The Maccabaean

READERS of the MACCABAEAN, who are at all familiar with Young Judaea and its activities will probably be surprised to see a Young Judaea problem aired in its columns. They know that Young Judaea has its own organs, The Young Judaean for the club members, and The Young Judaea Leader for the club leaders, and are naturally led to wonder why the columns of the general organ of the Zionist movement should be selected for the discussion of a special problem of Young Judaea. This surprise is only one manifestation of how imperfectly our Zionists have grasped the full significance of the reorganization of the Zionist movement in accordance with the district plan. For that plan calls for the unification of all Zionist work in the district under the responsible direction of the district organization, just as all Zionist activity that is national in scope comes under the responsible direction of the National Organization.

Educational work is no exception to this rule. The National Organization recognized this when it called into existence the Department of Education. But most active Zionist workers of the district still seem to think educational activity a side-issue to be left, without support and guidance from the organization, to the sporadic efforts of such circles as have in the past interested themselves in these activities. Such indifference is baneful. If Zionists are not to work at cross-purposes, they must envisage the whole Zionist problem as one and familiarize themselves with every aspect of it. It is because Zionists, who have hitherto shown little concern in Young Judaea and its needs are now, to no small extent, the masters of its destiny, that it becomes important for all Zionists to know the problems of Young Judaea and be invited to co-operate in their satisfactory solution.

The present article proposes to discuss only one problem of Young Judaea, a problem upon the solution of which, however, all other Young Judaea problems more or less depend, the problem of improving the quality of leadership of those in charge of Young Judaea clubs.

If one were to call for expressions of opinion by adult Zionists on the work of Young Judaea, the replies received would, without doubt, show the most divergent estimates. Some would laud Young Judaea to the skies, would speak of the good Zionist spirit of its members, of their enthusiasm for everything Jewish, of the fine quality of young Jewish manhood and womanhood that they represent. Others, however, would speak in a very disparaging tone, would condemn the movement as superficial, without educational influence, and see nothing more in the Young Judaea club than a manifestation of the desire of young people to get together and have a good time. And both these estimates would be correct; they would both be based on facts, though naturally, neither would be based on all the facts. The best of our Young Judaea clubs and their number is consider able answer to the first description, but the number of those which correspond to the second estimate is sufficiently numerous to constitute a problem. Probably the majority of the clubs stand midway between these two extremes.

If we inquire into the cause of this disparity in the value of work done by different Young Judaea clubs, we do not have to go far for an explanation. It is to be found in the absence of any definite standard of requirements for leader-

ship in Young Judaea. Young Judaea clubs must have leaders. The leaders must give their services voluntarily and gratis. The number of people who are willing to do this work, week in and week out, is not large. Consequently those in charge of supplying the clubs with leaders, are not in the habit of inquiring too nicely into their fitness for the work. Moreover, any individual who organizes a club of children and sees that they are affiliated with Young Judaea becomes, ipso facto, a Young Judaea leader, though he may have nothing to recommend him apart from his willingness to do the work, or to be credited with doing it. It is truly remarkable that, notwithstanding the absence of definite standards of qualification for the leadership of a Young Judaea club, the movement has nevertheless developed a type of leader of whom it has every reason to be proud, a type that looks upon its work as a form of consecrated service, and is ever on the alert to increase its own efficiency in that service. But not only are leaders of that type too few in number, but the efficiency of their work is constantly hampered by the presence of the unfit leader in the ranks. In every effort to secure the good will and co-operation of the community or to enlarge the material and human resource of the movement, the unfit leader is a perpetual drag on the progress of the more competent.

Previous efforts to raise the standard of leadership in Young Judaea were limited to endeavors to establish Leaders' Training Groups and to assist the leader by the preparation and publication of literature designed to aid him in his work. The publication of The Young Judaea Leader, a bulletin containing suggestions as to how to meet leadership problems, of The Young Judaean, a magazine for members of the Young Judaea club, of syllabi containing suggestions for the literary program, and of a large body of literature, songs, maps and similar helps, no doubt have had a good effect on the status of leadership in Young Judaea. But the fundamental difficulty still remains for, in general, it is only the better qualified leaders that take advantage of the facilities provided for them. And so it becomes apparent that a more radical remedy is necessary. It becomes apparent that it is impossible to raise the standard of leadership in Young Judaea to its proper plane, until you have a standard to raise.

In order to meet the situation, the Leaders' Bureau submitted to the Executive Committee of Young Judaea the following plan for the certification of leaders which was adopted after careful discussion of all its details. According to this plan, the Education Department is to give certificates to all Young Judaea leaders or applicants for leadership of a Young Judaea club, whom it is willing to entrust with that responsibility.

These certificates are to be of two kinds. A Permanent Certificate which is to be given to all leaders who have given evidence of possessing the necessary qualifications for the work, and a Temporary Certificate for a period of one year, which is to be given to such other leaders as express their readiness to seek to qualify themselves for the Permanent Certificate. The requirements for obtaining a Permanent Certificate include a knowledge of Zionism, Jewish history and the principles of club leadership, and