Farband Establishes Foundation for Jewish Cultural Work in U.S.

The establishment of a Foundation by Farband-Labor Zionist Order to foster Jewish educational and cultural work in America, was announced by Jacob Katzman, general secretary of the national fraternal order, at the concluding session of the biennial conference of the New York branches of Farband held at Highland Mills, N.Y. Mr. Katzman said that the foundation would seek an initial capital of minimum $1,000,000, to be raised in the ranks of Farband in the next two years, and that $200,000 has already been assured.

Mr. Katzman asserted that among the activities in which the Farband Foundation will engage will be the following: 1) help strengthen and enlarge the already existing Jewish folk schools in the network maintained by Farband; 2) help establish new schools, and particularly Jewish day schools, in key communities around the country; 3) enlarge the summer camping program carried on by Farband and its youth affiliate, Habonim; 4) establish an Institute for Positive Jewish Living which will engage in research, conduct workshops and “laboratories,” and prepare material to enhance the Jewish content in the family life of young American Jews, and in the life of the Farband organizations and institutions.

An immediate goal, Mr. Katzman said, would be the establishment of Jewish day schools in those places where Farband and the Labor Zionist movement already have centers that can provide the physical facilities and in which there already are afternoon schools. In describing the function of the Institute for Positive Jewish Living, Mr. Katzman made clear that this is in no way intended to “compete” with the synagogue but rather to seek to make Jewishness more meaningful for large numbers of young Jews, whether affiliated with synagogues or not, who have been questioning, “What does it mean to be a Jew today?”