Cleveland Training Courses for Jewish Leadership Prove Successful

The results of a seminar on community service initiated in Cleveland to test a method of leadership training of experienced young Jewish people who were already members of various boards and committees of Jewish organizations and institutions, were made public here by the National Conference of Jewish Communal Service, central body of Jewish social workers.

The purpose of the seminar was to provide an opportunity for active members of boards of trustees of community agencies and organizations to meet informally to share experiences and to learn more about trends and developments in the field of community service. The seminar also aimed to broaden understanding and knowledge about the Jewish community and to develop a sense of concern for the needs of the total Jewish community service. The seminar also aimed to broaden understanding and knowledge about the Jewish community and to develop a sense of concern for the needs of the total Jewish community. Among the questions evaluated at the seminar were:

1. What are the significant trends in Jewish-sponsored casework services growing out of the changing socio-economic picture in the Jewish and general community# 2. What measurable contributions can community relations techniques make to the treatment of anti-Semitism as a factor in a free society# 3. How effectively can the varying ideological and social viewpoints in the community be unified and guided to build Jewish community life on a sound foundation# 4. What is the meaning of “democracy” in Jewish life and how is it brought into practical reality through participation and involvement in community effort#

Also, what should be the role of the community sponsored Jewish educational institutions in light of the growth and development of congregational schools# Can coordination of Jewish educational resources be realized within the framework of diverse tendencies in Jewish education# What should be the contribution of the Jewish Community Centers toward the evolution of a normal and healthy Jewish community life#

From the major principles which emerged from the seminar discussions, it was established that in a highly integrated Jewish community “the whole community serves the whole community”, that the chief concern of Jewish education is to develop “positive Jews” who can take their place in the life of the Jewish community, and that the security of the Jew in American life is closely tied in with the achievement of democratic goals in our society.