Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 1.pdf/550

502 THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

America

As has already been noted, there was cstaljlishod iu I'hihultlphia as early as W-i>< a general Suiiday-sclKiol i[uite irrcsiu'ctive of coiii.'i'j.'ational orsiaiiizatioii; and this Early whs Ihe bcginiiinir nf a movement, Jewish

as 1772.

Ma-

wlueh

spread Ihrougliout lie counorganization of educational work along lines quite independent of contriculates.

lias

I

for the

try,

greg.ilional activities. similar school was organized in

A

S. v.. in the .sjinu" year; in the Kichmond, Va. in 1^4') iliis

Charleston, following year, one in movenunt spread to

New

York, being taken up liisl by the Emanuel Society, although the Shearith Israel congregation had started a Hebrew school system as early as 1808. In |S40 MoitDixAi M. No.vii, a well-known traveler, politician, and journalist, tu'ged the formation of a Jewish college in the United States; and in 1848 the Hebrew Kducalion Society was founded at Philadelphia originally a school for general instruction in the ordinary branches u]) to and through the grade of grammar school, couided with instruction in Hebrew and in the Jewish religion. In 1864 the Hebrew Free School Association was incorporated in New York; and throughout various states of the Union a movement gradually spread for the organi-

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zation of free religious .schools which Organiza- would bring into a common school tion of Free system children from the various con-

gregations in each city. These were largely intended to supersede the private instruction that had theretofore been given. They were, in the main, carried on by volunteer teaehers; and their distinguishing feature was that the instruction was usually conducted by nativeborn persons and in the English language as against the German teacliing in the congregational schools. The whole tendency of this educational work was toward the unitication of the community and the bringing-out of its individual members from the rather narrow congregational life that had inevailed. "Within the last decade orso there has been a decided reaction; and religious schools and S.abbatli-schools have been liighlj' organized in connection with individual congregations. Particular stress is laid tipon them liy the congregations: and much of the cynininnal stiingth is derived from them. AVliile the Hebrew education societies and schools continue in existence, they do not develop or flourish as might be expected; in fact, since 1882 they liavc largely taken upon themselves an entirely new

Schools,

function. With the su(l<len arrival in this country of the large number of Russian Jews having no knowledge of the I^^nglish language, and in many cases without any particular handicraft, there devolved upon the American Jewish community the necessity of providing, first, daj' and night schools for teaching the new arrivals P^ngTechnical lisli and, .second, manual training Schools. and technical schools. These have been established in New York, Philadelphia. Chicago, and in other cities, more or less with the aid of th<' Baron de Hirsch Fund. Of higher education there has been nothing general, but only special and theological. In i8."i.') I. il. Wise projected a theological college in Cincin" Zion College " nati under the name of but the plan came to naught. In l.'stiT there was established, largely through the instrumentality of Isaac Leeser, Maimonides College at Philadelphia, which, however, was of scarcely longer duration than its predeces.sor. It was not until the year 187."> that there was founded, by the I'nion of American Hebrew Congregations, the Hebrew Union College of Cin;



502

cinnati, which is devoted to the training of rabbis and teachers. While theoretically without parti/an bias, it is pnictieally the representative of the Keforni wing in America. In 18Sti ihere was established in New York the Jewish Theological Seiniimiy, also for the training of rabbis

Theolog-

and

teachei's, and representing IlieOrthodo.x wing of the community. In stitutions. ISiCi iheie was founded in Philadelphia, through a trust vested in the Mickve Israel congri'gation by Ilynian Oralz, Oratz College, which is devoted to the pre|)a ration of teachers for Jewish schools, practically occupying the place of !i normal school. Throughout the United States there Iiave been established in connection with the various congregations, and also independently, societies and Young Men's Hebrew associations which are to a certain extent educational in tlieircharaeter. They usually sustain small libraries and |irovide lecture-courses on secular and religious topics. In 18!t;i there was founded the Jewish t'hautau(|ua Society, which has branches all over the country and bears the same relation to the regular schools and colleges as does the University Extension movement, as interpreted in America, to regular colleges for university work. The Cof.Ncii. OF Jkwimi Womi-.x has engaged to a considerable extent in educational work among its own members. In ISSd there was organizeil a Sabbath-school Union forthe purposeof ]ii'oinoliiig uni-

ical In-

formityand approved metliodsin Sabhath selmul inThere are at present (I'JOD) in the I'nited States 41.") Jewish educational organizations. "Jill of which are religious schools attached to congregations, with l,137teachers and an attendance of about O.j.OOO jiupils. Tlien^ are also 27 Jewish free schools, ehietly in large cities, with about ll,Ot)0 ])upils and struction.

142 teachers. Three societies have been organized in the United States to issue Jewish publications the lirst. in Philadelphia in 184.'); the second, in Publica- New York in 187:!, and the third, tion Soci- in Philadelphia in is.ss. This last isa nourishing organization, and has iseties and Libraries. sued many instructive and important works. Among the educational activities should also be mentioned the American Jiwish Historical Society organized in 1892. .Vssoeialed with many of the schools there are now circulating and reference libraries, as well as several independent ones, the largest of which is the Aguilar Library

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New- York, founded in 1880. The Maimonides Library of the Independent Order B'ne B'rith in New York was organized in IS.tI, It should be said in this connection that this Order and many of the other Orders and lodges had educational features lectures and otherwise and did pioneer work in the education of their members. Of .lewish periodicals and newspapers published at one time or another in the United States, not less than s;! have been in English or German, 10 in Hebrew, and 82 in Yiildish. in

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Philanthropy (f the jihilanthropic work of Jews in .merica practically nothing is known out:

<

United States and Canada; and under these heads the subject will be treated in detail. In a general way it may be said that, until a very recent time, philanthropic work took the form of ordinary charity. The poor were clothed, fed, and kept warm, the sick were visited, and the dead were buried. The higher philanthropic work, that of preventing poverty by improvement of conditions and From surroundings, is but a recent development. the earliest arrival of Jews in this country, it was side of the