New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-08
TOWN Of ORPHANS ONLY
Hebrew Guardian Society to
Adept Cottage Plan.
ANOTHER JUNIOR REPUBLIC
Six Hundred Children to Enjoy
Country Life at Pleasantville,
N. Y.-Curriculum Practical.

The Hebrew Sheltcring Guardian Society
is preparing to abandon oldtime methods OF
housing children ia barracks. and will
adopt "a, cottage plan. The six hundred
children who are i'm the society's present
quarters are Ia DC distributed IN twenty
cottages on tho newly acquired property
at Pleasantville. y. Y. This will be the
first Jewish orphan asylum to adopt the
cottage plan
Such radical change IN environment
will require deviations in the character of
the institution itself. Heretofore the emil
dren have attended the public schools
while living i'm the societys home. but
when they move out into the country the
institution will have to take charge Of the
educational work altogether The cur
riculum has been 50 arranged that the chill
dren will get the equivalent of an ele-
mentary and high school education in nine
years instead Of the twelve now required
by the public schools. This result will be
obtained partly by a lengthening Of the
school year. Co-ordinating with purely
intellectual education there will be a wide
range Of industrial and vocational work.
The children will attend to the housekeer-
ng tasks of the cottages. under the super
vision of the cottage mothers. They will
make the beds. do the cooking, and so on.
Already they have had excellent training
in seif-government. because the republic
system was adopted some time ago.
The cottage mothers viii he women OF
a high type selected from a great number
Of candidates, who have applied from ali
over the East and Middle West.
Michael Sharlitt will bc superintendent of
all educational work. Eventually he hopes
20 add a course of training in agriculture.
hut this is as yet only a tentative plan. The
first problem Is one of adjustment, rather
than enlargement
\ social and recreatonal department will
be organized. Under this head will come
all play indoors ana out. and there will he
entertainments Of various kinds, including
dramatic presentations.
The problem Of welding into normal city
life the girl or boy who has been brought
mp in a country orphan asylum is more
difficult than the one this institution has
had 10 face Its children have heretofore
mixed with others IN the public schools and
have been prepared naturally for the exodus
into life outside the asylum. This tran
sition stage In the career Of tho young per
son is most important ono. Or Ludwig
g. Bernstein, superintendent Of tho inst!tu-
ton, says that more and more are persons
engaged in such work beginning TO realize
that there is no phase Of the work more
vital than the care OF the Young person
after he leaves the institution walls. Men
and women from the city who visit the in
gtitufion regularly. cyer,- week and bCrou.
personally acquainted with the children
there will continue the friendly relations
after the chldrr are launched in the city
This will furnish a personal oversight and
make the young people realize that they
have friends who take an interest in them,
putting thom a. ease in the new atmosphere