Jewish Educational Service of North America records, 1922-1999 (bulk 1940-1987)

The Jewish Education Service of North America (JESNA), formerly known as the American Association for Jewish Education, was founded in 1939. The Association promotes and supports Jewish education in communities throughout the United States and Canada by supplying studies of Jewish education, developing supplementary educational materials, and collaborating with Jewish organizations. This collection primarily contains the results of surveys and consequent reports, in addition to some correspondence, meeting minutes, and newsletters of the administration. Somewhat unrelated, the Jewish Media Services's files on films and filmmakers make up the last series of this collection, as JESNA took over some of the responsibilities of this organization in the early 1990s. ; Gift of the American Association for Jewish Education (name changed to JESNA in 1981). ; The Jewish Education Service of North America (JESNA) was founded in New York City, where it still resides today, on May 7, 1939 as the American Association for Jewish Education (AAJE). Its establishing mission was “to advance the cause of Jewish Education in the United States through cooperative efforts.” The collection of data on Jewish education began in 1945 with the establishment of the Department of Research. Under the tutelage of the new department, school censuses were carried out almost annually. The studies’ findings were published at least in part in the American Jewish Yearbook from 1945 to 1980. In 1959 AAJE released the results of its first major national study of Jewish education. Numerous community studies were continuously conducted, but the next national study was released not until 1964, this time focusing on adult Jewish education. This second study was prompted by the rise in adult Jewish education following World War II, and led AAJE to establish the first national conference on adult Jewish education in February of 1965. ; Furthermore, the after-effects of WWII affected not only the focus of AAJE’s research but also its overall mission. In its ...