Records of the Jewish Education Committee

The Jewish Education Committee (JEC) was organized in June 1939 in order to coordinate a wide variety of administrative, educational and financial services provided to the various Jewish school systems in New York. The original support came from a $1,000,000 donation by the Michael Friedsam Foundation for Jewish Education in New York City. The Federation of Jewish Philanthropies also turned over to the JEC the administration of funds previously granted directly to individual Jewish educational institutions, such as Talmud Torahs. Two predecessor organizations, the Jewish Education Association and the Bureau of Jewish Education, merged with the JEC soon after its founding. The JEC helped to recruit children for Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and Yiddish secular schools, educated Jewish teachers and staff members in Jewish educational facilities, created programming and maintained a library of educational reference materials for Jewish schools, helped fund Jewish schools through grants and scholarships, and helped children be able to afford tuition for schools. It also aimed to inform the Jewish parent about the status of Jewish education in New York City and to encourage them to get involved to better the school systems and to increase enrollment.

The eight departments of the JEC offered financial aid to individual schools; provided consultant services; helped to develop curricula, including experimental educational activities; provided aid and education to Jewish teachers; put out publications, including World Over, a children’s magazine that helped explain world events and how they affected the Jewish Community as well as a Hebrew magazine and textbooks, song books, and arts and crafts guides; oversaw youth education; compiled statistics and research; aided community relations; and maintained teacher services such as teacher’s group insurance. The JEC also maintained the Board of License for Hebrew Teachers, as well as teachers’ training institutions and the Hebrew Teachers Union. The JEC Department of Statistics published studies in the field of Jewish education. A committee of laymen assumed responsibility for the continuous functioning of the organization. Administrative responsibilities were delegated to professionals headed by an Executive Director and a staff of consultants, field workers and clerks. Executive Directors during the period 1939-1969 included: Dr. Alexander Dushkin, Dr. Israel Chipkin, and Dr. Azriel Eisenberg. In 1970 the Jewish Education Committee changed its name to its current name, The Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York.