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Ask Jewish Education for Leisure Mind

June 1, 1934
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In order to unite all Jewish elements in educational activities we must omit religion from Jewish education for children and adults. In this respect we should follow the system of the American public school. Religious education should be severed from Jewish education. Religious education should be left to religious instructions. Just as every modern democratic state omit religion from the program of public education, modern institutions and organizations sever religion from Jewish education. A secular Jewish education should be enforced in the education program for both children and adults. The secular American public school brought under one roof and united the children of Catholics, Protestants and Jews: a secular Jewish school and a secular Jewish education for adults would bring in to closer contact and unite culturally the orthodox Jew, the reformed Jew, as well as the radical.

The workmen’s Circle has long ago adopted a program of secular Jewish education. This labor organization, with its limited appropriations, has much nearer approached the sprit and tradition of American public education than many a rich organization and institution carrying on Jewish educational work.

At the 103 Jewish Workmen’s Circle Schools the children are taught the Yiddish language, Yiddish literature, Jewish history, history of the Jewish and general labor movement, biographies of great men-champions of human liberty. The pupils carry on current events. By coming in contact with labor and labor organizations they begin to appreciate the importance of labor and its

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