A. A. J. E. Conference Decides to Intensify Jewish Education in U.S.

A series of resolutions and action programs designed to strengthen Jewish education in this country was adopted here yesterday at the closing session of the three-day national conference of the American Association for Jewish Education. Philip W. Lown, Jewish communal leader, was re-elected president of the Association for a fourth term.

Acting on evidence presented in an AAJE national survey that — despite growing interest in Jewish schooling — “the work of most schools indicates a low level of achievement and there is a marked degree of dissatisfaction with the results of their teaching, the conference voted for the creation of a “National Curriculum Institute.” The Institute is charged with setting up a continuous, overall inclusive program for “coordinating, stimulating, aiding and directing activities” to clarify the objectives of Jewish education, develop additional texts and curricular materials, conduct experimental educational work, and prepare testing materials.

A second major resolution was concerned with continuity in Jewish education. The nationwide study of Jewish education revealed that Jewish children begin their religious schooling “too late and leave it too early. ” A drop-out of some 80 per cent of students is evident in the Weekday Afternoon Schools directly after boys complete the Bar Mitzvah and girls complete the Confirmation or Bas Mitzvah ceremony; also, that the “great majority” of students in Jewish religious schools are concentrated at the elementary level, in the age groups 8 through 13, with “very insufficient enrollment” at the primary and high school levels.

To counteract all these adverse tendencies, the conference urged: 1. Jewish communities throughout the nation to establish junior Jewish religious high schools for pupils, aged 11-14, and senior high schools for older students; 2. Junior Jewish religious high schools to inaugurate or expand summer camping in Hebrew-speaking camps, and to develop student pilgrimages to Israel; and 3. Communities and congregations, educators and rabbis , to make the junior high school “a central phase” of Jewish education.

In a third major resolution, the conference created a National Committee charged with implementing specific recommendations in the national study. These include; a program to plan community building loan funds which will assist in the repair and construction of school buildings; a program to introduce standard school records; and a program to develop local and national associations of Jewish parents.

Honorary AAJE presidents re-elected were former U.S. Senator Herbert H, Lehman of New York, and Michael A. Stavitsky of Newark, N. J. Harry Starr of N. Y. C. was reelected chairman of the Advisory Committee, while Samuel H. Daroff of Philadelphia, Pa,, was re-elected chairman of the board. Dr. Judah Pilch was re-elected executive director of the organization.

At a dinner celebrating the 20th anniversary of the AAJE, the following Charter Members were honored: Robert M. Bernstein, Philadelphia; Abraham H. Cohen, New York; Jacob H. Cohen, New York; Lewis Drucker, Cleveland; Hyman Goldman, Washington; D. C. Judge Jonah J. Goldstein, New York; Joseph Goldstein, Rochester; Mrs. Gabriel Hamburger, New York; Dr. Horace M. Kallen, New York; Dr. Ira I. Kaplan. New York; Joseph Kohn, Philadelphia; Abraham Krumbein, New York; Judge Louis E. Levinthal, Philadelphia; Frank G, Marshall, Chicago; Judge Samuel Mellitz, Bridgeport

Also, Charles J. Rosenbloom, Pittsburgh; Joseph Sapowitch, Buffalo; Dr. Harry Savits, Brookline; Albert P. Schoolman, New York; Bernard Semel, New York; Robert Senior, Cincinnati; Philip Slomovitz, Detroit; Simon E. Sobeloff, Baltimore; Michael A. Stavitsky, Newark; Dr. Alvin Thalheimer, Baltimore; Isadore S. Turover, Bethesda, Ezra Z. Shapiro, Cleveland.