Boston YMHA Hecht House

              0
X*
JENISii ACTIVITIES Page 389
_^	
1, An analysis of the present membership of Heoht House reveals
that there are only 16 male and 9 female non-Jews in the membership, or a
total of 25, This lends added weight to the recommendation that a positive
Jewish philosophy be adopted by the Heoht House to permeate the entire
program, Early inl940, the Heoht House staff, in oooperat on with other
Boston settlements, formulated a statement of functions* Among the policies
presented by Hooht Houso was the following! "To provide opportunities to
members to know and appreciate their cultural and iiiatoricol baokgrou- d, to
know the contemporary problems of their groups, to understand the place of
all minority groupa in a democraoy, and if mem'oers of a minority group, to
adjust themselves to a cultural pluralism* Means— Jewish education, plays,
disoussion, living newspapers, Heoht Mouse Community Fund*" This stateme t
of philosophy was submitted to Dr, Selekman, direotor of the Associated
Jewiah Philanthropies, and to Mr, Josolowitz, field seoretary of the New
England Associated TM & Y__As, The following comments were made By these
peoples
"In your statement of purpose you omit any reference to Jewish
objectives — the survival of Jewish life as an integral part of
the American patterns and the perpetuation of Jewish oulture as
a seotion of the American symphony) although you mention Jewish
education and a Jewiah educational worker in later pages. I oan
understand that the emission was perhaps persoribed by the type
of group for whioh the document was written. However, I believe
it ie in our beat Interests and to our credit to inolude our
identity as an a -enoy of Jewish values as well a. American ln
any interpretation of purpoae," - - - - S, Josolowits
"It ia a good statement for a typical non-Jewish settlement house.
It embodies the principles of modern group work,
" I cannot help but think, however, that the fooua of the Heoht Neighborhood House as a Jewish center ought to be different from
that of the usual settlement house, I think that the matter that
you disouss in #3b should be taken out of ita mir.or poaition and
nade the p int of departure for the program formulated for Heoht
House. It. other words, while the prinoiples of good group and
oent r work should be f llowed, the focus and implenentati n should
be from tho point of view of tho needs of the Jewish group,"
a - - - B, Selekman
—aphasia of the need for Jewish tSaining ia also afforded by a study
of Jewish oduoation made in 1930 whioh revealed that only Ak%  of Jewish youth,
age 15 to 19, were reoeiving any Jewish training, Th s situation prevails
in most communities and emphasises the need for informal Jewish training
through a Jewish Center program.
The annusl report of the exeoutive direotor of Heoht House for the
year 1939-1940, stresses the positive values of Jev/ish training. There is
definite evidence in examining the minutes of the Board of Trustees and the
annual reports that Heoht House has been making a gradual transition from a
positi n of neutrality to one of a fairly positive interest in Jewish values,
2* in formulating a Jewish program, the following factors should be
taken into considerations
a. The program should aim at reaching all a a  troupe.