A movement to introduce the teaching of the Yiddish language as part of the curricula of American schools was launched at a preliminary conference of representatives of various organizations, held Tuesday evening, at the center of the Yiddish Culture Society.
A committee was elected whose function it will be to draw into the movement a number of other organizations in order to prepare detailed plans for a larger conference to be called in the near future. The committee consists of Joel Entin, M. Earl, R. Kenjersky, P. Dingol, Ephraim Auerbach and J. Mendelsohn.
Jacob Levine, the chairman, reviewed the activities of the movement up to the present. He expressed the opinion that the movement limit itself for the present to demanding the introduction of Yiddish instruction only in the high schools.
The same view was also expressed by Judah A. Jaffe, who reported on an investigation he conducted with respect to the high schools where Hebrew is being taught.
Mr. Jaffe declared that the experiment with Hebrew will help in this work of introducing Yiddish. Great changes took place in the American educational world with respect to the minority peoples and their languages, Mr. Jaffe said. He also quoted from a book which appeared in England, “The Teaching of English in England,” in which the encouragement of the various dialects of the country was urged. Mr. Jaffe therefore drew the conclusion that the time is ripe in the English world for the introduction of all languages, including Yiddish.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
