The Jewish Chautauqua Society was the interfaith education program of the Men of Reform Judaism (MRJ), a

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nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, whose independent existence ceased in 2015 when it was merged into the Union for Reform Judaism. It had defined its mission as seeking "the dissemination of knowledge of the Jewish religion by fostering the study of its history and literature, giving popular courses of instruction, issuing publications, establishing reading-circles, holding general assemblies, and by such other means as may from time to time be found necessary and proper."JewishEncyclopedia.com
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History

The Jewish Chautauqua Society was conceived and founded in 1893 by its chancellor, Henry Berkowitz of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, and modeled on the mother Chautauqua of New York. In 1897 the first assembly was held in

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, and this focusing of the work has so greatly prospered that the original session of two weeks was extended to three. The creation of departments for study and entertainment were similar to those of other

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua bro ...

s. More than this, the influence of the society resulted in the

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Jewish Study Society.

Publications and structure

The official organ of the Society, ''Menorah Magazine,'' was published in New York City; ''Assembly Record,'' as well as a special series of various publications, were published in Philadelphia. The Society was incorporated in 1899, and was administered by the following officers: a chancellor, a president, a treasurer, a secretary and director, a field secretary, a board of trustees, and an educational council.

Notes

References

* This work in turn cites: ** ''Special Series No. 7'',

Jewish Publication Society of America The Jewish Publication Society (JPS), originally known as the Jewish Publication Society of America, is the oldest nonprofit, nondenominational publisher of Jewish works in English. Founded in Philadelphia in 1888, by reform Rabbi Joseph Krauskop ...

(Philadelphia, 1902) ** ''Menorah Magazine'' (New York, since 1897) ** Reports of the

United States Commissioner of Education The Commissioner of Education was the title given to the head of the federal Office of Education, which was historically a unit within and originally assigned to the United States Department of the Interior, Department of the Interior in the United ...

. Organizations established in 1893 Jewish educational organizations Chautauqua 1893 establishments in the United States Reform Judaism in the United States {{Judaism-org-stub