Citron, Samuel J.

Samuel J. Citron was a dramatist and educator. Born in Poland in 1908, Mr. Citron immigrated to the United States at approximately 13 years-old. He studied law at St. John’s University and received a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) in 1931; he was admitted to the Bar of the State of New York in 1932. He practiced law from 1932 through 1944 out of offices in Brooklyn and Manhattan. While he was practicing law, he was also engaged in Jewish education, as he held a Permanent Hebrew Teacher's License.

Mr. Citron continued his studies in 1949 at New York University’s School of Education, where he received a B.S. (1951), an M.A. (1954) and a Ph.D. in communications in education (1963). In his own words (from his thesis proposal, which can be found in Box 7, Folder 15): "In the course of time I began to devote more time to Jewish education and less to practice of law. In 1945 I gave up the practice of law. I took the position of full-time Educational Consultant with the Jewish Education Committee of New York (the central agency for Jewish religious schools in Metropolitan New York)." At the time of writing this proposal, Mr. Citron was also serving at the Jewish Education Committee as Director of its School Dramatics Department and Chairman of its Audio-Visual Materials Committee.

As Mr. Citron transitioned from lawyer to dramatist and educator, he encouraged young people to incorporate Jewish culture and history into their worldviews through his plays as well as through his founding and directing of the Jewish Theatre for Children.

Mr. Citron also served as the Program Director for Camp Achvah (a Zionist camp in Orange County, New York) and taught dramatics and singing there. Additionally he was the Educational Director for the Temple Gates of Prayer in Flushing, Queens. He was also the founder of the National Board of Review of the National Council on Jewish Audio-Visual Materials and Associate Editor of its publication, The Jewish Audio-Visual Review.

He passed away in 1979.

From the guide to the Samuel J. Citron (1908-1979) Papers, undated, 1918-1979, (American Jewish Historical Society)