Activities of The Study Institute For Jewish Adult Education: New Paths for the Mannheim Study Institute
Source: Israelitisches Gemeindeblatt Mannheim, July 28, 1933.
The Study Institute (Lehrhaus) in our community has become an important centre of Jewish intellectual life in Mannheim since its establishment, and has thus preserved its original purpose. Creative forces have found here the proper soil for their development, whether the occasion is a commemorative meeting with its effect of Jewish self-renewal, the discussion of more or less urgent problems, or even new artistic interpretations of ancient religious celebrations. For those with an acute ear, the Study Institute has always served as an indicator of the Jewish intellectual's spiritual problems... Great masses of people, who formerly stood apart from whatever the Study Institute had to offer, now crowd into its premises. Our previous efforts to provide for the needs of the hour now face entirely new tasks. The German Jew of the present day faces difficulties, which direct his attention away from his current circumscribed position and far beyond his former sphere of activity. The well-known need for new occupations demands more varied qualifications than before. It is plainer than ever that one necessary requirement among adults is the knowledge of foreign languages. The Study Institute has always been a place for Jewish adult education, and it must now make itself available for the demands of occupational changes and ΓÇ£re-education.ΓÇ¥ We accept this as a fruitful development of our original aim...
