Better Labor Conditions Lessen Need of Welfare Work, Conference Hears

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

A more personal relationship between the professional social worker and the layman was urged in a paper by Louis E. Kirstein read before the third day’s session of the National Conference of Jewish Social Service. In a paper by Dr. Leo Wolman read to the conference, intensive research on the part of Jewish social service was urged as the main work for the future.

The financial problems of welfare institutions was presented by Allan Bloom of Indianapolis at the session of the National Association of Jewish Community Center Secretaries.

Maurice Bisgyer, addressing the center workers on cultural activities, declared that the greatest danger to the community center was the modern commercialized cheap amusement house. He advocated mass cultural affairs that “the spectre of the moving picture palace be laid low.” Rabbi Abraham Cronbach of Cincinnati spoke on the place of religion in the community center. Dr. Julian Morgenstern presided at the session. The discussion was led by Miss Jane Fischer of Dayton.

Sidney J. Hillman, president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, who addressed a joint meeting of the Social Service conference and the center secretaries, declared that organized labor, by forcing industry to share its burdens, is slowly but surely eliminating the need for social work. “Each development in industry has removed just so much work from the program of social service,” he declared.

Professor William M. Leisorson of the Department of Economics, Antioch College, spoke at the same session on the social worker and industrial relations. He proposed that industry take up much of the work being done by social service, leaving the latter free to concentrate on education.

Dr. S. Margoshes, editor of “The Day.” spoke before the National Council for Jewish Education on the value of the Jewish press in spreading propaganda for Jewish education. Rabbi Jacob B. Polla, Dr. Emanuel Gamoran. Jacob Golub and Ben Rosen addressed this session.

Louis Kraff of New York was elelcted president of the Community Center Secretaries, succeeding Gilbert Harris.

Other officers elected include Abraham W. Rosenthal, Samuel B. Kaufman and Mrs. Celia Strakosch, vice-presidents; Maurice Bisgyer, secretary and treasurer; E. J. Londow, Min Libby Berman, Harold H. Levin, Dr. Moses H. Chaseman, Abraham S. Magida, William Cohen and William Pinsker were named to the Executive Board.

A report on the teacher’s training schools in the United States was submitted to the National Council for Jewish Education by Louis Hurwich of Boston. There are fourteen normal schools of which 10 train Hebrew teachers, 2 Sunday school teachers and 2 Yiddish teachers. The combined attendace is 2,903 and the total maintenance cost last year was $200,062.

Mr. Hurwich recommended that the national council call a conference of all the faculties of the Jewish training schools for the purpose of adopting uniform standards for admission, curricula and graduation of teachers.