Report on the Formal Education Institutions in the Small Jewish Communities in Europe as of 2006
Source: Program Of Judaism Of The Alliance European Department (J.A.D.E.)
The study covers formal Jewish education in the small Jewish communities in Western, Central and Eastern Europe (not including France, the United Kingdom and the FSU). The study is based on a questionnaire provided to each Jewish school and auxiliary data.
The study indicates that over 13,000 students attended Jewish schools in Europe in small communities in Europe in 2006, the majority of them in Belgium, Germany and Italy (52%). However, not all the students in the schools are Jewish. At times the percentage of Jewish students in a school does not exceed 30%.
The number of Jewish schools has been rising since the 1950's after the World War. The rise has peaked since the fall of communism. For example, about 20 schools of the Lauder Network have been established in Central Europe.
There are about 560 Jewish subject instructors in the Jewish schools among them 35.5% are Israelis who for the most part are not shlichim (emissaries) but emigrants. A large part of these teachers were not trained for teaching.
Eighty five percent of the principals of Jewish schools have been appointed since 1997. Forty seven school principals have been hired since 2000, sixteen of them in 2005-6. The new appointees are usually young although most of them have no specific training in the field.
The study concludes that the growing number of Jewish schools and students will require the training of professional teachers and the development of appropriate syllabi. It is also recommended to create frameworks to bring the school principals together to further their professional development and support.
Reviewed by JTEC Portal Team