Central Talmud Torah

The Central Talmud Torah, also known as the Central Hebrew Free School, was a Jewish parochial school established in 1892 and located at 314-320 Catharine Street from 1911 until 1963 in the Queen Village neighborhood of South Philadelphia.

Central Talmud Torah
314-320 Catharine Street, Philadelphia on August 29, 2019
Alternative namesCentral Hebrew Free School
General information
Architectural styleBeaux-Arts architecture
LocationQueen Village, Philadelphia
Address314-320 Catharine Street
Town or cityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
CountryUnited States
Coordinates39.937870°N 75.149020°W / 39.937870; -75.149020
InauguratedOctober 29, 1911
Renovated1980s

Rabbi Bernard L. Levinthal initiated the establishment of the institution to serve the growing number of immigrant Jewish children in the city's Jewish quarter in South Philadelphia.

314 Catharine Street cornerstone on August 29, 2019

Wolf Klebansky served as the school's president and raised $75,000 to build the school's building at 314-320 Catharine Street. The new building was dedicated on October 29, 1911.[1] The building could accommodate 1,000 students with 17 classrooms, a library, an auditorium, a gymnasium, and a swimming pool.[2]

Central Talmud Torah was a "religious public school," free to those unable to pay, that taught Hebrew, Jewish history, and religious studies.[3] Jewish children attended from 4:00 PM-7:00 PM after public school.[4]

The American Jewish Year Book reported the organization counted 7,000 members and $12,000 in total income in 1919.[5]

The building served as the home of the Beth Jacob Day School in the 1950s[6] and continued to be used for Jewish education until its closure in 1963.[7] The school building was converted to loft condominiums in the 1980s.

References
  1. "Talmud Torah Dedication: Elaborate Exercises Will Be Held on Sunday". The Jewish Exponent. Philadelphia. October 27, 1911.
  2. "Talmud Torah's New Home". The Jewish Exponent. Philadelphia. November 3, 1911.
  3. Pennsylvania. Municipal Court (Philadelphia County) (1919). Social Service Directory of Philadelphia. Municipal Court (Philadelphia County). p. 42.
  4. "History and Activities of the Central Hebrew Free School". The Jewish Exponent. Philadelphia. July 29, 1920.
  5. Adler, Cyrus; Szold, Henrietta (1919). American Jewish Year Book, Volume 21. American Jewish Committee. p. 550.
  6. "Charities Share in Blume Estate". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. July 14, 1954. p. 20.
  7. Boonin, Harry (1999). The Jewish Quarter of Philadelphia, A History and Guide 1881-1930. Philadelphia: Jewish Walking Tours of Philadelphia. p. 108.
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