Using Kinder zhurnal, an American Yiddish children's literary magazine, as the focus for this thesis, the intimate relationships between the Yiddish cultural movement which began in East Europe and the Yiddish secular school movement in America are explored. As a product of and for the Sholom Aleichem Folk Institute, a now defunct educational organization, Kinder zhurnal demonstrated the key philosophical tenets of the Yiddishist education movement as it evolved. / In an analysis of the Yiddishist philosophy of education parallels are drawn between modern Yiddish secular education and that of John Dewey in their humanistic emphasis and underlying pragmatism. Utilizing the parameters of the Yiddishist/Deweyian theory, an assessment to determine the practical viability of the Yiddishist concepts is made. Kinder zhurnal, as representative of Yiddishist philosophy and educational methodology, provides the microcosmic source for much of this discussion. Its close affiliation with the unique educational philosophy of the Sholom Aleichem Folk Institute provides the opportunity to examine the educational implications of teaching Yiddish as part of Jewish education.

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