Fonds regarding education

Collection description

Collection

Country:: Belgium

Holding institution:: Central Jewish Consistory of Belgium

Holding institution (official language):: Consistoire central israélite de Belgique

Postal address:: Joseph Dupontstraat 2 / Rue Joseph Dupont 2, 1000 Bruxelles

Phone number:: +32 (0)2 512 21 90

Web address:: http://www.jewishcom.be/

Reference number:: CJCons-Brussels-Fonds Enseignement

Title:: Fonds regarding education

Title (official language):: Fonds Enseignement

Creator/accumulator:: Consistoire central israélite de Belgique; Centraal Israëlitisch Consistorie van België

Date(s):: 1904/2007

Extent:: 41 boxes

Scope and content:: This fonds notably contains correspondence addressed to the Chief Rabbi regarding educational matters such as religious introduction courses, conflicts or problems encountered in schools, the association of Jewish students, Jewish youth movements (1932-1939), programs of courses of Jewish religion (1904-1907), etc. We also note correspondence of Chief Rabbi Wiener (1930-1939) with various Jewish student, Zionist and charity associations, not necessarily related to educational questions. The fonds furthermore contains numerous files concerning inspection of courses, scholarships awarded to Jewish students in the immediate post-war years (1946-1950), the Comité des Bourses d’études, the Aide à la Jeunesse, the inquiry on religious education in the provinces (1959), the promotion of religious education (1955-1964), the restructuring of religious courses (1945-1956), school competitions (1979-2011), Jewish religious education in the Dutch-speaking region (1988-1996), Jewish religious education in the French-speaking region, circulars (1984-2009), educational commissions (1979-1998), programs of courses of Jewish religion, etc. as well as documents and personal files regarding candidate teachers of religion, and material concerning the association of Jewish students of Belgium.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Consistoire central israélite de Belgique / Centraal Israëlitisch Consistorie van België (Central Jewish Consistory of Belgium)(CCIB) was created in 1832 by Adolphe Oppenheim, Henri Furth, Sigmund Benda, Adolphe Hauman and Henri Schuster. They were inspired by the similar institution established by Napoleon in the early 19th century. The founders tried to acquire the same benefits that had already been granted to the other recognised denominations for the Jewish religion. As the Jewish contact institution to the Belgian authorities, responsible for the management of the Jewish religion, the CCIB represents Belgian Judaism and embodies the spiritual authority of the religious communities. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the institution tried to be the guarantor of the emancipation and modernisation of the Jewish communities in Belgium, along the lines of the Enlightenment philosophy, which led to friction with the most conservative communities. These communities tried to escape the authority of the CCIB in order to enjoy a greater spiritual independence.

The CCIB was also a meeting place for the different conceptions of Judaism. Key figures were, among others, rabbi Élie-Aristide Astruc, rabbi Armand Bloch, rabbi Ernest Ginsburger and rabbi Robert Dreyfus. Among the presidents of the Consistory we note iconic figures such as Louis Lassen, Joseph Oppenheim and Jacques Wiener in the 19th century, Franz and Paul Philippson, Ernest Wiener, Jean Bloch and Georges Schnek in the 20th century.

The range of functions of the CCIB has greatly expanded since the Second World War. It supports cultural, educational and heritage initiatives. The CCIB has supported the Institut d’Études du Judaïsme Martin Buber in Brussels, the Instituut voor Joodse Studies in Antwerp, the Fondation pour la Mémoire Contemporaine, the Joods Museum voor Deportatie en Verzet in Mechelen; it was at the initiative of the creation of the Jewish Museum of Belgium and the Institut de la Mémoire Audiovisuelle juive. The Consistory publishes the quarterly Nouvelles Consistoriales – Consistoriaal Nieuwsblad, and organises radio and television broadcasts. The institution is involved in the Organe de Consultation entre Chrétiens et Juifs en Belgique. It plays a key role in domains such as inter-religious dialogue, Jewish education, preservation of Jewish cultural heritage, the study of the history of Belgian Judaism, remembrance of the Shoah and the dissemination of Jewish culture. Although the CCIB was liberal from 1832 until 1880, it is currently influenced by Orthodox Judaism and refuses to include the liberal community Beth Hillel. The current president of the Consistory is Professor Baron Julien Klener. He remains the moral authority of Belgian Judaism, its representative and the manager of its communities. (J.-P. Schreiber, Politique et religion. Le Consistoire central israélite de Belgique au XIXe siècle, Bruxelles, éd. de l’Université de Bruxelles, 1995; http://www.jewishcom.be/)

Access points: locations:: Belgium

Access points: persons/families:: Wiener, Joseph

Subject terms:: Aid and relief; Aid and relief--Philanthropy and charity; Children; Correspondence; Education; Education--Schools and universities; Education--Student organisations; Education--Students; Jewish daily life and religious practices; Rabbis; Zionism; Zionism--Zionist youth movements

Access, restrictions:: Consultation requires the authorisation of the president of the Central Jewish Consistory of Belgium.

Finding aids:: There is a summary list.

Yerusha Network member:: State Archives of Belgium

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