75,000 Children in Yiddish Schools in the Ukraine

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)

There are about 75,000 children in the Ukraine attending Jewish schools in which Yiddish is the language of instruction, according to recent reports. This figure is exclusive of two districts from which reports have not yet been received. Two years ago the number for the whole of the Ukraine was 42,000. Large numbers of Jewish children have been transferred from non-Jewish schools which they had previously attended.

In 1923-24, the schools with Yiddish as the language of instruction held 48% of all Jewish school children in the Ukraine, the other 52% attending the non-Jewish schools. In 1925-26 the Yiddish schools contained 64% of all the Jewish school children in the Ukraine, with only 36% in the non-Jewish schools. This process is being continued and in some places as high as 80% of the Jewish children in the locality are attending the Yiddish schools.

The cornerstone of the Welfare Island Synagogue was laid on Tuesday afternoon by Mrs. Isabella Freedman. Vice President of the New York section of the National Council of Jewish Women, which raised the $50,000 for the new building.

Bird S. Coler. Commissioner of Welfare, the Chairman of the Building Committee, Mrs. William Colin, Rabbi Israel Goldstein. Rabbi Jacob G. Greenfield, chaplain of Welfare Island and the new synagogue and Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein were among the speakers.

The $250,000 Jewish Orphans’ Home Building Fund Campaign was launched by a dinner at the Columbian Club, where $80,000 was pledged by those present numbering more than a thousand. Nathan Frank, Chairman of the Drive, made the first subscription of $5,000. followed by Aaron Waldheim with an additional $5,000.

The principal speakers were Nathan Frank, Rabbi A. E. Halpern. Rabbi Samuel Sale, Julius Glaser, Mrs. Abraham Shank, and Sidney Rothschild. The drive will continue until next Monday.