Reform-sponsored Jewish Communal Service School Has Alumni Group

An alumni association of the first graduates of the Hebrew Union College school of Jewish communal service has been formed by 12 communal workers from the United States and Canada who have completed the required attendance of the new school’s first two summer sessions here. Edward Rosenthal, community relations associate of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, is the first alumni president, according to Prof. Gerald Bubis, director of the school. The alumni group voted to set up a $1,200 scholarship at the school, which is scheduled to open for its third eight-week session July 5 on the campus of the HUC here. Prof. Bubis said most of the students are already active in Jewish communal work but that they enroll both on their own and with the aid of scholarships to learn more about Judaism. The curriculum, he said, is based on the premise that Jewish communal work professionals can function more effectively if they know about the sociology and psychology of the Jews and are familiar with Jewish cultural, historical and traditional uniqueness. He said the alumni group also is planning a publication, “Responsa,” to discuss Jewish issues of communal workers and those they serve.