‘7:
n
63.:
«m~
H
‘
JEWISH
'
LEO nE‘cK COLLEGE
EDUCAfibN'mT. SOCIETY“
'
‘
-
‘As an Anglo-Jewish Miniétep I
‘
W”
w
plug?
Km: {RR
-
ém naturally acqfiaintéd with the
problems of Jewish education but got So well écauainted with the profiléms
of affluence.
NevertheIess I appreciate the suggeqtion implied in the‘
title of our discussion that phere is a éonfiection betWeen thé twé. ‘I
suppose the implication is that cdnditiqns bf affiuénce make the task.‘
9f Jefiish education mbrendifficuft. Afid és‘a general rule.it is trua
Viengugh tha§*pposp§r;ty, secfirity and ease'lessefi‘concgrn with morai anfl
‘
'
épiriiualnvalhgs and, in the base of fin? Jewish.¢ommunity, fiesta?
‘
a'Ss'im‘ilatbfiy tar-has.
firewiar‘»
‘
history offers. ample evidence of that.
Already the Rabbis observed that the Israelites are like an olive:
the more it is équgezed, fhe more juice déea it yield.. And although
'
the reference is notpexactiy to the crédit squeeZe, the principle is
‘the samé, fiEvén earlier, the Bible afgorés~many‘examplggf/9ghe mast
prosperous periods was the reign of‘fizziah 1n Judah and 6f Jeroboam II
‘in Israel.
Amca, who préphesiedydurifié that pafiod, certainly dgscfiibes
it as one 9f affluenceg-whfih the people Owned winter houses and summer‘
houses (3:d5) and pleashnt Vineyahdé:(5:11), when they weré a? ease in
Zion and secure'ih_8amaria (6:4); when fihey lay on beds of ivory anfly
“'iaéeé on gauchesi singigg and drinkfhg and anointing fihemselves With
fihé iinest‘pils (6:h*5)! ‘And what ié hi377erdict 6n the stateséf'Jewiéh
edfibétion flinw't‘hatgbcie‘ty?‘ "Behold, ‘the day‘sr'are Coming, says” fine
mm
God; whén I will send a famipe on the iand; got a famine of~bréad, flap
4
d thirst for water,.buf of heéfiing the Words of the Lord" €8f11), Aqd
‘
Iéaiah referrifig to the cansequences of the same périofi of affluencg,
says; "Therefore my people go intp exile; fbr want of knowledge" (5:13)4
I
'1
is a—lsvor‘frue as
.12.;
7
:r'.’.
‘
‘
genergi‘rule that,‘ writer-551;]; poVe‘rtgp
a'
‘
I
iih’s‘eéufiity and‘y‘diajtrevss haVe offefi produced
ya
heightening
ovewish
‘V
therefore iricreaaed attgntidn t9 {Lefiish education.
Ff-éhce tend. Germany during thé grpsades,‘ Enland Engenusgi‘a during tingGhetto period; aré theemgstlgbfripué éxrampgle's;
co‘néci‘ouszjzessj'and
‘
fl
r
'
I
Nev‘értheies‘s this“ fule must: not.
‘
have-been plenty of egcgptiofis,
.of‘the E'Eempié
‘60
Viei-ew.ceI‘-tai_:nly’ja
be taken toa sériously,‘ There
The years Inimediatély béfozfe the
"‘
‘
.
;
deetxfuc‘tiot
tifie of p‘qvetity, insecurity and distress;
our rule, thellevel ofJeWish 'edfiéétign ought to'have beén
Xet ‘theNRab‘éiaWtefl us that Jerusaiém was; d‘estrd’yed onlyuiaecauée
V
tghat,J-by
high.
M
‘
N
the chilfirén did noi attend. school but loiteredgir‘x the streets (éhabbat
11%), And, conversely again, péoap‘erity and éultural vitality
Usometimesagone hand in hand.
ime
the Golden Ag‘e,rand it is
fioday;
demand.
exfémple,;
m Spain during
t‘he'UnifaeLui'
a
V
‘
.states
‘
V
genéralieatiohs'aud‘cdncem oufselves with
I think it “1111' heip tie ‘to distinguish between supply and
-So let us' leave
.
q-
to a large extent in
“
Anglo—Jewry.
so,
21151;.
haVe‘r.
threrafe
The demand for Jefiish knowledge, So far as fianente
"and
children
are concerned; is probably much the same as ‘iétghas always Begn: that his
to east, réthér low but by no means mfaxiétaut; Perhaps the growth of
affluenée} has diminishedrity
1331:
thgrd Churban, and the influx.
‘of‘
Eastern: Europe),
’raised
11:.
arid,
bu
:the other“
hand
{She
memory of the
Jewish immigrants from Central and
the establishment of the State of ‘Israel, have
It may therefoiwé
baa 1mm?
years ago, but it is n06 mfibh ‘highen.
7
highenphan__1t
wais, 'eay,
25
However,- thgt is, riot necessarily
'5
~
~
very serious, for
su'pplx, and 'by the
children Who aré
can
defiant:
,the-
flay
néit in‘
ih‘
gem be stimulateii by the nafure
Whigh the suppiy
i’s
advefitised,
the ieasi; interested
history
'or‘
‘
r
0:: tries
many
alcho‘oI-h
‘
L
‘g‘eographyr
intensely iptere'ste'd if they like the teacherwho happens
to~fl£eagh that {subject hair the texté-bocik Which happens to be used; And
'fbecéme
cpnveI-sely, the hoétest enthusiasfii'fori; say, méthematioé can be
1: the téaeher is hoping and the text-book
‘
»
I
So let uéleoncéntrater op the" slipping
inffl‘ishe
way of Jewish
gadxigation?
1m :the age
to children,
'du‘I-L
damfierc‘i'
And drab.
Whafik‘doeé'Anglo-Jewry offer
_7
If we qonrine' ougseliresflforwthe moment
gizoupjfir‘omvs' or 6
or
or
61‘ 15;:
we
have to consider tap types of Jewish eéucati‘on; first the Synagogué
‘1
my
Religion schéfil andseééndiy the Jewish
The great majority
e‘dru‘cati’onwapd ‘here
‘ofA
wfiich the
as
first
‘Ii‘beliveve
11-:
to,
of fine véduqatiohg"of
5f
"the
7‘12}: '13
Sghooi
or‘
filinewish chilqrfenzrecéfirg
Ehérg are‘ggvemlrweakqesééa
‘td
11:.
Boarding
the first
be noteq afi
I
Scia‘vdold‘
of:
ofiéé-g
{We (gerivendi‘nec‘fly fro'muthat pernicious institution;
be; the garémtzwm,
.girlvsf‘kcompareGL‘witrxl‘
eduéational probéss‘hfla fieése
fit'
sense, and the“ example" of Priogressiire
I refer»
to the relative negiect
that of‘boys, and the tendency
the age 'of
daism;
15,.
Happiiy édmmon
are beginning to maké
their influence, felt inpurigfietablished? Church, the Udited Synagogue;
:
“There is 17531213 mongamfihas‘mgn the |edueation of’giz-ls than theré waé
a few decades ago, ‘rheifa and ltherrié'r‘a- cégemdfiy ofl‘Bat—Mintzvah is being
introducled‘,
forward to
and pogt~Bapmitah
‘the'vday
("masses are being instituted;
whgfi this process will reach its logicai
I look
c ‘nclusion-l,“
‘as it has done in ,fivoivn synagogue, wéen {Barififiz'vah‘mll ‘bejée‘en, fOP‘
ylfiat it"is: a relic ofai‘fbfiohe social” pattern, which has
_
méaning
‘
v:
a
’tqday
‘1.“
‘
and whiqh must be replgaced‘
kahbala'lz Mitzvahv
b3}
1
5}
,
.‘
?
cere’zfioxgy,(Jr-confirmation.
or".
for boya'and girls at the age of 15 orp16‘ or, if
possible; even later,
~
The next weakness is thé afipaiiin'gly low étafidgr‘d of
methods, and especially of our text-bogks apd equipment;
unspeakable disgrace that; arart from a “few Hebrew
0115
educational
If is an‘
primers,mxm
VApgiofiewry hasflnot
produced‘pn’e single Religion: School, text—book, for by a text-book I mean
and they are old—fashioned
loné which
éndx
badly
‘pr-‘inted,
is pegagcg;ca11ycnceiwied,
direcite‘fifto a‘
Specific
grade-5;
arttracrfiively preserntred,‘ and preferably adéompénied‘ ‘By questions
answers; or
‘
rtea‘chers,
ag‘pupi’lsr’
tibia is
WOI‘ki.‘
true of
the rest; rthough’fie
.
or at waist notes for the guidance of
dwn'
‘at least. hairs
section of the qqmmunity as Well
the exfiuse‘ thét We are
numerous and that fie have fie‘en 1n exiStence for
not.
as,
r
Very
half a century.
Mqvgmen’ag whose example is now
ohi‘y
In this" respect the Amerifmaefgm
being admirably renewed. by éhé Cdnsemtive ae'meniz, is about 100'
years‘ ahead: of“ any 'séctiofi OfTAn‘glo-Jefirir;
"
-
every
Je’vii‘sh
su‘fij‘ect,
hiétory, Jewish
relevant to
of fumes?” filmatrip's, and
'
of "Anieniean ‘ttieW‘
Conérégations h‘aé‘produced‘ 'hupdnga'e‘afid thousands of éhildne’n“a texté-bobks“
on Hebrew.
'
‘The‘ Uniozi-
‘excellen‘t
V'l'he'
and
“could.
trégédy is that
quality
sbci‘éty should"
:a‘R‘eZLrigiOn
a‘ther‘
Jewish otsefiances, indeedf
.Schogig‘currgmulum,
asmeil as
ar‘hwst
audiow-isfia’l aids; many of which aré :
be ggéd by Dbthodoxas‘ wellEas‘ Libepai commungties,
ighprar'xce
tragedy is that We do
appr'ééching‘
litergtur-d‘,’
not}.
or“
and prejudice; pne§efit téi’sm but
{produce oufi ‘own
quantity;
It‘
mafirial in
theigji‘eétest‘
V
even»
remoteiy
is here‘tha‘t, the affluence ‘of our
be a ‘help rather- than a hindrance,
J
W
Another weakness
is"
the limitati‘dnrbi’. time;
way to this difficulty and demand
'
toc- iitti‘é,
cmgregations give
‘Some'
others, in
an‘
effort to
overcome it, demand- too much and overburden
tlhe
classés and the‘ like
the exercise defeats its
Such
to,
extent
that,
It is piecisely this difficulty whiéh hays
end.‘
children With
“led:
‘
mid-.s-w'eek
"v
mm
to the creat ion‘of
f
A
Jéwish
Schools and Boarding; Séhooié» My wnk’riew about these schools
15:, first; that there is no ju‘sizifii‘cat'ion‘ whatsoeveraror- having thein fun
by Zionist organisations. 0n the
tendency.
‘
‘
contrary); I
see
1;he
graveafi dangér in
w
1
E01? ‘fihavtL..Zionisf e; meanzftéyflfiéwz‘tislh‘panacgggegggggt£33hggfl
is“ theiavowed ainiéof fihege schdfiisfé‘éqdawpétrrrengious JeyvsnLi‘bem‘l or
‘1
T
by "JewiSh Aoonééiqdeneséfi"aré.,fbr Bhouid be,“nu1te; difreééhtj
And the philosophy ()f Jév'liclfleduca-tidp “gilt-b which we‘are‘ her‘ie‘
:t0r1ghodox, mean
l
:bhingS‘w-
I
concernedgbfi which I have hot timeflro dzfie'c'ugls,‘ isal’l impbrtant; In
t‘fii‘e‘w 3th15' 'phfldsophy
must ‘qe relj‘igiougfbhr»;ugh and thréuéh; and 1161; inspired:
’
by
Je‘Wi'sh‘
nationalism Wandagglgy dressecinup: religiops-ly
it kosher foxi Diaspora Jewry;
religious bodieé‘ are,
r
fihat
1'5
to
says,‘
in-
if it is
order to maké
I
‘
even Jewish Day Schools sponsoi'ed by
gut-
my #iewj: undeéirabie
possif‘bi'e
in,
‘if'
they can; be ‘avoided';
to aéhieVe ‘an fideruaté
eduéa‘bionfiithoufi them} As Ito‘tthéf i
‘h‘éje‘an‘ open:
mind.
1&v‘e1'
If
,
.
of Jewish
I were
méonVinc‘eduthat Jewish schools apé the p‘ri'cewhiiéhv we must pay fogJeWi‘sh‘
survivaag, then Ira‘houl‘d be
to mice
rsuch'a.
,azii'vfpr;
ignem,_3ué :1 pelievé‘ it ‘18 top eafily'
judgment; vThe preaéifi
Jewry $S»'ée§taifi1y
be-icw
tofgcnatch the euigface
smifil
of.
r‘s‘pate
lev‘ei;
‘But‘ theri
we .haVe hérdly begun
the .‘pnobiem W'thgm the“ Religion School system,“
First, we must:- perfect that.‘ Firs}; we
Schneis highly traigedv
of JeWiBh.ea;1cation
_
in‘ 'Ahgl'qe
an‘d'
haire
our Synagogué‘Religibn
broperiisaziériéd 'fiéachers, décent aliases-room
accommodation, and firstscla‘ss text—books,”
fiizfi~sizrip3,‘ flannei-binrds'
'
and all; thé
.Sytiagogue
o‘th‘er
Nur$ery
will
'gq'me
331100135:
parents" discussion groups ,. gdul‘b studs}
When we have done all that thg time,
ta decide whether it as sufficient or whethe'i; it is necessary
coursés and so fin
k
modern egfiizpment, and all that suppleménte‘d with“
so forih.
axid
.7
for Anéio—Jefiryrrtd bgcomé éégrégated from the general obmmuni‘hy 2mg
‘
‘
the educational sphere in addition to such other {segregation Es
exi'stsgalreadygl.
F615 some time to
Ir
come éertainly,' and I
71‘
believé‘ that
it‘
can be very sucéésafui provided 'tnat, at this
1afe‘hopr, Angid-Jewry Wakes up
-»
aways, Jéwish
education in on? éffluezit. réoéiety must. remain synagégue-centned;
And
‘
ho‘pe
a)
.‘to
serious eff-9m?
i-‘n
{buut
of dis image-lumber and makes
tch ail actions
tackle the problems
rim-.8
0;?
'
h
the c‘);nmun1t& must doaoberate,
‘fihoroughgoing and rfiodefinl way,
2
y;
: