EXHIBIT OF THE MONTH

Advertisement ‘Knowledge is power!’, in Yiddish and Polish,

Vilnius, 1927, Acc. No. VŽM 1273

 

There were several Jewish educational networks that operated in Vilnius during the interwar period. One of them was the Central Education Committee (Tsentraler bildungs komitet — TSBK in Yiddish), founded in 1919. Famous figures of Jewish culture became members of the first committee, such as S. An-sky (real name Shloyme Rapoport), Sofia Gurevitch, Max Vainraich, Tzemach Shabad, Shmuel Niger, Zalman Reyzen and others. In 1921, TSBK became part of the central Jewish school organization of the leftist Yiddish community of the interwar Poland (Tsentrale yidishe shul organizatsye — TSYSHO). The TSBK Statute defined the most important goals, such as expanding the network of secular schools in Yiddish, training teachers, and creating auxiliary institutions to educate young people intellectually and ideologically. TSBK had taken the lead in secular education in Yiddish in response to the developments in education in foreign languages. The committee managed kindergartens, schools, and gymnasium. The TSBK education authorities taught children and adults new social behaviours. A new type of communication and social relations had been introduced into everyday practice. The committee published textbooks, maps, magazines and pedagogical books in Yiddish for youth and adults.

                     

The exhibited poster of the TSBK education network in Yiddish and Polish invites young people working in Vilnius to get educated:

 

‘For young labourers and merchants!

Fight illiteracy in your ranks!

Sign up with the evening school of I. L. Peretz (Bazilijonų St. 4).

The studies will start on Tuesday, 6 September 1927.

TSBK’