how to
keep herself clean. but now there are a swimming
pupil viii be taught to use them
Miss Solomon. our librarian. has given her ser
vices free to this school for the last seven years
n She superintends the Sabbath school. takes care
Of the library, conducts different fancy work cir
cles: and has large Sunday school class on Ran
das Island. composed Of all the little girls in the
Miss Olivia Leventritt has charge OF the en-
p.oyment bureau. and from the day she reaches
She begins to answer adversemensp and e9cc ran
spond with the graduates who either have not yet
sne has secured this year more than hundred
Places 41;ss, tor our graduates" &
, oa9o nave oiten arisen sen as to the advisahy OF
the members think that because the school is en-
firely free from any sectariansm the word He
few OF the orthodox jews among the members s'lii who
like TO be Identified such. and therefore this
The school furnishes more than tuition II an
applcant wishes to study stenogTaphy or book
heTse!f during the year and a half at school, pro-