Adult Jewish education programs have become “more purposeful, organized, structural and systematic,” during the past 20 years, it was reported today at the First National Conference on Adult Jewish education attended by more than 300 delegates from 17 national Jewish organizations in 35 cities.
Prof. Oscar Janowsky, chairman of graduate studies at the Department of History at City College of New York, who presented the report, also emphasized that adult Jewish education is now considered an important field in Jewish education. He made his observations on the basis of a national study which he conducted on this subject. Nine national Jewish organizations participated in the study which was prepared by the American Association for Jewish Education, sponsor of the conference.
Prof. Janowsky reported that the participating nine organizations found that they spend more than $250,000 annually in supervising their adult education activities. He added that it was estimated that “the total amount expended on adult Jewish education in the United States is approximately $3,000,000 annually.” While noting the positive achievements in the past 20 years, Prof. Janowsky said that the survey also established the following facts:
1. There is at present a continuing lack of qualified leadership personnel.
2. The Rabbi is a key figure in most adult education activities.
3. While the lecture and forum techniques are most frequently used, there is not much enthusiasm for their effectiveness.
4. Local institutions are not adequately aware of the quantities of materials being produced by National agencies.
5. There is insufficient clarity as to the goals of adult Jewish education.
6. There is no reliable system for evaluating adult education programs.
7. Central communal agencies such as Federations and Jewish Education Bureaus are insufficiently concerned with this area of activities.
Dr. Janowsky told the conference that he did not share completely the sentiments of those who feel that the climate for adult Jewish education in this country was favorable. He declared he sensed an apathy in the adult community and cited the small number of serious formal adult Jewish education groups as an indication of such apathy.
He added that the trend toward more such education would grow because “leisure time is plentiful and hangs heavy on the middle class Jewish community.” The field of adult Jewish education is not only expanding, he reported, but it is also becoming professionalized “and this tendency will undoubtedly influence the Jewish community.” Growing Jewish identification will also attract men and women to this activity, he predicted
He reported that in addition to the nine national organizations queried in the survey, 55 Jewish federations, 23 bureaus of Jewish education and more than 100 of the largest congregations participated. Lewis Weinstein, Jewish communal leader, presented a layman’s view of the field and a group of professional educators took part in a panel discussion.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
