Metadata: Kaunas two-class primary Jewish school
Collection
- Country:
- Lithuania
- Holding institution:
- Kaunas Regional State Archives
- Holding institution (official language):
- Kauno Regioninis Valstybės Archyvas
- Postal address:
- Maironio g. 28B, 44249 Kaunas
- Phone number:
- +370 (837) 323 111
- Web address:
- https://www.archyvai.lt/lt/kaa_naujienos.html
- Email:
- kaunas@archyvai.lt
- Reference number:
- I-333
- Title:
- Kaunas two-class primary Jewish school
- Title (official language):
- Kauno 2-jų klasių žydų pradžios mokykla
- Creator/accumulator:
- Kaunas two-class primary Jewish school
- Date(s):
- 1878/1918
- Language:
- Russian
- Extent:
- 25 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection of the Kovno two-class primary Jewish school comprises records that reflect the teaching and educational activities in the school, financial state of the school, and various data on its teachers and pupils. Jewish subjects in the public Jewish primary schools were optional and relegated to the background, taking a quarter to a third of the total number of weekly lessons. According to the 1873 reform, the Kovno I-category Jewish school was transformed into a one-class primary Jewish school in 1878. In 1886 it was transformed into a two-class primary Jewish school of 6 years duration. The collection contains a historical description of the school’s activities since its formation in 1878, and a detailed report on the state of the school, learning environment and the program of teaching in 1912 (inventory 1, file 5). The report shows the curriculum, the conditions in the school, its facilities, data of the medical follow-up and information on the admission of pupils to the school. Data on the school’s classes include the number of pupils, their age and the number of teachers. The curriculum included, for instance, technical drawing, Russian, German and Hebrew languages, Russian history and biblical studies. According to the report in 1888, an additional special craft class was opened at the school with training in metalwork, machining and blacksmithing. In addition to the two main classes in school and the handicraft class, there was also a preparatory class.
The collection contains correspondence from 1913-1918 with the Kovno Department of Schools on the financing of the school, benefits for the pupils, on exemption from tuition fees for some pupils, on teaching and educational work including the request of the school’s board regarding the opening of the electrotechnical class instead of the craft metalwork-machining class (inventory 1, files 7, 15). The collection also includes minutes of meetings of the pedagogical council of the school from 1913-1914 in which various issues related to teaching were discussed, including, a discussion on the choice of a textbook for teaching Russian (inventory 1, file 7). The collection also contains correspondence regarding the closure of the school in 1918. In addition, the collection includes teachers’ personal files, lists of pupils and their certificates, handicraft class book, an inventory of the school, and a general ledger.
- Archival history:
- The collection was transferred to the Central State Archive of Lithuania in Kaunas in the interwar period.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- During the reign of Nicholas I public primary Jewish schools were founded to promote general education and teaching of Jewish subjects according to a specially designed program. In accordance with the law of 1844 the Jewish schools were divided into I-category schools with a two-year course, and II-category schools with a three- or four-year course. However, the majority of the Jewish population, faithful to traditional education, viewed these measures as a type of persecution. The lack of progress of the schools, and the desire of the authorities to push the Jews to general schools led to a reform of the public Jewish schools in 1873. The schools of the II-category were closed, and the remaining I-category schools were divided into 3- and 6-year schools. The schools were headed by Jewish graduates from the teacher training institute.
- Finding aids:
- Detailed inventories are available for free online access on the website of the Lithuanian Chief Archivist Service.
- Links to finding aids:
- https://eais-pub.archyvai.lt/eais/faces/pages/forms/search/F3001.jspx
- Yerusha Network member:
- Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People
- Author of the description:
- Ilya Vovshin, Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, 2019
