April 7, 1944

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

12

REFUGEE DOCTORS PROTEST PRACTICE OF
AMERICAN COLLEAGUES IN ARMED FORCES

THE GENERAL GAVE THE RABBI A TANK RIDE

Page from the Diary of a Jewish Soldier

Refugee physicians, over mili- result has been highly gratifying
By DAVID ZAGIER
tary age or otherwise ineligible and, in our opinion, the refugee
for the armed forces are not physicians may well be proud of
ago
after
Chaplain Seligson. Out- from the Ordnance Section asked
The first rabbi to mount a tank
only manning America's civilian their record to date in providing
side of the mess hall I found Chaplain Seligson to autograph
since
Elijah's
ascent
to
heaven
health defenses; they are pro- medical care in communities and
two WACs, ever so slightly ineb- a "hagadah" for him.
tecting the practice of American institutions where their services on the fiery chariot is against riated from the "four cups" of
"But, sheigetz," remonstrate (
publicity
and
will
remain
anony-
physicians absent on war serv- are critically needed. The deple-
Passover wine, bellowing on each the Chaplain, "don't you know
mous.
The
major-general
who
of-
ice, it was revealed by Dr. Ernst thin of professional staffs in ci-
other's shoulders about how ter- we are not supposed to Write on
P. Boas, in the annual report of vilian private and government fered him a seat in the gun- rible it was to spend the first a holy day? What kind of a Jew
turret
is
an
Armored
Force
gen-
the National Refugee Service hospitals has made it possible
"Peissach" away from ho-o-ome! are you, my boy?"
program for refugee doctors. for older men to fill many im- eral. The occasion was the eve
The looie said he was sorry,
The erstwhile stenos from the
of
Passover,
when
the
orthodox
At the same time, Dr. Boas portant and useful positions.
Bronx, Jewish seamstresses from but it happens he was 100 per
leader
came
to
see
the
general
disclosed, many of the doctors "At the beginning of the year,
Orchard Street, World War or- cent Irish and Gentile. He came
who have come here to escape thanks to the understanding and in connection with the supply of phans from the Ukraine and to the seder because, after the
leavened
cakes
for
the
Israelite
Nazi persecution, having become sympathetic attitude of the Corn-
bourgeois music teachers—seated Irish, the Jews were the strang-
naturalized as United States citi- missioner of Immigration and Armoraiders. The general's per- between their Armored Force est people in the country. "And,
sonality
is
forceful,
staccato,
zens, are now being taken into Naturalization, a directive was
brothers, sang lustily of the "one after the Irish," he concluded
issued which had the practical restless. The rabbi's is the per- little kid that father bought for rather seriously, "they are the
the Army Medical Corps.
sonality
of
a
dreamer,
ascetic,
Dr. Boas's report for 1943, effect of accelerating the natur-
two zuzim," of Arkansas being best tankmen, too."
prepared on behalf of the Na- alization process for alien physi- peaceful, deliberate. They spoke "one helluva state," of the "WAC
about
the
early
fathers
and
the
tional Committee for the Re- cians. As a result, many have
that's in back of you," of the
settlement of Foreign Physicians, been commissioned in the Army Jewish sages, they spoke about persecutions of the Pharaohs, bits I
affiliated with the NRS, recount- Medical Corps. One of the grati- the plans of the Armored Force, from the Song of Songs, and,
ed the close cooperation between fying experiences of the year was and they spoke about the ob- grand finale, The Star Spangled
Sincerest Passover Greetings
servance of the Passover in the
the agency and government au- the receipt of requests from Division. At the end of the meet- Banner.
thorities in making use of the physicians previously resettled by
At midnight, under an Arkan-
skill of the refugee practitioners the Committee and now about to ing, the general sent for a tank sas moon that flooded the Ozark
to meet wartime needs. This enter the armed forces, who named Thor, after the Germans' foothills with its eerie white
phase of NRS work, like the rest asked that refugee doctors, not own god of thunder, so that the light, a strange little army com-
Inc.
of the agency's program, is fl- eligible for commissions, be sent rabbi should see the world for posed of some of the Reichs- TURNER BROOKS,
once
through
the
peepholes
of
a
nanced by the United Jewish Ap- to replace them. These requests
gun-turret, of an armor-plated wehr's most fanatical enemies
peal. have been or are being met."
departed by truck convoy for
FLOOR COVERING
"The Physicians' Committee NRS has worked closely with American chariot. The Signal the other end of Arkansas. The
Corps
camera
and
the
PRO
re-
CONTRACTORS
has placed primary emphasis," the Procurement and Assignment
Jewish GI's went to their bar-
Dr. Boas said, "on enabling the Service of the War Manpower porter were on hand, so discreet- racks, some with potential dates
ly,
indeed,
that
both
rabbi
and
Rugs
Carpets
group to make the greatest pos- Commission, in placing refugee
hurriedly noted on scraps of pa-
Linoleum
sible contribution toward the war doctors not eligible for commis- general never saw them.
per,
and
some
with
more
war-
On Passover eve 90 fried
effort in spite of legislative bar- sions, Dr. Boas continued.
like thoughts preoccupying them.
riers and other obstacles. The4,In attempting to fill the Pee chickens arrived at the post
TOWNSEND 8-2470
for medical service in war-short- chapel from Fort Smith and Kan- The Fort Smith hostesses hustled
age areas and rural communi- sas City and 104 Jewish WACS quite a while still, trying to iden-
9910 DEXTER BLVD.
ties," he said, "the Procurement arrived from Russellville for the tif y away
their kosher
plate and to
their belongings
in
pack
and Assignment Service extended "seder" banquet. The chaplains
Passover Greetings!
magnificent cooperation to the of the three major denominations their rumble seats. A lieutenant
i ians Committee
Committee, notably in worked all day like beavers to
Physicians
New York States, where the make the soldier-WAC Passover
problem has been most acute. Re- banquet a success because two
PASSOVER GREETINGS TO ALL!
sponding to requests by the Serv- generals had promised to attend.
ice, the Physicians Committee has The quartermasters lent us two
been able to refer many doctors brand new refrigerators for the
13330 DEXTER BLVD.
who are meeting pressing needs kosher chopped liver, and the
for medical care." commanding office of headquar-
Prescriptions Our Specialty
The protective feature of the ters company even detailed an
no
WE DELIVER
agency's work
guard to GI
make
sure "rea
that
, as it affects the MP
bd y
ui ''th
glutinous
practice of American doctors in
TOwnsend 8-8584
the armed forces. Dr. Boas ex- hands would gain access to the
plained, lay in the policy of Passover articles and render them
placing refugee physicians as sub-
The "Seder" had to be split
stitutes on a "locum tenens"
over two messhalls, for the Jew-
basis.
GENERAL OFFICES:
"Since the refugee 'locum ten- ish soldiers flocked to the ban-
Greetings to All!
ens' makes a contract with the quet of their sisters in great
man for whom he substitutes, numbers. A saucy little WAC
paying him a percentage of the from " Brooklyn
stole
"afiko-
f om under
the the
colonel's
income from the practice and manr
REEBER
agreeing to leave after the war, plate and demanded the tradi-
the American doctor's position is tonal ander,
"ransom"
camp
who from
had the
acted
as
.
FURNITURE
assured," Dr. Boas said. "Under comm
patriarch to the ceremony. The
this policy the realization
is colonel offered two operetta tick-
physicians call-
spreading
ed to military service that, far ets,
gold-cased
pen,
even
his a swagged
stick,
but and
the WAC
3353 MICHIGAN AVE.
from displacing them, the refu-
gee 'locum tenens' actually pro- would not settle for anything
CLOTHING for the
tects their practice, holding it less than "a chicken". The colonel
LAfayette 5070
sent his aide de camp to his car
intact until their return."
to fetch a sare colonel's eagle
SPRING AND SUMMER SEASON
4, and settled down to chant the
Aramaic songs of 4,000 years

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We extend sincere good wishes for a
Joyous Passover filled with happiness and
blessed with full measure of prosperity
and may these wishes continue to find
fulfillment into the many years beyond.

CHARLES H. LOTT

General Manager

DETROIT- LeLflND .-HOTEL

Dr TROIT. MICHIGAN

19409 JOHN R STREET

Townsend 8-4189

CASS—BAGLEY

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