History 1914-1924

When Philip Seman came into his role as General Director of Chicago Hebrew Institute, eastern European Jews faced very poor housing and sanitary conditions. They lived in cramped quarters with rudimentary plumbing and minimal money to spend on food, clothing and recreation.

Prior to Chicago Hebrew Institute, Jewish immigrants attended Jane Addam’s Hull House—becoming the largest ethnic group to use its programs and services. With the establishment of Chicago Hebrew Institute, most of the Jewish population left Hull-House for the Institute, but Seman adopted many of Jane Addam’s philosophies and practices in molding Chicago Hebrew Institute. While Chicago Hebrew Institute was modeled after Hull-House in many ways, its focus on Jewish culture made it unique.

Seman’s plan for Chicago Hebrew Institute was not only to teach eastern European Jews English and marketable skills for employment, but to also emphasize activities that improved their minds and bodies.

Chicago Hebrew Institute understood that unemployment and poverty was a pervasive condition for many in the Jewish community. In response, the Institute opened a Milk Station in 1914 to provide basic nourishment and sustenance to impoverished new Americans. Families paid one penny per glass, and by the end of the first week, the Station had sold over 6,000 glasses.

To continue Phillip Seman’s and Chicago Hebrew Institute’s mission of providing opportunities for self-improvement and healthy physical development, the Institute opened its first state-of-the-art gymnasium and natatorium on Taylor and Lytle Streets in 1915. The gymnasium featured 2 gyms, 2 swimming pools and an indoor track and was made possible by a generous donation by philanthropist Julius Rosenwald.

In 1916, to continue its commitment to education, the Institute opened an evening high school for working men and women who wanted to further their education. The school was later accredited by the University of Illinois and the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

The founding mothers and fathers of JCC recognized that children needed the benefits of being away from the oppressive living conditions of crowded apartments and the hustle and bustle of the city. In the summer of 1921, Camp CHI opened as an all-girls camp at Loon Lake in Antioch, Illinois, serving a total of 559 young girls. The camp offered classes in hygiene, sewing, athletics, Jewish rituals, dance pageants and other various activities. JCC’s Women’s Auxiliary members spent the summer in Antioch as counselors.

In 1922, Chicago Hebrew Institute was renamed the Jewish People’s Institute (JPI).