Caution in Establishing Yiddish Chair at Hebrew University Recommended

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Cautious procedure in establishing the chair for the study of the Yiddish language and literature, offered to the Hebrew University by David Schapiro, publisher of “The Day,” New York Yiddish daily, was recommended in the resolution adopted by the Governing Council of the Institute of Jewish Studies at its session held last week in Mainz. This method was recommended in order to “safeguard the peaceful development of the institute,” to allay the fears of the Hebraists.

The resolution expresses the conviction of the Council that the inclusion of a general scientific study of the languages and dialects spoken and written by Jews, such as Yiddish, Ladino and Judeo-provincial is desirable and essential to a complete understanding of Judaism and the life of the Jewish people. “The Council, accordingly, welcomes the creation of the chair for the study of Yiddish, which should deal with Yiddish philology, and the language, literature, folk lore and, generally, the social, and spiritual history of the Jews as documented in Yiddish,” the resolution read.

The Council also decided to open the following new courses of study in the institute: the history of the Jews in Western Europe during the Middle Ages, the social and economic history of the Jews in Europe, Jewish jurisprudence, the history of the Jews in the Greek-Roman period, Jewish philosophy in the Middle Ages.

The Council also debated the plan recently suggested by Vladimir Jabotinsky that the Hebrew University be transformed from a graduate university into an under-graduate institution, issuing degrees. After a prolonged discussion the Council decided that the University should remain a purely scientific institution. It recommended, however, that under-graduate courses be given where the students will be prepared for graduate work.