Guide to the Records of CHOJREV (Centrala Organizacji Zydowsko-Religijnego Szkolnictwa/Central Committee for Religious Education), Vilna RG 49

Title: Guide to the Records of CHOJREV (Centrala Organizacji Zydowsko-Religijnego Szkolnictwa/Central Committee for Religious Education), Vilna RG 49

ID: RG 49 FA

Extent: 1.25 Linear Feet

Arrangement:

Processed by Fruma Mohrer in December 1982.

The collection is divided into 3 series:

Chojrev, or Centrala Organizacji Zydowsko-Religijnego Szkolnictwa (Central Committee for Religious Education), was an educational organization active in Poland from 1924 to c. 1940. Founded at an Agudas Israel conference, Chojrev supported a system of orthodox Jewish boys’ schools. In Central Poland and Galicia, Chojrev maintained elementary schools (khadorim), preparatory yeshivot (yeshivot ketanot) and yeshivot gedolot for older boys. In the five eastern provinces the yeshivot were all under the Vaad Hayeshivot, an affiliated but independent organization. The Chojrev branch of the eastern provinces maintained only khadorim. The records of Chojrev span the period 1924-1930’s. They reflect only the activities of the Vilna branch.

Series I is arranged in Yiddish alphabetical order by name of teacher or job applicant and reflects the activities of Chojrev as a placement center for its own schools.

Series II is arranged in Roman alphabetical order by name of town and reflects the geographical extent of the Chojrev network.

Many letters from towns are written by the local Chojrev school administrators or sometimes by private Chojrev supporters.

Series III includes a folder of printed material, circulars, including some public appeals.

The collection is very fragmentary. There are few financial records and little intra-organizational correspondence. The correspondence, however, does throw light on the existing network of religious schools in the eastern provinces, and on the problems it encountered.

Chojrev was an educational organization active from 1924 to c. 1940. Affiliated with the Agudas Israel in Poland, it maintained a network of orthodox Jewish schools throughout Poland for boys of all ages. The central office in Warsaw was organized at the Second National Agudas Israel Conference in 1924 and was a response to the development of Jewish secular schools, which were viewed as a threat to traditional Jewish orthodox values. Before the founding of Chojrev most religious schools were in private hands and were not organized.

The Chojrev network included 1) preparatory or junior yeshivot 2) yeshivot gedolot, or yeshivot for older boys 3) elementary schools, or khadorim, with secular studies 4) khadorim without secular studies 5) summer camps 6) libraries 7) An Association of Religious Teachers and a teachers’ placement service. As of 1937 Chojrev maintained a total of 580 institutions with 73,311 students of which 150 schools and 18,000 students were located in Vilna. The following table was reproduced from p. 81 of M. Eisenstein’s book Jewish Schools in Poland, 1919-1939.

Source: A.Z. Fridman in the Preface to H. Seidman, Dos Yidishe Religieze Shulvezen in di Ramen fun der Polisher Gezetsgebung (Warsaw, 1937). Specific cities in which large Horev schools were located were Bedzin Boryslaw, Baranowicze, Warsaw (Heder Amud Hatorah, Yessod Hatorah, Talmud Torah, Ahavath Torah, Ohel Yaakov), Zdunska Wola, Czenstochowa, Lublin, Lemberg, Mesericz, Stryj, and Cracow.

The “small” yeshivoth bore the character of preparatory establishments for the “great” yeshivoth. They were the bridge between the hadorim and the “great” yeshivoth.

The Vaad Hayeshivot, a separate organization aiding yeshivot in the five eastern provinces, had financial and ideological ties with Chojrev but was considered an independent office.

The religious curriculum of the Chojrev schools included prayer, the Pentateuch and commentaries, Talmud, Jewish law and Jewish history. In addition, the Hebrew and Yiddish languages were taught. The schools which included secular studies also offered Polish, History, Geography, Natural Science, Mathematics, Drawing, Music (vocal), physical activities. The Warsaw administrative staff included the following members: Rabbi J.M. Biderman, Moshe Lerner, M. Kaminer, A.Z. Fridman, Isaac Rawicz, M. Alter.

Chojrev enjoyed a good relationship with the state partly because it did not embrace any radical political philosophies such as left-wing Zionism or socialism. In the early 1920’s the Aguda introduced a program of secular studies in some schools, which were taught in the Polish language. In 1922 the Ministry of Education granted state-equivalent status to the Aguda schools. In 1932, in response to the Polish government’s new educational requirements the secular studies program was expanded.

Chojrev benefited from its Agudas Israel affiliation and received periodic subsidies from world-wide Agudas Israel collection campaigns, for example, from the Keren Hatora fund. Its other sources of income were membership dues and local fund drives. Dos Wort, the official weekly organ of the Vaad Hayeshivot also served the Chojrev system which had the same educational objectives and served the same circle of people.

As of 1938 the average monthly budget of all Chojrev schools in Central Poland was 105,000 zlotys. In fact, only 75,000 z. were collected. The monthly budget of all Chojrev institutions (which include seminaries, libraries) was 287,000 z. of which 200,000 z. were collected, resulting in a deficit of 87,000. There are no budget figures available for the Vilna branch office. In general, despite energetic collection campaigns Chojrev faced financial problems throughout its existense and suffered from a constant deficit.

The Vilna branch of Chojrev was founded in 1926 at a conference in Vilna with the support of the Chofetz Chaim and Rabbi Chaim Oyzer Grodzienski. The Original Vilna administration included the following: The Chofetz Chaim (honorary president), Rabbi Ch. O. Grodzienski, R. Henoch Eiges, R. Menakhem Krakowski, R. Meyer Karelicz, R. Zalmen Sorotzkin and R. Joseph Shub.

Access Restrictions:

Open to researchers.with the permission of the Chief Archivist and by special appointment.

For more information, contact: Chief Archivist, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011.  email: archives@yivo.cjh.org

Related Materials: Vaad Hayeshivot, Vilna, (RG 25), YIVO Archives.

Preferred Citation: Published citations should read as follows:Identification of item, date (if known); YIVO Archives; Records of the CHOJREV (Centrala Organizacji Zydowsko-Religijnego Szkolnictwa), Vilna; RG 49; folder number.