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Well argued monograph explaining why Jewish parents should send their children to yehsivot. The booklet was issued to counter the growing anti-yeshiva incitement of the Reform and Conservative movement. It begins by stating that one of American Jewry’s greatest contributions to the advancement both of Judaism and of true Americanism is the so-called Jewish parochial school. At the same time, it notes that such schools are an institution that can trace its origin to Ezra and the Men of the Great Assembly. The monograph not only presents the case for a yeshiva education, noting its many advantages, but also addresses misconceptions many Jews have about the role of the yeshiva in this continent. Selig provides a positive quote from Dr. Wade, a superintendent of schools in New York, as to how studious and ascetic are children from parochial schools who are transferred to public schools.
Union of Orthodox Jewish congregations (UOJCA), commonly referred to as the OU, largest organization of Orthodox synagogues in the U.S. Founded in 1898, the UOJCA was originally oriented toward the few English-speaking, rather than Yiddish-speaking, congregations. The call for establishing the organization was sent from the address of the Jewish Theological Seminary, and a few early UOJCA leaders, such as Henry Pereira Mendes , were also identified with that institution. The UOJCA remained a small group until about 1950, and its status rested more on the reputation of its presidents, men such as Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein , than on the activities or the number of its affiliates. Since then it has experienced tremendous growth and in 2005 claimed nearly 1,000 affiliated synagogues.
Aside from programming geared towards its constituent synagogues, the UOJCA seeks to promote its perspective and values through its Institute for Public affairs in Washington, headed by the UOJCA director for public policy, Nathan J. Diament. The National Council of Synagogue Youth (NCSY), a division of the UOJCA, has a cadre of 850 volunteers and reaches unaffiliated youth who do not attend Jewish day schools. Yachad, the National Council for Jewish Disabilities, also a division of the UOJCA provides mainstream programming for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
In addition to their offices in New York and Los Angeles, which employ over 200 people, the UOJCA also maintains an office in Jerusalem, which aims to bring secular Israelis closer to Orthodox Jewish observance through adult education programs and summer camps across 25 Israeli cities and towns. The UOJCA also services Orthodox college students through their Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, which deploys rabbinic couples to serve as Torah leaders and mentors on college campuses. Additionally, the UOJCA sponsors the Sha'alavim High School in Kharakov, Ukraine, and produces a quarterly magazine called Jewish Action. |
