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THE JEWISH CRITERION THE JEWISH CRITERION eluded Rabbi Sivitz as principal, of them products of the ola M. Levitsky, president, and Ged- world system of imparting alia Gudinsky, vice-president. knowledge. Even the most rudi- They were ably assisted by a mentary principles of pedagogy board of directors who com- were unknown to them. Many prised the leading Jews of the an elder of today might recall Organized Nearly Forty Years Ago by Rabbi M. S. SMtz, Institution community. As was to be ex- the sing-song drill he went Has Notable Record in Providing Religious Instruction for pected the Talmud Torah began through and the eagle-eyed mal- amud with his ever-ready leath- thousands ofChildien to draw many children from the private chadorem and the mal- ern tfiong to pounce upon the umdem in turn were brought laggard and the mischief maker. By JOSEPH M. KELSKAY into the fold of the teaching Now with suitable quarters Secretary, Pittsburgh Hebrew School staff. Among the teachers, old- provided, an efficient teaching timers recall are S. Gulande, M. corps, and a rapidly increasing Broida, D. Blumenthal, and Reu- There are no reliable records private teachers or the malamud Jewish population sending in would visit their homes a few ben Rabinovitz. Mr. Gulande pupils, prospects appeared aus- -f the existence of a Talmud has taught at the Talmud Torah" picious and promising at least 'lorah in Pittsburgh previous to hours a week. Many are the from its inception to the present IXSO, although there were a few tales recounted of the sternness for the immediate future. Early of discipline that characterized day and is one of its efficient in 1888, however, clouds began Buttered teachers who held teachers. Mr. Broida is at pres- to gather which foreboded i heir chadorem in their homes. the methods of imparting knowl- ent located in Baltimore. It lias been ascertained that the edge by the malumden of the trouble ahead and threatened to days gone by. As mentioned above, the cen- undo all the labor that energy first attempt towards establish- and perseverance wrought in the in^ a Hebrew school occurred in From the beginning Rabbi ter of the Jewish population in the 80's was around the vicinity past three years. A critical 1X85. In that year a young Sivitz gained the affection of his period in the early life of the rnbbi was called here from Balti- congregation and of the Jews in of the Court House, and thus it was necessary to seek quarters Talmud Torah was at hand, but more to take charge of the general. Recognized as a bril- out of the situation a policy was Shara Torah Congregation and liant scholar, he was also an ard- (.for the school within that area. /Three rooms in a modest little necessitated that has been in- his influence and endeavors were ent worker for the cause of corporated to the present day. destined to play an important orthodox Judaism. It is related (^ frame building on Wylie Avenue, part in the progress of orthodox that when he came here lie im- near Tunnel Street, were leased. Just at this time the country Judaism in Pittsburgh. mediately concentrated his ef- This building has long since was experiencing one of its oft- passed out of existence and had recurring panics. Immigrants, This promising young commu- forts towards organizing the few drifting activities pertain- made way for the present struc- however, were pouring into the nal loader was Kabbi M. S. ture of the old power house, city in steady numbers and Sivitz, and he had been in Amer- ing to Jewish welfare work. He realized his task lay not so much which is used now for other nearly all of them came with ira but two years, coming to purposes. The rooms were com- little or no means. Neverthe- this land of opportunity after a in keeping the older generation from drifting away from Jewish fortably large and long benches less, their love for religious in- ideals. Most of them, in fact, were arranged across each room struction for their children was had left their Old World cities with equally long but narrow not dimmed. Very soon the Tal- and villages already imbued with tables to serve as desks. mud Torah was faced with the the spirit and tradition of ortho- The original enrollment num- problem of not only caring for dox Judaism. But it was the bered about 100 pupils and in the children of the impoverished welfare of the youth that gave many instances three or four strangers,- but the prevailing him no little concern during children of a family attended. economic conditions were gradu- the first year of his advent Most of the youths were chil- ally cutting off its sole means of here. God granting him health dren of well-to-do parents and support. Parents who hereto- and strength, Rabbi Sivitz wafl hence for the time being their fore contributed well for their cognizant of the fact that his tuition fees enabled the school children's instruction reduced future responsibility for the to meet the necessary expenses their allowances, while most of perpetuation of our holy faith of rent, light, heat, and the sal- them paid a nominal sum or would have to be shared with aries for teachers. Ten dollars nothing. The old saying that many of the then young genera- a week was then considered good when a family is in a pinch the tion. remuneration for a teacher. He sum allowed for the children's Accordingly, summoning a had to seek little odd and end religious instruction is usually handful of earnest and enthusi- employment in other directions the first item in the family bud- astic men, late in the year of when "not teaching to sustain get to be curtailed, seemed to be 1885 he discussed with them the hinvand his family. applicable at that time. dire consequences that would be- """"The school hours were usually Consequently the Talmud fall future orthodox Judaism lo- from 4 P. M. to 7 P. M. and dur- Torah found itself in a precari- cally should the disorganized and ing the summer months, when ous financial condition and Rabbi Rabbi M. S. Sivit* chaotic conditions be permitted the public schools were closed, Sivitz and a few of his faithful lirillinnt Yeshiva career in Lith- to continue. He proposed the sessions also were held in the friends were forced to seek uania. alternative in the way of a morning. Therefore, it is obvi- other quarters for the school. A In those days the Jews in movement to organize and es- ous that much time could be de- few rooms were secured in a Pittsburgh were comparatively tablish a community school. voted to teaching and the pupils building located on Fifth Avenue !>\ in number, most of them From this little meeting of the applied themselves to their les- near Chatham Street and an rabbi and a select group of his sons i with little else to divert effort was made to hold all the ^ttled within the confines of their attention, in contrast with five or six blocks from the pre- friends and co-workers originat- classes there. But the rooms i-nt site of the Court House. ed .the idea of establishing a the conditions that beset the proved too small for the comfort While there were then a few Talmud Torah. The proposal youth of today. Moreover, the of the growing school which at dablished places of worship met with instantaneous favor subjects then taught embraced a this period numbered over 200 from all classes of Jews. The wide scope, beginning with the children. The situation Deemed in satisfy the spiritual needs of greatly relieved by renting- r.ddi- i he elder members of the com- well-to-do and the poor, those alphabet, followed by intermedi- munity, the youth in general who were concerned in affairs ate branches of learning like tional quarters in a building on •vas neglected as regards relig- Jewish and those who were more Sidur translations and the study Washington Street, above Wylie ions instruction. Those who or less apathetic, all joined in of the Pentateuch and Gomorah Avenue. Thus it can be seen •A-ere desirous to imbibe Jewish the work to make the first Tal- instruction for those able and that while the Talmud Torah l"iT, elementary or otherwise, mud Torah in Pittsburgh a liv- diligent enough to pursue it. All was becoming an important func- -lid so in a haphazard manner ing institution. It was an epoch- pupils were taught writing. , tion in the community, it lacked 'mdev the guidance of a pat- marking event in the religious The teachers were usually well the necessary means and con- riarch or some other elder in the life of local orthodox Judaism. versed in a long range of He- veniences to adequately care fc family. Others willingly or A temporary organization was braic learning and a few of them its growing needs. Hi rough persuasion were sent to immediately effected, which in- scholars of high ability and all At this time a change in THE JEWISH CRITERION administration also occurred. necessity for a building that " strictly to the teachings and tra- in charge of the out-of-town coV h Rabbi Sivitz remained as princi- Talmud Torah could call its 01 ditions of tbe orthodox faith, it lections. pal. Ezekiel Stein and Samuel he obtained ready response £ has nevertheless kept pace with Twelve years ago the Daugh- Cooper became president and co-operation. the advanced methods of admin- ters of Jacob auxiliary was or* vice-president, respectively, un- The movement for the estj istration and instruction.

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