United Jewish Religious Schools (f. 1894) trace their origins to the Council Religious School, organized by the Cleveland Council of Jewish Women to provide a Sabbath school for immigrant children whose families were either not affiliated with a congregation or belonged to a synagogue that did not have a school. The school held classes for a few hours on Saturday. Forty students enrolled the first year.
In 1901, several congregations joined the Council of Jewish Women in funding the school, and in 1918 high school classes were established. By the early 1920s, the number of students had grown to 1,000 and several branch schools were established. A tuition fee system was instituted in 1928, the same year that The Jewish Welfare Federation of Cleveland included the Council Schools in their budget. In 1947 the Council Schools, with six branches and 719 students, were renamed the United Jewish Religious Schools and became affiliated with the Bureau of Jewish Education. The curriculum in 1954 listed these areas of study: Bible, Jewish History, Customs, and Ceremonies, Prayer Study, and Current Events. Special classes for mentally handicapped children were established in 1962.
In 1942, United Jewish Religious Schools high school students were absorbed into congregational schools. By 1955 junior high school students were similarly absorbed and the synagogues that absorbed these students were paid a stipend for each student they accepted. Throughout their history as the Jewish population relocated, the United Jewish Religious Schools closed branches and established new ones. In 1970 there were three remaining branches offering classes to 341 students in grades kindergarten through 6; they met for two-and-a-half hours on Sunday mornings.
From the guide to the United Jewish Religious Schools Records, 1899-1970, (Western Reserve Historical Society)
