Children sitting at desks in a classroom. A line of children stands at the back of the class with chalk poised in hands, ready to write on the chalkboard. Mr. Elijah Avin was engaged as principal in 1911: he can be seen at the back of the room. The Minneapolis Talmud Torah was located on 818 Bassett Place in North Minneapolis at the time this photograph was taken.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A view of the front exterior of the Capitol City Hebrew School which was one of the two earliest schools in St. Paul where Jewish children could learn Hebrew. It was located at 137 College Avenue in Saint Paul.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Children gathered outside of the Capitol City Hebrew School, with the school entrance in the background. Capitol City Hebrew Free School was one of two schools in St. Paul where Jewish children could learn Hebrew. It was originally affiliated with the Sons of Jacob congregation, but by the time this building was built in 1912, enrollment was no longer restricted to Sons of Jacob families.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The children in the photograph are dressed up to represent the Royal Court at the St. Paul Winter Carnival. The photograph was taken in the basement of the George Kaplan Hebrew Seminary building at 1464 Summit Avenue in St. Paul.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
As part of Sunday School instruction, very young children are taught about and practice the words to the Shabbat blessings over a cup of wine and bread. This group of children were in Bernice Cowl Gordon's class. Left to right: Howard Goldberg, Gerald and Merle Rosenzweig and John Have.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Photograph of students seated on a stage at North High School, for the commencement ceremony of the Talmud Torah class. The picture was taken in the auditorium at Minneapolis North High school where many, if not most, of the Talmud Torah students went to high school. The high school was half empty on Jewish holidays, and students were not marked absent on those days, even though Jewish holidays were not public holidays on the school calendar.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Kids from the J. E. C. looked on along with neighborhood kids as participants leapt, threw and ran during sports contests staged at Center Days. The J. E. C. was administered in three parts: one administrative group owned and operated the building; one oversaw the Hebrew School, and one took charge of the community activities program.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
By 1924, when this photograph was taken, the Talmud Torah had moved to a new building space. The old building remained a community center, but the Hebrew school moved to the Emanuel Cohen Center. The school was also gaining national recognition at that time as a place of innovative teaching methods and rigorous curriculum. The Elementary Level lasted for 5 years and was the first level of Hebrew instruction.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A photograph of the graduating pre-Kindergarten class standing in caps and gowns in front of the Emanuel Cohen Center. There was a comprehensive curriculum for Jewish children at the Emmanuel Cohen Center.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The children in the picture are displaying their hobbies. Many of the children in the Jewish neighborhood on Minneapolis's North Side attended John Hay Elementary School. The school was located at Penn Avenue North and 10th Avenue North; it closed in 2003 as North Side school enrollments declined.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A class picture of the pre-school students and teachers at George Kaplan Hebrew Seminary. The Seminary was founded in 1944 in St. Paul as a branch of the Hebrew Institute. It was intended to meet the needs of Conservative families on the West Side of St. Paul.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Portrait photograph showing the young men and women of the graduating class from the Saint Paul Talmud Torah. Max Gordon, the director of the Talmud Torah, is seated at the center of the front row.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
The George Kaplan Hebrew Seminary was founded in 1944 in St. Paul as a branch of the Hebrew Institute. It was intended to meet the needs of Conservative families on the West Side of St. Paul. The school building was located on Summit Avenue in St. Paul.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A photograph showing members of the graduating class in caps and gowns. St. Paul differed from Minneapolis in that it supported two Hebrew schools rather than one centralized school. The Hebrew Institute and the Capitol City Hebrew School maintained their affiliations with founding synagogues: consequently, enrollments for the schools was smaller and funding for the schools was less robust than in Minneapolis. In 1956, Capitol City Hebrew School and the Hebrew Institute merged to become the St. Paul Talmud Torah.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
"Lammie" high school sorority girls planning for a Halloween party. Jewish high school girls formed their own sororities in the public schools, like North High, where they could plan social activities and take part in service projects.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Rabbi Yosi Gordon (1944 - ) worked as Associate and Acting Principal of the Los Angeles Hebrew High School. In 1978 he came to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he directed the Talmud Torah for 12 years and helped open the Talmud Torah Day School, where he taught for many years. He taught courses in Jewish studies and literature at the University of Minnesota, St. Olaf College and Hamline University. In this interview, Rabbi Gordon discusses the recent history of Jewish education initiatives in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. This interview was conducted by Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest volunteer Harriet Kohen in effort to document the stories of Jewish immigration to and community leaders in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Exterior view of the Jewish Educational Center in Saint Paul. The Capitol City Hebrew Free School moved to the St. Paul Educational Center/J. C. C. in the 1930s.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Women's auxiliaries always played the key role in planning and staffing fundraising events. This publicity photograph shows many of the St. Paul women who had ongoing involvement supporting the J. E. C. programming.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
Members of the safety patrol stand arranged in two rows and holding signs. John Hay School was one of two elementary schools on the North Side of Minneapolis that had a substantial Jewish population (the other was Willard School).
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
A group of children pose outside wearing handmade costumes. For families that were not able or didn't choose to send their kids to camp outside of the city, the J. A. C. C. provided Stay At Home Camp during summer months at the J. E. C.
Contributing Institution:
University of Minnesota Libraries, Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives
