Half of Montreal Jewish Children Receive No Jewish Education

The Canadian Jewish Congress today made public a report showing that of all Jewish children of school age in Montreal in 1952, 45.7 percent were receiving some kind of Jewish education. The report estimates that a certain number receive private tuition, bringing the percentage of all Jewish children of school age receiving some form of Jewish education to 52 percent. Of the total, 4.8 percent attended Sunday schools; 48.1 percent supplementary afternoon classes five days a week and 47.1 percent Jewish day schools.

While the percentage of all Jewish children of school age in Montreal receiving Jewish education was 46.7 percent, it was noted that 68.6 percent of Jewish boys of school age and 36.8 percent of Jewish girls of school age were in the group. The total number of Jewish children of school age in Metropolitan Montreal in 1952 was 14,650, of whom 6,625 were receiving some kind of Jewish education.

The educational and cultural committee of the Central Region of the Canadian Jewish Congress circularized communities in Ontario with 20-60 Jewish families with regard to stimulation of activities in the field of adult Jewish education. The committee had established a Congress award presented to the community which distinguished itself most in this area. The competition for 1953 will be limited to 18 communities having 20-60 Jewish families. The facilities existing in these communities are considered to be similar.