Reflecting on Judaism

Extract of Minutes of the Stepney Jewish School’s Managers and Committee meeting held on 26th June 1966.

Present:           Mr. Harold H. Sebag-Montefiore GLC in the Chair

                        Managers: -  Mr. T. J. Philips M.B.E.

                                            Miss L. Benjamin

                                            Mr. G. F. Hyams,D.F.C., Hon. Secretary and Correspondent

                        Committee:- Rev. N. Bergerman B.A

                                            Mr. I. Loewe

                                            Mr. A. L. Polack M.A.

                                            Mr. C. L. Corman Ll.M.

                                            Mr. D. Gaham.

                                            Mr. S. J .Birn. Hon. Treasurer

                        Mr. S. Rosslyn, headmaster was also in attendance.

APOLOGIES FOR NON ATTENDANCE.    Mrs. I. Brodie, President of Managers.

                                                                        Mrs. D. Franklin.

(Mrs. I. Brodie was the wife of the then Chief Rabbi Dr. Israel Brodie. As Fanny Levene she had also been a well respected teacher in the school in the 1930’s.)   

          “Mr. T. J. Philips brought the meeting up-to-date regarding the proposed transfer of the school to Redbridge. He stated that he and Mr. D. Graham had that day met Mr. W. Abrahams and Mr.  R. Rudie (warden of the Ilford Synagogue) at the proposed site. They were informed that there were already 800 children attending the Religious Classes.

          A resolution was proposed by Mr. Philips and seconded by Mr. Graham that the school be transferred to the Redbridge area and that the new school be included in the 1968/1969 Plan of the Redbridge Authority. This was passed unanimously.

          After a discussion as to the advisability of making an announcement on Prize Day, it was suggested by Mr. Graham that it would be more appropriate to do so on the OPEN DAY to be held on 13th July 1966.

          The Chairman suggested that on the Agenda of the next meeting should be the question of filling vacancies among the Managers and Committee and the advisability of getting some representatives from Redbridge.”

          I received a letter from Tom Philips dated 29th June 1966 addressed to ‘Dear Woolf (I think that I can call you that now).’ In the letter he reported that the formal letters to the Authorities had been dispatched and that he hoped that by the autumn the position will be clarified and the timetable fixed. He continued, “We shall be inviting two or three of you to join the Committee of the school. I have no doubt that one of them will be yourself – will you please give some thought as to whom the others should be? This, of course, is quite apart from the Building Committee, which will eventually have to be set up, but it is thought that the time has already come when some of you should join us, for the success of the scheme.”  I replied on 5th July 1966 informing him that the local Honorary Officers of the Day School Committee had met and that they recommended the following three members who would be of assistance to his Committee : -

          Mr. H. Goldner; Mr. Avi Gerecht; Mr. R. Rudie.

          On 27th June 1966 I received a letter from the architects pointing out that their fees were still outstanding after some eighteen months and would we please settle them as soon as possible. I replied, bringing them up to date with the new developments, and asked whether they would be patient for a little while longer. We had already paid them something on account. The reply was in the most charming of terms agreeing to wait a while longer and confirming that they would be happy to continue to act for us under the new circumstances. Plans and elevations of the proposed school, together with explanatory details, were sent to the Managers of the Stepney Jewish School who were, in turn, happy to continue using the services of the Architect introduced to us by the Local Authority as being eminently suitable.

          We were also being pressed by the owners of one of the parcels of land, not in the possession of the Local Authority, to complete the purchase and the position here was becoming desperate. In a letter to Mr. Rubin we requested that he arrange for the London Board to lend us £3,250 and he in turn sent our letter to Tom Philips asking whether his Committee could help out.

          Subject to the Authority approving the transfer of the Stepney Jewish School to Ilford, the finances for building the new school were more or less assured but there was still the problem of financing the building costs of the nursery school. With this problem in mind Raymond Rudie wrote to the London contact of the Claims Conference, Mr. N. O. Joseph, on 4th November 1966 requesting confirmation that the grant promised several years earlier was still available. We also wrote to Mr. H. Sebag-Montefiore, Chairman of the Managers of Stepney Jewish School, asking him to have a word with Mr. Joseph, who was well known to him, and if he thought it necessary, to arrange a meeting with him. A reply was received from the Claims Conference dated 30th November 1966 advising that our letter had been referred to their Head Office in New York and suggesting a further meeting to discuss a number of queries in connection with the school’s project.

          On 27th March 1967 the Chief Education Officer of Redbridge wrote to Raymond Rudie suggesting that the Stepney Jewish Youth Club, which was planning to transfer to Ilford with the school, try to acquire the six railway cottages adjoining our site. Otherwise the activities of the proposed Youth Club might cause annoyance to the residents nearby, or alternatively, showing that such activities would not cause annoyance, implying that otherwise planning approval might prove difficult to obtain.

          This letter also noted that we were intending to make provision for various items of accommodation beyond what is normally required for a primary school and pointed out that this is not permitted under the provision of the appropriate regulations. He was referring to our intentions to build a large assembly hall and a large dining hall to cater for Jewish children not attending the school but who wished to come for kosher dinners. Another meeting was proposed to discuss these matters.

          On 4th April 1967 Raymond Rudie was advised that the application was approved for 280 pupils to be included in the 1968/9 Major School Building Programme at a gross cost of £72,234. A breakdown of this cost was included. The letter went on to say that if we wished to add the three proposed nursery classes at this stage it will be necessary for them to be financed separately by our committee, and the subsequent maintenance costs will be our responsibility.

          On 4th April 1967 Raymond Rudie reported that the acquisition of the land from the Crown Estate Commissioners had been completed.

Woolf Abrahams.    

October 2003.