Hebrew School Research Articles

Hebrew in America: Perspectives and Prospects (review)

Hebrew Studies 35 (1994) 186 Reviews ignore. Paradigmatic, perhaps, is its closing paragraph: ...the Jewish rejection of Christ brought about yet another exile, which has only recently been ended by the creation of the modern Israeli state. But...Israel is still in spiritual exile from her Lord and will be until its blindness is moved (2 Cor. 3:13-15).... Even so come, Lord Jesus! (p.494) Julia M. O'Brien Meredith College Raleigh. NC 27607 HEBREW IN AMERICA: PERSPECTIVES AND PROSPECTS. Alan Mintz, ed. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1993. Cloth. In 1992 the exiled President of Haiti, Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was invited to address a meeting of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York City. Aristide, known for his friendships with Israeli and American Jewish scholars, seemed a natural choice in a time of rising BlackJewish tensions in the city. He came well prepared for the meeting; in one sense he came too well prepared. For after short opening remarks in English he proceeded to deliver a speech in flawless Israeli Hebrew. The applause, though polite, was muted. Very few of his listeners understood his remarks. As the president of the Community Relations Council put it in his response, "Mr. President, you give us more credit than we deserve."' Two years before this somewhat embarrassing incident occurred, Alan Mintz organized a conference at the University of Maryland on "Hebrew in America: Perspectives and Prospects." The papers presented at that gathering are now published in this fine new collection. The volume is divided into three sections, essentially the past. present. and future of Hebrew learning in American Jewish life. Each section contains five essays (if one includes both Mintz's introduction and Stanley Chyet"s afterword). In many of the papers the authors lament the Hebrew illiteracy of many American Jewish leaders and express their concern for the future of Hebrew learning in America. To these authors the Aristide event would not have come as a surprise. As Deborah Lipstadt puts it in the volume's last essay: "To say that virtually none of the major leaders of the American Jewish community are fluent in Hebrew is to state the obvious."' Lipstadt and others offer bold prescriptions for alleviating this problem, though to this reviewer the probability of implementing these plans in the near future seems low. Hebrew Studies 35 (1994) 187 Reviews Concern for the future of Hebrew learning in America also informs Alan Mintz's introduction, which deftly ties together the many concerns addressed in these fifteen essays. Mintz is deeply concerned with the lowly status of Hebrew in American Jewish life, and he wonders aloud whether Hebrew is "merely a segment of Jewish culture that got left behind, obsolete equipment in the configuration of communal and personal identity?" He closes his introduction expressing the hope that confronting the sorry state of Hebrew learning will lead to the language's revitalization in American Jewish life. Yes, our communal leaders may not know much Hebrew, but this merely reflects the lowly status of the language among the wider Jewish community. Leonard Fein's witticism (alluded to in Gilead Morahg's essay) that "Hebrew school is remembered as the place where Hebrew wasn't learnt" has become a commonplace, a truism. College teachers of Hebrew are often confronted with students who have learnt little in the supplementary Hebrew school system and who now bemoan their inability to read (to say nothing of speak) the language. The range and breadth of material covered by these essays is impressive. But the depth varies greatly, and the tone is uneven. Unfortunately, some of the pieces retain the conversational tone of many conference papers-these papers (or the conversational tone that dominates them) should have been weeded out. Part 1, "The Enterprise of Tarbut Ivrit," opens with Mintz's incisive essay on the journal HaToren and the part it played in the Tarbut Ivrit movement during and after the First World War. He notes that while there is a veritable industry around Yiddish nostalgia, "the awareness that there was once an intense Hebrew culture in America has almost entirely been lost to mind" (p. 30). Mintz's project in this essay...

THE REAL MISSION OF THE BUREAU

Education is a profession. It is unique in that most people believe they have a handle on what education should be. Education is the only profession for whom the service recipient believes himself to be as knowledgeable as the service provider. In Jewish education, this may be compounded to the extent that parents of the service recipient remember a negative experience in Hebrew school.

THE ORTHODOX DAY SCHOOL AND ITS NONOBSERVANT POPULATION

Many of Canada's day schools1 are experiencing a phenomenon whereby only 10 to 20 percent of their student populations reflect the school's Orthodox ideology. This ratio of observant to nonobservant is also an accurate estimate of their parent population. Yet, virtually all Canadian senior high schools2 and many elementary schools of similar populations remain Orthodox in their philosophies. Such a situation can present schools and parent bodies with a variety of dilemmas: Parents are often not aware of Jewish educational goals; children are more educated than their parents; there is little parental support to many school values (eg. kashrut, Shabbat, etc.); some school values are discouraged; and parent/school tensions can result out of a lack of understanding. Such schools as Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto, Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto,3 Herzilia Academy of Montreal,4 and Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate of Winnipeg5 all must address this issue since the observant population is a minority in their systems. Consequently, a significant percentage of their students do not subscribe to their school's philosophy. This situation is not unique in Canada. Many Orthodox day schools see their original mandate as increasing Torah awareness of all their pupils in the communities they serve.

JEWISH EDUCATORS VS. MIXED MARRIAGES

Mixed marriages are a hemorrhage in the body of American Jewry. In the average Hebrew school classroom 20–25 percent of the students will someday marry out. Even in day schools 5–10 percent will marry out, although most of them will influence their spouses to convert. (Jewish children who do not receive a Jewish education will marry out in even higher percentages, and rarely influence their partners to become Jewish.) This exogamy (outmarriage) results in a doubling of the divorce rate. In addition, the majority of the children of exogamous manages do not identify themselves as Jews. Can Jewish educators influence some of these children to consciously seek Jewish mates? only if they try.

The Correlation of Parents' and Students' Attitudes With Hebrew Language Achievement

ABSTRECT This study investigated correlations between parents' and students' attitudes toward the Hebrew language; and the correlation between students' attitudes toward, and achievement in, the Hebrew language. Additionally, differences in attitudes between boys and girls and between students in Levels 3 and 4 were investigated. The sample consisted of 217 students in the third and fourth years of Hebrew instruction, and their parents, from four supplementary Hebrew schools in the Chicago area. Students and parents were administered attitude questionnaires designed to measure their attitudes toward the Hebrew language. Students' Hebrew achievement was measured using standardized, norm‐referenced tests. Findings were contrary to expectations: Correlation between parents' and students' attitudes was low and not significant. Correlation between students' attitude and achievement, although statistically significant (p > .01) was low (r =.20). There was no difference between boys' and girls' mean attitude scores, and no difference between students in the third and fourth years of instruction. The discussion attempts to explain the findings, and suggestions for further research are presented.

Should There Be Religious Alternative Schools within the Public School System?

Denominational instruction within public schools is inadequate for parents whose religious convictions are not satisfied by secular education. Legal cases have established the right of such parents to establish private schools. In certain cases, public funding has been available for a religious alternative, for example, Hebrew or Christian schools. Such public funding is the consequence of political action. The legal and practical limits on such alternatives are based on fear of divisions in society, fear that the curriculum of such schools may be too narrow, and shortages of sufficient pupils and funding.

The Hebrew School Experience: A Phenomenological Analysis of Students’ Perceptions

Abstract This study uses phenomenological analysis to examine the perceptions of students attending a supplementary Hebrew school in a New England suburb. These students have ambivalent feelings about being Jewish. They equate being Jewish with being different, and they believe being Jewish has only a minor effect on their lives. They perceive the goals of Hebrew school on three levels: 1) The immediate level of learning prayers, learning about their religion, and learning Hebrew; 2) The long term goal of Bar/Bat Mitzvah; and 3) The ultimate goal of transmitting Jewish traditions to future generations. Their perceptions about Hebrew school differ markedly and range from boring to fun. Positive aspects of Hebrew school mentioned by all students include socializing and informality of classes. A negative aspect was the inconvenience of the Hebrew school schedule. Implications drawn from this study are that the Hebrew school ought to strive to maintain practical goals and a flexible curriculum, classroom environment, and school schedule.

CHOMSKY REVISITED: EMOTIONAL TRAINING AND THE BUILDING OF CHARACTER IN THE JEWISH SCHOOL

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsJerry SilvermanMR. SILVERMAN teaches at Beth Zion‐Beth Israel Hebrew School, Philadelphia, and in a public school in the Philadelphia area.

The Hebrew School Experience: A Phenomenological Analysis of Students' Perceptions

Abstract This study uses phenomenological analysis to examine the perceptions of students attending a supplementary Hebrew school in a New England suburb. These students have ambivalent feelings about being Jewish. They equate being Jewish with being different, and they believe being Jewish has only a minor effect on their lives. They perceive the goals of Hebrew school on three levels: 1) The immediate level of learning prayers, learning about their religion, and learning Hebrew; 2) The long term goal of Bar/Bat Mitzvah; and 3) The ultimate goal of transmitting Jewish traditions to future generations. Their perceptions about Hebrew school differ markedly and range from boring to fun. Positive aspects of Hebrew school mentioned by all students include socializing and informality of classes. A negative aspect was the inconvenience of the Hebrew school schedule. Implications drawn from this study are that the Hebrew school ought to strive to maintain practical goals and a flexible curriculum, classroom envi...

The Librarian's Role in Integrating Fiction into the Hebrew School Curriculum

The Librarian's Role in Integrating Fiction into the Hebrew School Curriculum

Four Decades in the Profession of Jewish Education

The economic depression of the nineteen thirties and a diploma from the Bet Midrash L'Morim resulted in my becoming a teacher in a Hebrew school. This led me to higher rungs on the ladder of the profession. I became a school principal, a supervisor of a large number of Hebrew schools, and, finally a director of Bureaus of Jewish Education. I must admit that it was a constant uphill struggle to achieve my own desired objectives, both for myself, as well as for my constituents and coworkers. Was it all worthwhile? This is a question that I ponder seriously and constantly, particularly in view of the sociological, political, demographic, and religious changes that have taken place during this relatively short span of years.

Half a Century in Jewish Education

I — Reminiscences Deuteronomy 32:7 Back in 1925, upon graduation from the Teachers Institute of Yeshiva University, I started my career as teacher in the first and oldest Talmud Torah in the United States, the Machzikey TT on East Broadway in Manhattan. I recall with pleasure how boys and girls spent ten hours a week in Jewish studies: giving the 12-13 year olds intensive instruction in Torah, Neviim, Mishnah, Hebrew Grammar, Hebrew Literature and Yiddish. For many years the Machzikey TT had a school enrollment of one thousand students and more. When the '30s came and the enrollment fell considerably, it became necessary to consolidate the school with the National Hebrew School, especially when the Downtown TT closed it doors.

Presentation of Procedures for Development of a Second Language Achievement Test

ABSTRACT The study describes the development and evaluation of a test designed to measure the level of achievement of Hebrew as a second language. It suggests procedures for developing a similar second language achievement test. The subjects were nine‐ and ten‐year‐old, second‐year students in after‐school Hebrew schools in the Chicago area. The Hebrew Language Achievement Test (HLAT) was developed in two stages: (1) the pilot study, which generated and tested items measuring reading comprehension and knowledge of vocabulary and language structure; and (2) the cross‐validation study, in which the revised test was cross‐validated on a new sample.

The Effects of Individual and Job Characteristics on Job Satisfaction of Supplementary and Hebrew Day Schools' Hebrew Teachers

The Problem and Its Setting The Problem The quality of Hebrew school education depends largely on the quality of Hebrew school educators. Hebrew school teachers today do not enjoy high professional status among the parents or authority within the Jewish community. Graduates of many Hebrew schools are functionally illiterate in Judaism and are without positive attitudinal identification. These graduates report negatively on their educational experience. Hebrew teachers are being held accountable and responsible for failing these Hebrew school students in preparing them for Jewish living in American society. The problem is acute. There are not enough teachers entering the Hebrew teaching profession. No recruitment program, however aggressive, can hope to staff Hebrew schools as long as Jewish education continues to lose so many classroom teachers each year through resignation and early retirement. The situation is the same in most big cities. The problems of retaining talented young Jewish teachers in the Hebrew teaching profession are severe: the challenge of recruiting new, able teachers is made even more difficult by the low professional esteem and low financial earnings of Hebrew school teachers.

Jewish Leadership Camping: A Model Jewish Counselor Training Project

The Challenge The Challenge Jewish day and overnight camps are fertile settings for inculcating a positive attitude toward Jewish knowledge and identity. The number of activity hours available in a single summer exceeds by far the number of hours spent in three years of supplementary Hebrew school studies and a full year of Jewish studies in a Jewish day school.

The Function of Hebrew in the Afternoon Hebrew School

The Function of Hebrew in the Afternoon Hebrew School

A Comparative Study of Home Background Factors of All-Day School and Afternoon Hebrew School Students

In Discussing Social Science Background Factors of All-Day School and Afternoon Hebrew School Students studies relating to Jews in the July 1969 issue of Jewish Education, Victor D. Sanua comments on the paucity of research on intra-group differences within the Jewish group. He correctly focuses attention upon the need for studies which would compare differences between “Jews with varying backgrounds in Jewish education and Jews who differ in their extent of their identification with the in-group.” Dr. Sanua's article describes such a study which he conducted with the assistance of his students of a research seminar at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University.

VIEWS ON JEWISH‐MRELIGIOUS EDUCATION BY AMERICAN ORTHODOX‐JEWISH LEADERS

The educational system of the Jewish community in the United States consists of three divisions: The Sunday school; the week-day late afternoon school; and the all-day school. There is about an equal division between the number of children who attend the one-day-a-week Sunday school and those that attend the threeday-a-week afternoon Hebrew school or Talmud Torah. A much smaller percentage of the total Jewish school population, about 8%, attend the Jewish all-day school or Yeshiva. The Jewish all-day school today is, by and large, under the auspices of the Orthodox-Jewish community. (In recent years, the Conservative-Jewish community has organized some all-day schools.) Even though there are Orthodox supplementary afternoon schools throughout the United States with a total school population of approximately 56,000 students, these afternoon schools are comparatively small and do not receive prime attention from the Orthodox-Jewish community. The Orthodox community is directing most of its energy and resources into the

A Basic Word List for Elementary Hebrew Schools

(1951). A Basic Word List for Elementary Hebrew Schools. Jewish Education: Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 52-56.

An Effective Reading Word List for the Elementary Hebrew Schools

(1949). An Effective Reading Word List for the Elementary Hebrew Schools. Jewish Education: Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 64-69.