Hebrew School
Hebrew school was considered a necessity by the parents of Beth Israel's children. From the earliest days, teachers were hired to provide Jewish education and training to the young, starting with Meyer Cohen, hired as the first rabbi-teacher in 1909. Other men paid to teach during this period were Mr. Tamares, Mr. Kieurstein and Mr. Rothblatt. In 1914, Rabbi Mersky was hired at $60.00 a month, followed by Mr. Lipschitz, at $83.33. During these years, such men had traditional yeshiva educations they had received in Eastern Europe. Although the men would call themselves "rabbi", their studies did not constitute the professional rabbinical training that was offered at the seminaries in America.
From the mid-1920s to the the mid-1940s, children studied in the synagogue with teachers including Mr. Nate Hendin, Mr. Ogulnick, Rabbi Steindel and Rabbi and Mrs. Klaperman. By the end of this period, the shul facilities were no longer sufficient and classroom space was rented on Montreal Street. A rink was built next to the classroom so the boys could play hockey after cheder. During the 1950s, junior congregations met regularly for Shabbat morning services in the basement of the synagogue on Queen Street. They also held Chanukah parties and staged Purim plays.
Some of the teachers used strict, old-fashioned methods and corporal punishment in an attempt to enforce discipline. One community member recalls having to walk his bicycle home when he was too sore from the thrashing he had received to sit in the saddle and ride. On the other hand, there were exceptional teachers who raised the standards and structured the content of Hebrew and Jewish education. Gertrude Pimontel, the wife of Hillel director Rabbi Abraham Pimontel, taught in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Her pedagogical training helped her to expand the curriculum beyond just learning Hebrew to include the study of Jewish law, grammar, history, holidays and customs. Pimontel was also highly supportive of the girls, believing they should have the right to every bit as much learning as they boys. She even let them tutor the younger boys for their Bar Mitzvahs.
The congregation moved into its new synagogue on Centre Street in 1961. The new building included Hebrew School classrooms, where a curriculum developed by Rabbi Bender was taught. Bender made a point of involving the youth in running synagogue services, where they always sat in the front row. He also helped hire shul member Aaron Goldstein to teach in the Hebrew school, the first but not the last professional educator to teach there. In 1968, Rabbi Judah Mintz was hired to expand the high school program, and his wife Gloria was responsible for introducing a nursery school program.
