St. Paul Education Center Threatened by Fund Shortage

A skeleton plan to solve the financial difficulties and expand the communal activities of the Jewish Educational Center of St. Paul has been drawn up by a committee of seven appointed recently. Lack of funds threatened to close the institution.

A division of functions is suggested which would increase the scope of activities and at the same time aid in securing the revenue necessary to carry on the varius projects as a more integral part of the Jewish community.

The recommendations reflect the advice of nationally known Jewish welfare executives, including Dr. Philip Seaman, head of the Jewish People’s Institute of Chicago, who made a survey of the Jewish institutions and communal needs of St. Paul last September.

The division of functions would place the Jewish Educational Center Association in complete charge of physical properties. The Hebrew School department would become an individual corporation to direct and be responsible for the school activities of the Center and would pay a rental charge. A Center Activities Department would be set up to make possible wider enlistment of support and expansion of the communal phase of the Center’s work.

The committee found that it was not necessary to indicate new phases of activity but rather to suggest an increase in the amount and quality of the work under adequate professional direction.

Budget requirements annually would be $22,640.

In order to raise funds, an appeal to the St. Paul Community fund for aid and plans for a $100 dinner to raise $10,000 as a means of reducing the present $50,000 indebtendess to $40,000, thereby eliminating operating deficits, is suggested.

The committee making the recommendations consisted of Dr. William Ginsberg and Jesse B. Calmenson, appointed by the Center: Allan L. Firestone and Bernard Marx, appointed by the Council of Jewish Social Agencies, and Gustavus Loevinger, Bernard Bechhoefer, and Henry Weiller, the latter three representing the Jewish community.