Guide to the Records of the Yidisher Lerer Fareyn (Yiddish Teachers Union), Vilna 1910-1940

RG 50

Processed by Fruma Mohrer

with the assistance of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

Center for Jewish History

15 West 16th Street

New York, NY 10011

Phone: (212) 246-6080

Fax: (212) 292-1892

Email: archives@yivo.cjh.org

URL: http://www.yivoinstitute.org

© 2006 YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. All rights reserved.

Center for Jewish History, Publisher.

Electronic finding aid was converted to EAD version 2002 by Yakov Sklyar in September 2006. Description is in English.

Historical Note

The Yidisher lerer farayn (Yiddish Teachers’ Union) was a professional organization active in Vilna from 1915 to c. 1940. It worked for the interests of teachers of Yiddish secular schools and was closely affiliated with the TSYSHO and the TSBK in Vilna. At some point in its history, teachers of other types of schools also became members. For example, by 1925 the YTU represented the interests of the Tarbut Hebrew Teachers’ Seminary. There are visible signs of cooperation between the Yiddish and Hebrew Teachers’ Union in the form of joint meetings. In addition, religious schools, such as Toras Emes or Ezra, are among those contributing membership dues.

Founded in September 1915 after the Russians’ departure from Vilna, the YTU’s original purpose was both political and practical. Its early by-laws recognize the socialist principle of class struggle and uphold the secular Yiddish school system and the policy of Yiddish as the language of instruction. In practical terms the YTU was a union of teachers, which met regularly to protect and improve the working conditions of teachers as well as upgrade the general welfare of students and teachers in the schools. It established uniform salary scales throughout the Vilna region and lobbied actively for higher salaries, both at the Vilna Kehilla Education Department and at the TSBK central office. It led several teachers’ strike against the Vilna Kehilla in the late ‘20’s and in the ‘30’s, forming a special strike committee, which supervised daily strike activities.

The YTU ran a placement service for teachers seeking positions in Yiddish schools. It maintained special funds, such as a sick fund and distributed clothes and money regularly to needy teachers. It adjudicated in teacher administration conflicts. In the educational field, the YTU had some control of curriculum in the Vilna region and published a program of geography and science. In 1916-1917 the YTU gave courses in which 50 teachers participated. Committees were appointed to work out Yiddish terminologies of arithmetic, geometry and geography. A YTU library was set up and the budget provided for library upkeep and improvement.

On the community level the YTU assumed an interest in cultural, educational activities as well as in relief work. For example, when a YTU investigation of living conditions in a Vilna children’s home revealed that the home was in a deplorable state, the OSE was requested to step in and provide relief. The YTU participated in cultural events such as the city-wide commemoration of Y.L. Peretz, and sent representatives to these events.

YTU income was based on subsidies, from the Vilna Kehilla, TSBK, donations from abroad, and most importantly, on membership dues sent in regularly by schools. Expenses were to pay for general maintenance costs, publicity, aid activities such as the sick fund, loans to needy teachers, cultural activities, publications and the library.

Members of the executive board included G. Pludermacher, B. Silberbein, Sh. Bostomski, Halpern, Reines, Shur, Gurwicz, Lubocki. Members of the Hebrew Teachers’ Union, which may have merged with the YTU at a later date included Senitsky, Yeveliovitch, Tsemel, Olnitsky.

Scope and Content Note

Series I includes a comprehensive file on individual Yiddish teachers in Vilna. It provides a view of the type of problems encountered on a daily basis by the union offices. These problems include job placement, salary certificates and other personal documents. The file is arranged in Yiddish alphabetical order by name of teacher.

Series II includes correspondence with organizations such as the Tsentraler Bildungs Komitet, ISHO, TSYSHO, Vilna Kehilla; a correspondence file with various organizations arranged in Yiddish-alphabetical order by name of school, organization or place-name; a correspondence file arranged chronologically only, because of the absence of organization name, place-name or name of school; and finally, a file on the teachers’ strike of 1929.All the correspondence files are fragmentary but provide a fairly clear representation of the range of contacts and activities exercised by the Union.

Series III includes various types of records.

a)Teachers’ applications arranged in alphabetical order by teachers’ name. The applications include statistical information on the teachers’ background, Education, family status.

b) Contribution lists from individual schools in alphabetical order, including lists of membership dues paid by each school periodically. Some religious schools in Vilna are among the contributors.

c) Minutes of YTU executive board, 1921-1933, as well as resolutions and reports relating to general issues. These minutes are rich in information and reflect all of the YTU’s range of activities.

d) Financial records which include bookkeeping records, 1923-1934.

e) Miscellaneous administrative records: YTU library records; printed materials;clippings, mainly relating to the teacher’s strike; miscellaneous materials on the Hebrew Teacher’s Union.

All of these are very fragmentary.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into the following 3 series:

• Series I: Correspondence with Teachers, 1910-1940
• Series II: Correspondence with Organizations, 1916-1938
• Series III: General Administrative Records, 1917-1939

Restrictions

Open to researchers.

For more information, contact:
Chief Archivist
YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
email: archives@yivo.cjh.org

Custodial History

Originally in the Pedagogical Museum of the YIVO Archives in Vilna. During the Nazi occupation of Vilna, in 1942, the records were looted by the Einsatzstab Rosenberg and sent to the NSDAP Institute Zur Erforschung der Judenfrage in Frankfurt-am-Main. In 1945 they were recovered by the U.S. army and returned to the YIVO in New York, via the U.S. army archival depot in Offenbach. The records arrived in New York in 1947.

Preferred Citation

Published citations should read as follows:

Identification of item, date (if known); YIVO Archives; Yiddish Teacher's Union; RG 50; folder number.

Container List