The Talmud Torah Society of Kraków

The Talmud Torah Society of Kraków was first established in either 1551 or 1591 (there are two different readings of the text) to supervise the education of young boys in the city. However, the society was abandoned, and its record book, containing its regulations, was destroyed in a fire. In the 1630s, the head of the rabbinic court and the famed scholar R. Joel Sirkes sought to revive the society, and consequently the regulations were reconstructed. These regulations, ratified in 1638, outline the curriculum to be taught to young boys: the Hebrew alphabet and Pentateuch—accompanied by the Beer Moshe (Well of Moses; a Yiddish work by Moses Saertels, first published in 1605) and Rashi’s commentary, plus prayers, good behavior, and Hebrew grammar. Likewise, they stipulate that the boys should learn basic mathematics and “foreign letters.” While some scholars now suggest that this refers to the local vernacular, many believe it indicates Yiddish. The society also controlled class sizes, sought to prevent teachers from stealing one another’s pupils, and was responsible for hiring a teacher for the poor and orphans.