THE NEED FOR RE-INTRODUCING THE RELIGIOUS STUDIES CLASS OF JUDAISM IN B&H PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

UDK 37.016:28(497.6)
          930.85(497.6=411.16)

A lecture delivered at a seminar for religious studies’ teachers in Gazi Husrev – bey Library in Sarajevo, 26th November 2016

In this article the author offers a short review of the history of education of Jewish youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the beginning of the 20th century the existence of only one Jewish school is recorded in the country. Jewish Intermediate Theological Institute founded in the year 1928, was preceded by the establishment of a four year preparatory course directed by Sarajevo Grand rabbi Moric Levi. The Second World War interrupted the religious education of Jewish children all together. Primary school – meldar was abolished and so was the religious education in gymnasiums. Most of the professors and students of the Jewish Theological Seminary were victims of concentration camps, amongst them Dr. Moric Levi who was a director of this seminary and the religious studies’ teacher in Classical Gymnasium in Sarajevo. Today, after 75 years of no religious education, Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only country in the region that has introduced religious education and the Jewish community now has a task to produce the textbooks for religious studies subject for primary school.