Religious Education: Conflicting Educational Views within the Jewish Community

Jewish education was an arena of conflict – a conflict between orthodox Jewish immigrants and the host community, but also among anglicized Jews of differing levels of observance. Drawing on organizational reports and the press, this chapter considers the evolution of religious practice and explores the ways established Jews used religious education to promote anglicized Judaism. Initially committed to minimizing religious distinctiveness, by the first decade of the twentieth century concerns about inadequate knowledge and observance brought a new urgency to Jewish education.