Prof. I. Leo Sharfman, U-M Economis
Prof. Isaiah Leo Sharfman,
chairman of the University of
Michigan economics department
for 27 years. died Tuesday in
Washington D.C. at age 83. He had
lived there for the past two years.
An authority on transportation
economics. Dr. Sharfman retired
from the U. of M. faculty in 1955
after 43 years there. He was Henry
Carter Adams university professor
of economics.
Born in Polonnoe, Russian
Ukraine. Prof. Sharfman was
brought to the United States at
age 8. He received his AR from
Harvard College in 1907 and his
LIB from Harvard Law School
in 1910.
Commencing his teaching career
as assistant in economics at Har-
vard University. he went to Tien-
tsin. China (1910-111 to serve as
professor of law and political sci-
ence at the Imperial Pei-Yang
DR. ISAIAH LEO SHARFMAN
University. He came to the Univer-
sity of Michigan in 1912 as lecturer
in economics. was advanced to as-
sociate professor and became full-
fledged professor in 1914. rising to
the chairmanship of the economics
department 13 years later.
During the summer quarter of
1939. Prof. Sharman was visiting
professor of economics at Stanford
University.
President of the American Eco-
nomic Association in 1945. he was
a member of the American Asso-
ciation of University Professors,
American Statistical Association.
American Political Science Asso-
ciation. Academy of Political Sci-
ence, National Bureau of Economic
Research, Michigan Academy of
Science. Arts and Letters and the
Research Club of the University
of Michigan. which he served as
president in 1938 - 39.
He was admitted to the Massa-
chusetts Bar in 1909. served the
National Civic Federation as
chief investigator of Commis-
sion of Regulation of Public
Judaic Heritage Medals
Commemorate Abraham,
Moses; Waiting List Told
Utilities, 1912.13; was director of
investigation of the anti-trust
policy of the National Industrial
Conference Board, 1923-24; did
research in administrative law
and procedure for the Common.
wealth Fund. 1925 - 27.
Prof. Sharfman's varied career
of public service is indicated in
the numerous public offices he has
held: advisory committee on rail-
road employment. Office of Fed-
eral Coordinator of Transporta-
tion: advisory committee on eco-
Dr. Herman Seidel.,
Zionist Leader
BALTIMORE—Dr. Herman Sei-
del. pioneer Zionist in this country
and an honorary vice president of
Histadrut. National Committee for
Labor Israel. died
here Sept. 3 at
age 85.
Dr. Seidel. a
native of Lithu-
ania. was grad-
uated from the
University of
Maryland's Col-
lege of Physicans
and Surgeons.
He retired from
his geriatrics
practice last
year. after serv-
Dr. Seidel
ing as chief of
medicine for 25 years at Levindale,
a home for the aged in Baltimore.
He was a member of the Maryland
Commission for the Aged.
A year after arriving in Balti-
more as a young man, Dr. Seidel
attended a founding convention
of the Poale Zion. Labor Zionists.
In the 1920s, he helped form the
Keren Hayesod (United Jewish
Appeal), and in connection with
its activities became friends with
such leading Zionists as Chaim
Weizmann, Golda Heir, David
Ben-Gurion and Itzhak Ben Zvi.
t
t
nomics and social scientists to
President's Committee on Civil
Service Improvement: referee, Na-
tional Railroad Adjustment Board;
member and chairman of Presi-
dential Emergency Boards in Rail-
road Labor Disputes; chairman of
arbitration boards under Railway
Labor Act; associate member of
National War Labor Board: mem-
ber of National Railway Labor
Panel.
He was the author of "Railway
Regulations." "American Railroad
Problems." "Interstate Commerce
Commission" (5 volumes), and co-
author of "Commission Regulation
of Public Utilities." Dr. Sharfman
has contributed articles to univer-
sity publications in this country
and in China and has had editorial
connections with American Eco-
nomic Review. Menorah Journal
and Jewish Social Quarterly.
The numerous awards won by
Prof. Sharfman include the Hor-
ace M. Rackham Professor of
Economics, University of Michi-
gan, 1936-37; James Barr Ames
Prize, awarded by the faculty of
Harvard Law School. 1939; Henry
Russell Lecturer. University of
Michigan. 1943.
Prof. Sharfman was the co-
founder with Henry Hurwitz of the
Menorah Movement, which was
founded as the Harvard Menorah
Society in 1907. He was also co-
founder with Hurwitz of the Me-
norah Journal.
His other Jewish affiliations in-
clude: American Jewish Historical
Society. American Friends of Heb-
rew University, Academic Com-
mittee for Hebrew University. Con-
ference on Jewish Relations.
American Jewish Committee. He
was a fellow of the Jewish Agency
of Arts and Sciences. and a mem-
ber of the board of trustees of
Brandeis University.
During World War I. Dr. Sharf-
man was chairman of the Liberty
Loan campaigns conducted among
faculty and students. He was ac-
tive in scores of activities on the
University of Michigan campus.
Dr. Seidel helped found the Jew-
ish Legion in 1917. He was a pro-
moter and supporter of the Work-
ers Bank in Tel Aviv. economic
arm of Histadrut. He was chair-
man of the board of Histadrut for Schloss Old Timers
many years, as well as honorary Will Honor Deceased
vice president in recent years and
The Hannah Schloss Old Timers
chairman l of the Baltimore branch. annual memorial service will he
held 8 p.m. Thursday in Shiffman
Hall of the Jewish Center, an-
Nixon Sent Bill to Form
Jewish Museum in D.C. nounced Harry T. Madison. presi-
WASHINGTON (JTA) — A bill dent of the Hannah Schloss Old
Timers, and Harry Pliskow. chair-
passed by the Senate and sent to
President Nixon for his signature man for the memorial service.
may result in the establishment of
the first Jewish historical museum
in the District of Columbia.
The measure authorizes the local
government to lease a former
synagogue, now designated as a
national landmark. to the Jewish
Historical Society of Greater Wash-
ington for use as a museum.
The synagogue was.built between
1873 and 1876 in downtown Wash-
ington and for several generations
housed the Adas Israel congrega-
tion. The congregation moved to a
new site after World War II and
the old building has been used for
many purposes since then in what
is now a predominantly Negro
neighborhood.
The hiStorical society, however,
may decide to locate the museum
at a different site which the dis-
trict government would provide.
There has been debate over a new
site because of frequent muggings
in the old neighborhood.
In any event, the D.C. City
Council would provide a $60,000
restoration grant to be matched by
a sum from the Jewish Historical
Society.
NEW YORK — Issue of the first
two art medals of the series, Me-
dallic History of the Jewish People.
has been announced by the Judaic
Heritage Society.
The 3.206 members of the society
have received bronze, silver, or
platinum proof strikes of medals
commemorating the patriarch Ab-
raham and Moses the law-giver.
The Abraham and Moses medals
have been designed by Oscar Har-
ris and sculpted by Gilroy Roberts.
formerly of the U.S. Mint, and
Philip Nathan. formerly of the
Royal Mint. respectively. Setting
the style for the entire series, the
art medals feature an obverse en-
tirely without copy. The reverse is
devoted to biblical commentary in
the manner of inscription in stone. Nazi Streicher's Death
Julius Streicher, editor of the
The medals. 39 mm. in . diameter.
are hallmarked and numbered on viciously anti-Semitic Nazi maga-
zine Der Cturmer, was hung by
smooth edges.
Subscriber rolls to the limited the International Military Tribunal
edition five-year series are closed. in Nuremberg on Oct. 15, 1946. He
Judaic Heritage Society Secretary participated in Hitler's Beer Hall
Fred Bertram has, announced that Putsch in 1923, the same year he
a waiting list already exists for founded Der Sturmer. He headed
reassignment of any subscription the anti-Semitic campaigns in
Rabbi Israel Halpern of Cong.
Beth Abraham will deliver the
main address. Cantor Shabtai
Ackerman will chant the El
Male Rahamim.
Family and friends are invited
to attend the service honoring de-
parted members of the Hannah
Schloss Old Timers, and to visit
the Old Timers Memorial Room at
the center which holds a plaque
containing names of all departed
members, and trophies and me-
mentos dating back over 50 years.
Refreshments will be served fol-
lowing the service.
70—Friday, September 12, 1969
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Dozen Mourners at Funeral
Dr. James Pike 'at Peace' in Israel
Sitting beside her brother, Richard Scott Kennedy, in Jerusa-
lem, Mrs. Diane Pike reads a statement to newsmen after the body
of her husband, the former Episcopal Bishop James A. Pike, was
found on a rocky ledge in the Judean wilderness two miles from
the Dead Sea. The lower photo shows the Pikes in 1968.
JAFFA (JTA) — Dr. James A.
Pike. the former Episcopal bishop
of California who died of exhaus-
tion in the Judaean desert after
becoming lost a week ago. was
buried Monday in this biblical
seaport town.
His widow. Diana Pike. who ac-
companied him on his fatal jour-
ney to Israel and. later walked a
whole night in search of help, said
Sunday that her husband had loved
the Holy I.and "as if it were his
own" and that it would be appro-
priate if he were buried there.
The 56-year-old cleric. who was
a controversial figure at home and
a staunch champion of Israel. was
interred at St. Peter's Protestant
cemetery near where the Bible
says the Prophet Jonah set forth
on his fateful voyage. The funeral
was attended by only a dozen
mourners.
When the two-car cortege reach-
ed the cemetery. there were not
enough pallbearers to carry the
aluminum coffin draped with black
tasselled gold cloth. Five nearby
residents along with a local clergy-
man and Mrs. Pike's brother car-
ried the coffin down the sloping
hill to a gravesite overlooking the
sea.
Dr. Pike's body was discovered
Sunday by a volunteer search
party of Bedouin tribesmen and
Israeli police after a week of fruit-
less searching by land and heli-
copter.
According to the Pathological
Institute in Tel Aviv. where an
autopsy was performed, Dr. Pike
succumbed to fatigue, hunger and
Funeral arrangements were
made by Mrs. Pike and her
brother. Richard Scott Kennedy,
after consulting with Dr. Pike's
84-year-old mother in California.
Adam Gimbel, Head
of Saks Fifth Avenue
NEW YORK—Adam L. Gimbel.
former president of Saks Fifth
Avenue, died Tuesday at age 75.
While serving as president. Gim-
bel built a nation-wide chain of 31
Saks stores. He retired as presi-
dent of the chain last year. In
1924 after his family merged its
Memorial Assembly
Gimbel store with Horace Saks'
for Rabbi Kahanemann, 34th Street store. Gimbel became
vice president.
Sarno Arranged Here
He was an art collector, a world
The Vaad Harabonim — Council traveler and an enthusiastic sports-
of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater De- man. He also wrote plays and
troit invites the Jewish community translated foreign food books.
to participate in a memorial as-
sembly for two great rabbinical
20,000 Attend Funeral
leaders 8 p.m. Wednesday at
thirst. The medical examiners said
he had been dead since last Tues-
day, a little more than a day after
he and Mrs. Pike found themselves
lost in a trackless wilderness after
their car broke down.
In Jerusalem Sunday. Mrs.
Pike had high praise for Israeli
authorities and police. She said
they did everything humanly
possible to find her husband and
could not have been more co-
of Noted Talmudist
operative. She said her husband
"loved the Israeli people and the
TEL AVIV (JTA)—Some 20,000
persons, among them Israel's chief'. Holy Land so deeply, I feel there
dignitaries, attended the funeral of I is no more appropriate place for
the renowned talmudist Rabbi Jo- 1 him to die if he had to die."
■
Young Israel Center of Green-
field.
Rabbis Joseph Kahanemann and
Yeheskel Sarno will be eulogized
by members of the Detroit rab-
binate and a special guest, Rabbi iseph Kahanemann, who headed
She said his last words to her
Mordechai Gifter, Dean of the Ye- the Ponevez Yeshiva in Bnai Brak were, "If I die here, I am at peace.
0.
near here. He had transferred the I have no regrets." Dr. Pike had
shiva at Telshe, Wickliffe,
Rabbi Kahanemann was well yeshiva to Israel from Lithuania visited Israel several times in con-
known in Detroit circles from his after World War II.
: neetion with his ministry and in
frequent visits to this city on be-
Among those present were cabi- behalf of Jewish and Zionist
half of his vast Torah projects in net members, Israel's chief rabbis, causes. On his last trip he was
I heads of yeshivot and deans of • gathering material for a book on
Bnai Brak and Ashdod, Israel.
Rabbi Sarno, a renowned Tal- rabbinical courts, the army's , chief the origins of Christianity which
mudic scholar was head of Hebron chaplain and many others:. He had he planned to write in collabora-
that might be released by the °rig- . Franconia from 1933 until his cap- Yeshiva in Jerusalem for many been a member of the Lithuanian tion with his wife. Mrs. Pike said
I parliament.
inal subscribers.' ' - ' ' • "I lure b•y'Allied Forces in 1945.
Years.
she would finish the book alone.