Reflecting on Judaism

On 10th February 1969 the Headmaster reported that 249 children had been accepted for the new school and that there were still further prospective pupils to be interviewed. It was proposed that a meeting of former pupils be arranged together with old boys of the Club. The advertisement in the Jewish Chronicle had resulted in twenty replies from former pupils and teachers. In April, the following letter was sent to the Jewish Chronicle over the signatures of Chief Rabbi Dr. Immanuel Jakobovitz, Emeritus Chief Rabbi Sir Israel Brodie and Lady Brodie, Mr. Tom Philips as Chairman of the Managers and Mr. S.J.Birn as Hon. Treasurer of the school.

The Editor,

The Jewish Chronicle,

25 Furnival Street,

London E.C.4.

Sir,

          We would like to reach, through the hospitality of your columns, the many ex-teachers and ex-pupils among the thousands who know of and are interested in the Stepney Jewish School.

          This school has, for over a century, provided Jewish and secular education to an area which, until a few years ago, embraced a very large and virile community.
          Population movements have, however, greatly depleted this community, with a like effect on the numbers attending the school.
          It has been decided, as already announced in your Newspaper, to move and rebuild the school at Ilford, in the London Borough of Redbridge, where there is a growing and thriving Jewish community sorely in need of the facilities which the school is able to offer.
          The new school, which will be a building designed and constructed under the most advanced principles will, it is hoped, open for the Winter term of this year.
          We would like to extend, through you, a warm welcome to all friends, ex-teachers and ex-pupils who might wish to visit the new school now under construction.
          All interested are invited to write to the Headmaster, Mr. S. Rosslyn, B.Sc.(Econ.) at :- Stepney Jewish School, 71 Stepney Green, London E.1.
          And a formal invitation will in due course be despatched.
          Yours Faithfully,
          By the end of April 1969 it became obvious that the school would not open in time for the September term so Mr. Rosslyn met with the Deputy Education Officer and the Chief Inspector of the Redbridge Education Authority to discuss the logistical problem mentioned earlier. We suggested that we open temporary classes in the Beehive Lane Synagogue which the Authority had inspected. They expressed the opinion that it would be best to deal only with the twenty 5 year old children who will not yet be in school. The remainder of the first9089 Year Infants are already at school. The rising 5s, numbering 28, would have to wait until January 1970, which was the correct date for their entry into school. They hoped that the Stepney children could be left in school at Stepney Jewish throughout the autumn term and commence at the new school in January 1970. The I.L.E.A. were quite agreeable to this.
          They also expressed the opinion that it would be best that the above mentioned twenty 5 year olds should come into a class to be accommodated probably in a room at Parkhill Primary School, where the facilities for infant work are more suitable. They would also be able to get to the kosher meal centre easily from there. Miss H. Guttman, who had been accepted by the Authority, would be in charge of the class and so would, in her probation year, be under the guidance of a Headteacher, all these suggestions subject to their acceptance by the Authorities. These arrangements were subsequently changed in so far as the school was changed to Gearies Infant School, with an intake of 40 children and with kosher meals provided at Beehive Lane Synagogue. By now we knew that in addition to the 40 children to be accepted into Gearies School in September, a further 55 children would be transferring from the Stepney School to Ilford in January 1970.
          I would like to say a few words about Heather Guttman. I first met her when she was about 12/13 years old and attended the B’nei Akivah group I had formed circa. 1956/7. The group was some 30 children strong and required additional supervision. Even at that young age Heather filled the bill as though she had been born a teacher. Wonderful girl.
          On 16th June the Board wrote to us setting out the basis of the agreement which I summarise as follows: -
          All staff appointments to be subject to the Board’s approval.
Teachers in the Hebrew department to receive their salaries direct from the Board.
          The Board shall have the right to nominate two Governors, initially Raymond Rudie and myself so long as we wish to remain as Governors. Subsequently, there would be one Honorary Officer of the Board and one appointed from the local community. The letter containing these proposals was circularised to Managers and members of the Committee for consideration.
          One matter which was agreed between the Board, Rev. S. Black and Mr. Rosslyn and which, unfortunately, was not included in their letter was the verbal agreement that their commitment would stand in perpetuity. Some years later the United Synagogue took over the control of the school and cut off its financial contribution almost completely.
          The syllabus they proposed was far more ambitious than that then current throughout the school but if the truth be told their ambitions were never fully achieved.
          The date for laying the Foundation Stone by Emeritus Chief Rabbi Sir Israel Brodie and Lady Brodie was set for 1st July 1969 and would be a small affair followed by a reception in the Beehive Lane Synagogue. A day or two before the stone laying ceremony I received the following letter from Joe Rose, Chairman of the Ilford Day School Committee at its inception, but who had recently moved to Sunderland.
          “ Dear Woolf, I have been looking forward so many years to the time when the Day School would be built that you can imagine how bitterly disappointed I am that I will not be able to get along for the laying of the Foundation Stone. It would mean two days absence from business, which at this particular time I cannot spare.
          Please pay my respects to Sir Israel Brodie, whose continuing interest is so much appreciated, and give my best regards to all who have worked so long and so hard to achieve this memorable occasion. Sincerely,

Joe Rose.

Woolf Abrahams
November 2003.