DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Page Four
Detroit Jewish Chronicle
N6 Place to Land
Published by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
WOodward 1-1040
2827 Barium Tower, Detroit 26, Michigan
SUBSCRIPTION:
$3.00 Per Year, Single Copies, 10e; Foreign, $5.00 Per Year
Entered as Second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post Office at
Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
SEYMOUR TILCHIN
President
Thursday, June 23, 1949
distinct pat-
Practice of law as between Jews
and non-Jews has been disclosed
by Leon J. Obermayer, chairman
of the Bnai Brith vocational ser-
vice commission, in announcing
the results of a survey of dis-
crimination in the legal profes-
sion.
Law firms in many cities are of
three types, said Obermayer, so-
called "Gentile firms," so-called
"Jewish firms." and firms that are
"mixed" in that they hire both
Jews and non-Jews.
Fifty deans and professors in
33 law schools were asked by in-
terviewers of Elmo Roper to re-
port anonymously on their ex-
periences in placing their Jewish
law graduates.
Detroit 26, Michigan
New Hands at the Helm
Last week, a new president - look over the helm at the Jewish
Community Council. He is Shmarya Itleinman, a man of great
integrity and of a vigorous personality who is not bound by
other communal loyalties or restricted by any feeling that he
must preserve the amenities of community politics. It is his
objective to make the Jewish Community Council the final,
authoritative voice of the Jewish Community based on the
democratic doctrine that the majority shall prevail no matter
whielts financial and social statps shall be.
Assisting him in the administration of the Council is also a
new man, Boris Joffe, who came here April 1 and is progres-
sively making the projects of the Council play a bigger part in
the program of the entire community.
We believe these two men and the other 4eaders of the
Jewish Community Council must receive the support of all
Detroit Jews who want to see a solid, vital community run by
the representatives of the community for the good of all.
Should Israel Lower Gates?
There will be. unwarranted cries of "renegade" hurled at
William Zukerman, Jewish World News SerVice editor, for his
article suggesting that Israel limit immigration in some manner
in view of reportedly chaotic conditions in Israeli housing and
the resettlement program.
The thought of barring Israel's gates is so repugnant that
one lets his emotions run away with his good sense. Zukerman
is one of a group of journalists who have apparently come to the
conclusion that a realistic viewpoint must be.taken of the situa-
tion. The Israeli government program, he insists, is based on
politics and wholly ignores economic and social limitations.
In a nutshell, this is the situation: 250,000 persons, have
entered the land in the last 13 months or so. This would be
equivalent to the entry of 50,000,000 newcomers into the U. S.
in the same period. Immigration figures keep rising and more
than 1,000 persons enter daily six days a week.
Israel, sooner or later, if she wants peace and the continued
support of the U. S. and other powers, will be forced to accept
at least 300,000, and perhaps more, of the Arabs who fled when
of these
• war started. Israel herself offered to take over 200,000
refugees only a few weeks ago in exchange for a strip of land
near Gaza that is about as big as Wayne county.
In view of the lack of Israeli housing and the frightful con-
ditions in the temporary camps, Zukerman asks if it would not
be a good idea to absorb most of those who are already in before
new thousand's are bi.b6ght in. He does not necessarily suggest
• a shutdown on immigration,. but he does maintain that the gov-
ernment should evolve some formula to slow up immigration
for a time.
....... . . .
It seems to us that there is merit in this suggestion. Senti-
' mentalists will allege' that this is a heartless' policy and incon-
sistent with• the dextrine that Israel should always be open to
any Jew who wishes to enter. But we should point out that
the present policy is likewise heartless in that it invites DP's
and others from a degrading life in camps or ghettos to another
degrading life in Israeli camps which may take several years
- to eradicate.
The Lausanne Conference
London and Rome seem to have triumphed in their drive
to prevent an Israeli-Arab settlement. The Lausanne confer-
ence seems to be collapsing under the combined political-
religious weight of London's 10 Downing Street and Rome's
sanctum.
Though the Lausanne conference has been mired in pro-
cedural difficulties from the very beginning, impartial observ-
ers felt that agreement would crown the conference providing
there was no outside interference. In fact, as early as four
weeks ago it appeared that the Arabs were amenable to an
Israeli formula with regard to the Arab refugee problem.
But just when the Arab states began showing indications
toward accepting the Israeli formula—which would have opened
the road to discussion of a permanent settlement—the invisible
forces which have been operating against Israel ever since its
inception began pulling the strings. And the immediate effect
of that operation was Arab stiffening.
British opposition to the plan, however vicious, was under-
standable, since it has always been the avowed policy of the
Laboi government to put the screws on the new State. But
why the U. S. lent itself to that policy is a first-class mystery,
unless of course we assume that the wires from sources other
than London were hot with persuasion.
The answer to the visible and invisible forces which have
been operating against Israel was given in unmistakable
language by Moshe Sharett, Israeli foreign minister, when he
declared that Israeli soldiers did not die in battle only to have
Israeli politicians• relinquish the essential territory they helped
conquer.
So, You're Going to Israel
'
Few of us can, or even should, go to Israel at this time.
Nevertheless, one can get many vicarious thrills of a trip to the
new Jewish State by reading the beguiling pages of the ZOA
tourist guide, ''So, You're Going to Israel."
"Here is the ideal and inexpensive way of day-dreaming a
visit to the Jewish State," writes Carl Alpert, ZOA education
director and author of the booklet. It sells for only 50 cents
41 E. 42nd street, New
and can be obtained at the ZOA offices,
welcome
to read the Jewish
look,
you
are
quick
York,•17. For a
Chronicle copy. Remember our new address, 2827 Barium
Tower.
Survey Cites
Segregation
in Law Jobs
W ASHINGTON—A
tern of segregation in the
GEORGE WEISWASSER
Editor-in-Chief
(Sivan 26, 5709)
Thursday, June 23, lft49
• • •
GENTILES ONLY
ACCORDING TO the survey,
the "Gentile firms" have a definite
policy of rejecting all Jewish ap-
plicants. While a few law pro-
fessors sometimes send an unus-
ually good Jewish candidate to
these firms in the hope of break-
ing down their resistance or per-
haps with the idea of letting the
young Jew see for himself what
he is up against, the majority con-
sider it hopeless to place even
Peace"
and
"Shalom"
is
also
the
key
to
Israeli
"SHALOM" means
their best Jewish graduates with
IJ friendship, writes Robert S. Gamzey, editor of the "Intermoun- the "Gentile firms."
tain Jewish News" of Denver. in h s lively column "Mile-High View."
The law faculties offer several
Gamzey recently returned from a room at the Brown Palace, the reasons for the policy of the
a tour of Israel.
Kibbutznick had arranged for "mixed firms" in hiring both Jews
"Shalom" is the most beautiful lodging and a place in the life of and non-Jews. Some credit a firm
word in any language, he writes. Mishmar Ha Sharon, though they with a sincere desire to attract
For in Hebrew and in the Holy didn't know the Denver visitor the best possible lawyers regard-
Land, "Shalom" is the password from Adam.
less of religion.
to instantaneous friendships.
By supper time, the stranger
Many of the "mixed firms" rate
"Shalom," the excited visitor was virtually adopted by the Zvi high in their field and pick the
from Denver greeted the smiling Hirsch family, and by the next highest ranking men in the grad-
Lydda airport policeman, Zvi night, he was officially requested uating classes irrespective of their
Blumenfeld. And in their affec- at the weekly Kibbutz meeting other personal assets or liabilities.
tionate handshake and brotherly to join the collective.
Some of these firms are "law-
pat on the shoulder, total stran-
On a hike with the children of yer's lawyers" — high-powered
gers from two distant lands Mishmar Ha Sharon, one of the
specialists whose clients are also
bridged the natural gap of reti- kids asked, "When are you com- lawyers and who are more likely
cence and officialdom.
ing to live with us?"
to accept the services of an able
While Policeman Zvi Blumen-
• • •
man who happens to be Jewish.
feld inquired whether our paper AND WORRIES. ALSO
• • •
was Zionist and how we got our
"SHALOM," WE nodded to the QUOTA HIRING
name of Gam-zu L Tovah, we
OFTEN A FIRM that has a
learned that he had been in the English-speaking Chalutz at Giv-
"mixed" clientele considers it
Haganah ever since he arrived at Chaim.
It turned out to be Simon wise to have some Jewish lawyers
from Germany in 1934 until the
Jewish underground became the Schifman, the accountant of the on its staff. Sometimes the Jew-
kibbutz, who dropped whatever ish lawyers are assigned to serve
Israeli army last year.
Before we had gone thru the he was doing and devoted a cou- the firm's Jewish clients. At
customs, Policeman Zvi had in- ple of hours to showing us around other times the firm is anxious to
vited us t' visit his wife and him and analyzing the problem caus- establish a reputation for being
a' their home and their little ing him deep concern: the possi- unbiased in its relationship to its
bility that the kibbutz—hitherto Jewish clients.
bookshop in Tel Aviv.
the central factor of Israeli life—
• • •
Some of the professors spoke of
was being shunted to the sidelines the frequent practice of quota-
MAN IN RAINCOAT
"SHALOM," WE hailed the big by the mass immigration to the hiring, whereby a firm tries to
man in the raincoat on the Tel cities.
maintain a fixed balance between
• • •
Aviv street corner, "Vakashy,
Jews and son-Jews on their staffs
FRATERNAL SPIRIT
(and sometimes between Jews,
Dizendorf Square."
the
IN
THE
KIBBUTZIM,
in
"Let me take you there," po- villages and small towns, and in Catholics and Protestants).
litely offered the man in the
The specifically "Jewish firms"
this Eternal City, "Shalom" will
raincoat. And so we walked down
you a were reported to be numerous.
quickly
and
easily
get
the street -toward Dizendorf
especially in the large eastern
Square, delving into each other's friend.
In Tel Aviv, the surging cities. Apparently, they offer Jew-
history and background and per-
crowds, the hurly-burly of the ish graduates the surest connec-
sonal affairs until we had ar-
economic struggle for existence tion.
• • •
rived at the basis, of a mutual
discourages "Shaloms" in the
friendship before we reached the
same manner that you wouldn't ON THEIR OWN
square.
Young Jewish lawyers v. ho can
to total
The man in the raincoat turned think of s.iying "Hello"
strangers at 16th and Champs or afford it hang out their own
out to be S. Bernstein, head of
in Times Square. But even in shingles and gradually build up
International Co., one of Tel
colder Tel-Aviv, you will find their own practices. Many make
Aviv's leading insurance agen-
with a little effort, the spirit of connections with small law firms.
cies.
Others become salaried lawyers
A General Zionist without en- brotherliness that over flows for a business. insurance com-
throughout
Israel.
thusiasm for Mapai's socialism
"Shalom, Shalom," cried out pany. or government agency.
but brimming with admiration
There was almost unanimous
the cab driver as he glanced back
for Ben Gu•ion's war leadership,
at his fare, "and how do you like agreement that Jewish law grad-
insurancerean Bernstein was con-
uates face less discrimination in
cretely expressing his faith in our Yiddishe Medina?"
"Wonderful," came- the usual government than in any other
Israel's future by sinking $300,-
type of law work.
000 intp a new office building on reply, "The people here are very
Notwithstanding the existence
friendly.
They
make
yeiu
feel
like
Herzl St., Tel Aviv's Seventeenth
you're a member of the family," of discrimination in the legal pro-
Street (Woodward Avenue).
"Why not?" asked the cabbie, fession, young Jewish lawyers ex-
"You ought to come back here
perienced comparatively little dif-
"After all, we're all Jews."
to stay," cajoled the insurance-
ficulty in establishing themselves
man in the raincoat. "We need
during the immediate post war
the American spirit here to build 6 Detroiters Elected
years.
tnis land."
The law professors warned,
to JWB Board Posts
• • •
however, that when the large
NEW
YORK—Mrs.
Samuel
R.
HOSPITABLE JEWS
"SHALOM," we told the farmer Glogower, Herman Jacobs, Henry postwar classes get their diplomas
at Mishmar Ha Sharon, "I'm an Meyers, Samuel H. Rubiner, Isi- and start looking for jobs, there
American Jewish newspaper edi- dore Sobeloff and Mrs. Joseph will be stiff competition in the
M. Welt, all of Detroit, were profession. This may mean lower
tor, and I'd like to stay here for
a few days to study life in a elected to the board of directors incomes for young lawyers as well
of the National Jewish Welfare as greater difficulty in landing a
Kibbutz."
position—especially for Jews.
And before you could wangle Board (JWB).
`Shalom' Translated
Is More Than Peace