| 1893 |
Founded by Rabbi
Henry Berkowitz, of Philadelphia, as a program to educate Jews about
their Judaism. |
| 1909 |
Dr. Philander
P. Claxton, later US Commissioner of Education, suggested to Rabbi
Berkowitz that JCS assign rabbis to lecture at universities to help
create better understanding of Jews and Judaism by Christians. |
| 1911 |
Rabbi Julian
Morganstern gave the first JCS college lecture at the University of
Tennessee. |
| 1922 |
Sixty-four lectures
were given by rabbinic scholars at 23 universities in 19 states. |
| 1939 |
The National
Federation of Temple Brotherhoods undertook sponsorship of JCS as
its educational project. |
| 1940
|
During its first
year under MRJ sponsorship, JCS assigned lecturers to 134 colleges,
an increase of 46 over the previous year. |
| 1943 |
JCS enrolled
3,085 individual annual members. |
| 1944 |
Three new
phases of JCS activity were introduced:
1. Donating
Jewish reference books to college libraries.
2. Assigning rabbis, on invitation of church denominational groups,
to serve as teacher-counselors at Christian Church Youth Camps.
3. The first JCS resident lectureship on Judaism for college credit
was sponsored at Howard University, Washington, DC. |
| 1946 |
The life membership
category of JCS membership was introduced and Leon Berkowitz, nephew
of the founder, became the first life member. |
| 1952 |
The “Skeptic’s
Diary,” a dramatic show starring the late Jeff Chandler, was
produced and marked the Society’s entry into the field of mass
communication. |
| 1953 |
“The Art
Linkletter Show,” a radio quiz based on ten questions about
Judaism which Christians most frequently ask rabbis on JCS engagements,
was produced. “The University of Chicago Round Table of the
Air,” devoted to differences between Judaism and Christianity,
was broadcast over the NBC Radio Network. |
| 1954 |
A documentary
motion picture, “Let There Be Light,” the story of JCS,
was produced and telecast on 300 TV stations. |
| 1955 |
“This is
Our Faith,” a documentary movie on the threefold function of
the temple as a house of worship, study and assembly, was produced
and telecast on over 300 TV stations. |
| 1956 |
The fist trilogy
of quarter-hour dramatic motion pictures about the High Holy Days,
Chanukah and Passover was produced, starring the late Sheppard Strudwick. |
| 1957
|
A second trilogy
of motion pictures about Purim, Shavuot and Sukkot was produced. |
| 1958 |
The six holiday
movies were adapted to radio and broadcast over the NBC Radio Network. |
| 1960 |
“If Not
Now, When?” a film on good deeds, is produced as the first of
a dramatic series of half-hour motion pictures entitled The Rabbi.
It featured Alexander Scourby and introduced concepts within Jewish
ethics. |
| 1961 |
“Grant
Us Peace,” the second picture of the series, on the concept
of worship, was produced. |
| 1962 |
“Moment
of Doubt,” the third of “The Rabbi” series, was
produced. |
| 1963 |
A new documentary
film, “The Question,” was produced. |
| 1964
|
“The Price
of Silence,” starring the late Edward G. Robinson, a documentary
motion-picture produced on the plight of the Soviet Jewry, was acclaimed
the Outstanding Jewish Film of the Year by the National Council on
Audio Visual Materials. |
| 1965 |
“The Fast
I Have Chosen,” a motion picture depicting Judaism’s moral
mandates for the War on Poverty was produced and narrated by the late
Melvyn Douglas. |
| 1967 |
“Anyone
Around My Base Is It,” a drama documentary motion picture dealing
with the relevance of religion was produced. Starring Academy Award
winner Martin Balsam, the film was cited by the American Film Assembly. |
| 1969 |
Five public
service announcements for television were produced in color; “Woman
of Valor,” as conveyed in Proverbs; “Stand Not Idly By,”
a polemic against hate, winner of the gold medal at the Atlanta International
Film Festival; “Call to Conscience,” interpreting Rosh
Hashanah in terms of universal peace and brotherhood; “God In
Man,” stating that a principle of Judaism is the value and sanctity
of the Individual, and “God in Nature,” offering a prayer
of Judaism for even the smallest blessings of life. |
| 1970 |
“Beyond
the Mirage,” a motion picture filmed in Israel and starring
Lorne Greene, documents opportunities for peaceful coexistence and
understanding between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East. Cited as
the best motion picture of Jewish Interest by the National council
on Jewish Audio/Visual Materials of the American Association of Jewish
Education. |
| 1971 |
The 30-second
color spot films for public service television on “God”
and “Peace” were produced. |
| 1972 |
Two public service
color spot films were produced—“The right to Be Different,”
relating the modern meaning of Chanukah, and “The Human Race,”
equating tensions of city life with a hurdle race, won the silver
medal at the Atlanta International Film Festival. |
| 1973
|
Produced “The
Need to Be Free,” an animated color public service spot film,
relating the modern meaning of Passover. |
| 1974 |
“Hate Hurts
You,” a polemic against hate, and “You Can Help to Civilize
the World,” portraying the Ten Commandments as the humanizing
force of society, spot films were produced. |
| 1975 |
“Proclaim
Liberty,” a spot film, was produced in commemoration of America’s
bicentennial celebration. |
| 1975 |
Institutes for
Christian Clergy were established. This program gave Jewish and non-Jewish
clergy an opportunity to explore each other’s religious beliefs. |
| 1976 |
“The Truth
Will Make You Free,” a documentary film portraying the six-phase
Chautauqua educational program in action, was produced. Awarded a
gold medal at the Film Festival of the Americas and a silver medal
at the New York International film and TV festival. |
| 1976 |
“Choose
Life,” a film featuring the late Gregor Piatigorsky, playing
the Kol Nidre, relates the modern relevance of the Yom Kippur liturgy
and ends with a prayer for peace. Awarded the gold medal for best
film in Religious Themes Category and silver medal for TV public service
at the New York International Film Festival of the Americas. |
| 1976 |
JCS sponsored
Institutes in Judaism for Christian Clergy, new sixth phase of the
educational program. |
| 1977 |
“One God,”
a documentary motion picture on the significance of the Shema, narrated
by Martin Balsam and shot in Israel, the film explores the relationship
between God and nature, God and man, and man and man. It won gold
medals at the New York International Film and TV Festival and the
Film Festival of the Americas. Telecast on the ABC Network “Directions”
Program. |
| 1977 |
Two spot films
were produced—“Peace,” reminding the world of its
choice of destruction or peace, winner of a bronze medal at the New
York Festival, and “Opportunity,” asking if we are making
the opportunity in America a reality. |
| 1978 |
“Ellis
Island,” on the need for working together to keep America strong,
and “Parents,” dealing with our obligation to the elderly,
two spot films were produced. |
| 1981 |
“You Can
Make Life Beautiful,” on conquering despair, won a silver medal
at the New York International Film Festival. |
| 1983 |
“Their
Brother’s Keeper,” produced, about unsung heroes who perform
courageous acts every day. Bronze medal winner. |
| 1984
|
Pilot program
to extend its lecture program to secondary, private and secular schools,
is successfully implemented. |
| 1989 |
“The Baton,”
a film that uses music as an allegory for the commonality of interests
of mankind. |
| 1990 |
“Honest
Differences, Common Ground,” a film examining areas of commonality
and differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam, emphasizing
the common ethical precepts of the three faiths. |
| 1991 |
“Abraham
and His Children,” a film examining the relationship between
Judaism, Christianity and Islam and our common patriarch. |
| 1991 |
Field trips
instituted by elementary and secondary school classes to temples,
museums and cultural activities exposing non-Jewish students to Jews
and Judaism, providing information that challenges false stereotypes
and negative misconceptions. |
| 1991 |
The Campus Impact
Program commences, in partnership with B’nai B’rith Hillel
Foundation, sponsoring programs on college and university campuses
that foster positive Jewish identification and build bridges of understanding
with non-Jews. |
| 1991 |
JCS sponsors
the National Center for Black/Jewish relations at Dillard University.
The goal was to re-establish the level of cooperation and unity that
existed between the Black and Jewish communities during the civil
rights movement of the 1960’s. |
| 1993
|
Centennial Year
- JCS celebrates 100 years of service, programming and activities. |
| 1993 |
JCS implements
a partnership with the Chautauqua Institute through sponsorship of
one week of courses and lectures at the Chautauqua Institute in Chautauqua,
New York. |
| 1993 |
An updated version
of “The Truth Will Make Your Free,” a documentary film
portraying the six-phase Chautauqua educational program in action,
was produced. The original version of the film was awarded a gold
medal at the Film Festival of the Americas and a silver medal at the
New York International Film and TV Festival. |
| 1995
|
JCS-Jewish Museum
and Visitation Program was instituted, enabling thousands of inner-city
and rural school age children to visit major Jewish cultural institutions. |
| 1998 |
JCS was invited
to join in partnership with the UAHC, the CCAR and HUC, the Reform
Movement’s Commission on Interreligious Affairs. The goal of
the commission is to promote interreligious dialogue and encourage
interfaith programming at the local level. |
| 1999 |
The Alfred E.
and Genevieve Weil Award is given to Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler
(z’l). |
| 2001 |
The Alfred E.
and Genvieve Weil Award is given to Mr. David Smith, Mrs. Linda Hooper,
and Ms. Sandra Roberts, school teachers from rural Tennessee for their
special Holocaust programming. |
| 2002 |
A groundbreaking
issue of ACHIM magazine covers the spectrum of interfaith education
in the US and profiles the successful programs of JCS in light of
the tragedies of September 11th. |
