B’nai B’rith President Finds Jewish Education Lagging in U.S.

The educational content in Jewish schools in this country is “a mile wide, and an inch deep, ” lagging behind increasing pupil enrollments, Label A. Katz, president of B’nai B’rith, declared at a press conference here.

Mr. Katz criticized what he sees as “hesitance” on the part of the American Jewish community “to face up to its religious educational problems with the same vigor that it applies to social and philanthropic issues. “

“The cultural upsweep in Jewish life, that is finding its best hope and impetus among young people, is being thwarted by a haphazard and negligent approach to the need of their religious education, ” Mr. Katz said.

“Shortsightedness” by adults, said the B’nai B’rith leader, is responsible for ask of Jewish educational facilities. He declared that Jewish educators are “underpaid, overworked, and short in numbers” and are also “boxed in by lack of attention given to problems” they face in the Jewish schools.

The Jewish Sunday schools, as well as afternoon Hebrew schools, Mr. Katz stated, are “woefully inadequate, doing little more than perpetuating a kind of juvenile Judaism that has little relationship to the religious and cultural life to face the student in later life.”

Mr. Katz called for a well-financed, coordinated effort by the Jewish communities the United States to eliminate physical shortages in Jewish education, “open new and modern approaches to curricular development, and expose Jewish youngsters to a religious education that would be relevant to their needs and interests.” The B’nai B’rith, he said, will give high priority to these problems.