A Talmud Torah was the name given to an educational institution for boys from poor Jewish families. It also functioned as a children’s shelter, where Hebrew was taught, along with the study of the Torah (the Old Testament in Christianity) and the Talmud (a code of religious and legal teachings). Pupils received clothing, shoes, and учебні materials free of charge, funded by community donations.
As of 1910, two Talmud Torah schools operated in Vinnytsia: one had existed since the early 19th century, had around 40 students, and was in decline; the other was founded in 1894 and served about 120 students.
More affluent Jewish families typically sent their children to cheders—elementary religious schools where students read passages from the Torah in Hebrew and translated them into Yiddish. According to calculations by the Jewish Committee, in the Podolian Governorate in 1898 there were 972 cheders, employing 1,146 melameds (teachers) and educating 17,544 students: 16,285 boys and 1,259 girls.
