The Denver Jewish news., 1923-12-13
Jewish Education in New
York CITY

years ago, the Union OF American ue-
brew Congregations now has opened
five, and d training school for teach
ers.
In no city in this land is the problem
of Jewish education as acute as in
) New York. Reasons for this are cb-
vious-a Jewish population of one and
one half millions, large proportion of
whom are but a few years removed
from European standards of living.
What is true in New York is in pro
portional scale true of every Jewish
community in America. New Iork's
problems of Jewish education are the
same sthOse which confront every
Jewish community in America. and the
steps which are now being taken 10
solve the problem here are steps which
Mt some time. every community will
) have to take.
1t is therefore in New York that
the Union of American Hebrew Con-
gregations has for the present concen-
trated its efforts. While in other cities,
the Union encourages and aids in the
establishment of Hebrew Schools, and
provides educational courses for young
students and their teachers, In New
York the Union is operating training
school for teachers, the Hebrew Union
College for Teachers. and five Hebrew
Schools: The Ezra School, the Beth Ell
School, B'nai Zion School. the Emanuel
School. and the Kaufman Kohler
,e,yN,
The Hebrew Union College School
for Teachers has now an enrolment of
I over one hundred students who are pur-
suing courses in Hebrew, Pedagogy and
Jewish history, which at the end OF
two years will qualify the graduates as
teachers in Jewish Religious Schools.
DIR. Abraham Franzblau of the Depart
ment of Education of City College of
New York is in charge of the school.
: The Ezra School has been in exist
ence since 1916. The four others were
opened within the past few years. In
all. approximately fifteen hundred
Jewish children are taken care of in
these schools. Their classes range
( from the beginners work in "Aleph
I Beth" and Bible stories through ten
! grades to the postgraduate class. They
:. teach, in addition to the Hebrew Ian
/ gIlage. History, Bible, religion and OBJ
4 servancc. prayer-book and Hebrew mu-
\ sic Furthermore. they aim, by means
I of clubs. parents associations. holiday
I and Sabbath services, to become an
= Influence for the welfare of the entire
!. community. Particularly significant
/ is the fact that the districts of the
Bronx and Brooklyn. where these three
\ schools are located, are populated
I largely by Orthodox Jewish families
!: Lacking modern Hebrew schools under
! Orthodox auspices. they are turning
. gratefully to these Hebrew schools.
/ With. at least two hundred thousand
Jewish children. approximately seventy
\ per cent of all Jewish children of pub
Z lie school age in New York City, un-
!. provided with any form Of Jewish cdu-
: cation. the Union schools are at pres
!. ent lifting but Il small part of the bur-
! den. Nevertheless. it is believed that
the opening of these schools has given
great stimulus TO the general efforts
to meet the need for training of Jew
|. ish youth.
The work Of the Ezra School is in
many ways typical of its four sister
n schools. Hampered by building great
n ly inadequate, it is nevertheless s.riv-
y ing To maintain high standards of
+ teaching and To retain its hold upon
!, the religious life of both the children
b and parents of the neighborhood. The
first class assemblies Mt four o'clock
l. and the last class is dismissed at seven
r On Sundays. sessions are held from o
5 \. NJ. to / =. VI. During the year a
D Sabbath afternoon service was added,
and it is held on Saturdays from 3
T.. NJ to 4 30 F. NJ. There are ten
/, grades, ranging from IA to post-grad-
n uate. The teaching staff consist of
= five teachers and sessions are conduct
ed daily except Fridays. The lower
1, grades receive five hours instruction
. per week, and the upper grades seven
and one-half hours.
:, The curriculum was organized not
/ merely to give the children a knowl
q edge of Hebrew history but to instiil
i'll them a Jewish consciousness. "A love
for their people, and IA pride in their
history. History is taught in all the
grades. The first year is devoted to
stories of prominent Jewish charac-
tiers, such as Jacob. David. Moses and
the like. From the second year ON.
his tory is taught scientifically. and
l from an ethical point of view. In the