From cheder to jeshiva in Polish diaspora... – two-degree system of jewish religious schools and its contemporary transformations

Abstract

This paper shortly summerizes the history of jewish religious education in Poland   – from the beginning in the XV century on the Polish lands, its growth during the XIX   period, its domination between First and Second World War and finally total destruction   in 1968. It took 28 years before it was possible to open a Jewish secular elementary school   in Warsaw (1996), thanks to the assistance from the Ronald Lauder Foundation. Four   years later, on initiative of Jews in Wrocław the Lauder Etz-Chaim elementary school was   founded in this city. Democratization of social life in Poland after 1989 contributed to the   change in Jews attitudes to their national descent. For many, their ‘Jewishness’, which   now can be spoken about openly, has become the object of profound interest, intellectual   search or the way to stress one’s individuality. As a result, we can also observe the process   of rebuilding Jewish religious life and forming sunday’s schools, cheders and “Talmud   academies” at Jewish Community in Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz, Gdansk and Wrocław (rather   as a part of informal education, non- orthodox, more or less religious and adapted to   modern jewish life-style in European diaspora).