Dr. Julius Axelrod, Idealistic Nobel Prize Winner
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nobel
Prize winner Julius Axelrod of the
National Institute of Mental Health
in suburban Bethesda, Maryland,
is such a helmisher mensch you
would know in a minute he is one
of our people.
Here he is among the world's
foremost authorities in the chemis-
try of nerve transmission, esoteric
as that is, and yet he talks with
warmth and simplicity, tinged_
when suitable with delightful Yid-
dish accents in a manner charac-
teristic of unabashed first-gener-
aton American Jews of Eastern
European origin.
He lost the sight of his left eye
when a bottle containing ammonia
exploded in his face a quarter of
a century ago but he has stuck
to the hazards of his lab and the
intricacies of research with the
tenacity and intensity of those who
devoted their lives to studying
every syllable of the wisdom of
the prophets.
Everybody loves this 58-year-
old biochemist—his family, his
staff, his colleagues, his boss,
his maid—for his humaneness,
his work, his Intelligence.
A conversation with him• took
place a few hours after the an-
nouncement in Stockholm on Oct.
15 that two Jewish scientists—Dr.
Axelrod and Sir Bernhard Katz,
professor of biophysics at Univer-
sity College in London—and Swe-
den's eminent Professor Ulf von
Euler had been named the win-
ners of the 1970 Nobel Peace
Prize in Physiology and Medicine
for their independent basic re-
search concerning the regulatory
mechanisms in the nervous sys-
tems. Their discoveries may re-
sult in the possibility of effecting
the nervous system to correct ner-
vous and mental disorders, includ-
ing schizophrenia, and high blood
pressure.
"Mazel Tov" said the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency's correspond-
ent when Dr. Axelrod came to the
phone in his apartment in heavily
Jewish suburban Rockville, Mary-
land, to answer the call. There
was a chuckle from the now world-
famous biochemist. "Thank you,"
he replied. "It's good to hear."
Dr. Axelrod first spoke about
his Orthodox Jewish parents—"It-
zic—Izzie (yes, for Isadore) and
Molly" Axelrod who now live at
460 Neptune Avenue in Brooklyn.
They emigrated from Galicia to
New York City when each was 14
years old and they met and mar-
ried in New York.
"My father made straw baskets
for a living," the scientist said.
"He was called 'Itzic der Keichel
?Aachen' "
Dr. Axelrod, who is short and
slight of build, was born on May
30, 1912 on East Houston Street—
"the Yiddish ghetto," he termed
it. He went to "P.S. 22" and Sew-
ard Park High School—"opposite
the knish factory."
"I went to heder and was Bar
Mitzvahed," Dr. Axelrod said.
"I identify very strongly with
Israel but not in a religious way.
I feel a strong Jewish identity."
Dr. Axelrod said he knows many
Israeli scientists and has many
colleagues in Israel which he visit-
ed for about two weeks in 1966
after he had been invited to lec-
ture there.
With his family in humble eco-
nomic circumstances, "the only
way I could get a free education
was to go to City College" (now
the City University of New York)
where he was graduated in 1933,
in the midst of the Great Depres-
sion, with a bachelor of science de-
gree.
"My mother wanted me to be a
doctor," Dr. Axelrod recalled. "It
was hard in those days for Jews
to get into medical schools. I
wasn't that good a student but if
my name was Bigelow I probably
would have gotten in."
So Dr. Axelrod went to work in
the department of bacteriology at
New York University for the next
two years and then switched to the
university's laboratory of indus-
trial hygiene where he remained
for 11 years. Meanwhile, in 1941,
he acquired his master's degree at
NYU.
In 1946-49 he was a re-
search associate at the Gold-
water Memorial Hospital in New
York and late in 1949 he came
to the National Heart Institute
in Bethesda, on Washington's
northwest edge. In 1955 — the
year that he received his doc-
torate in physiology at George
Washington University—he ac-
cepted the offer of the National
Institute of Mental Health to the
position he now holds. He is
chief of the section of pharma-
cology working with chemicals
in animals in the laboratory of
chemical science.
His wife was Sally Taub before
they were married in 1938. Like
Jack Benny Visits Hadassah Hospital
Henrietta Szold, founder of Hadassah, stands before her beloved
nurses and appears -to be addressing her eloquent remarks directly
to Jack Benny, in this unusual photograph taken of the American
performer in his recent visit to the Hadassah-Hebrew University
Medical Center, where he stood before this historic photo-mural in
the Nurses Building.
By
JOSEPH POLAKOFF
(Copyright 1970, ,ITA,
Inc.)
the scientist, she was born and nouncement because it was Sukot
reared in New York and graduated but he came to join in congratulat-
from Hunter College in 1942. Mrs. ing Dr. Axelrod.
Axelrod at present is a second
In Stockholm on Dec. 10, Dr.
grade teacher in the Kent Mill Axelrod, Sir Bernard and Prof.
Public School in Maryland's von Euler will meet for the first
Montgomery County which borders time and receive their Nobel
on the District of Columbia.
Prizes which include a one-third
The Axelrods have two 'sons. share each of the $78,000 award.
Paul, 25, is studying anthropology
Drs. Axelrod and Sir Bernhard
at the University of North Caro-
also have a factor in common be-
lina's graduate school at Chapel
sides science and Jewishness.
Hill. Fred, 21, is an undergraduate
in forestry at the University of Both look to the welfare of youth.
In his news conference here,
Minnesota. He spent the summer
parachuting from the skies in Dr. Axelrod said he was worried
about
cuts in funds for basic re-
Alaska, Wyoming and Washington,
to help fight forest fires. "Imag- search especially for the reasons
ine," Dr. Axelrod said, "a Jewish that it would reduce the chances
of young people to compete and
boy a forester."
In the Axelrod apartment is an establish themselves. And at the
University
of California, Berke-
eight-branch candelabra for Han-
uka. "We used to light it when ley, where he received the an-
the kids were home," Dr. Axelrod nouncement, Sir Bernhard left his
new conference hurriedly to see a
said.
young undergraduate student who
Dr. Axelrod first heard be had
had been kept," he said, "wait-
been awarded the Nobel Prize
ing to see me for 45 minutes." A
from his -friend Dr. Ben A. Wil-
press report pointed out that it is
liamowsky, a dentist, whose of-
characteristic of Sir Bernhard
fice is in Silver Spring, another
that he fell the student's time was
Washington suburb with a large
more important than anything
Jewish population.
else.
Dr. Williamowsky, whose father
is a rabbi, Dr. Axelrod said,
greeted him upon his arrival about Jewish Week Newest
8:30 a.m. with the question:
"Julie, what's this I hear about Merged N.Y. Weekly
NEW YORK—The Jewish Week,
you and the Nobel Peace Prize?"
He had heard a broadcast to that a full-size, six-column Jewish
weekly
newspaper, which, through
effect.
"I see Ben about once a year a series of earlier mergers, is the
fifth
oldest
American Jewish
and today was the day for my ap-
pointment," Dr. Axelrod said. weekly in the United States, made
its appearance here.
"Ben always amuses people and I
The Jewish Week, the new name
thought this was his way of mak-
for the American Examiner with
ing a joke."
About a half-hour later, while his which it recently merged, is serv-
mouth was stuffed with instru- ing the Jewish community of
ments and cotton, an urgent phone Greater New York. It also pub-
message came to him at the den- lishes a Washington edition which
tist's office informing him that was founded in 1965.
he had won the prize.
An independent . journal edited
But fOr Mrs. Axelrod the news and published by Philip Hochstein,
came after an anxious half-hour. for 40 years senior editorial execu-
She was attending a teachers' tive of the chain of Newhouse
meeting in Baltimore when she Newspapers, Jewish Week histor-
was informed there was an "emer- ically represents 113 years of con-
gency" call for her, Dr. Axelrod tinuous publication because it in-
said. The "emergency call" did corporates the Hebrew Messenger,
not come through for what seemed published in New York from 1857
hours and meanwhile Mrs. Axel- until its absorption by the Amer-
rod's anxiety kept mounting. Fin- ican Hebrew in 1903. The American
Hebrew, founded in 1879, absorbed
ally, the good news came.
An indication of Dr. Axelrod's the Hebrew Standard (founded in
family feeling is that while con- 1883) at the turn of the century,
gratulatory calls and messages and was itself later merged with
Jewish Tribune and tilt Jewish
were pouring in on him from all the
Examiner into the American
over, among his first thoughts Examiner. The latter had absorbed
were to inform his aged parents the Jewish Daily Bulletin in 1934.
and to remember his sisters in
Associated with Hochstein as
New York—Mrs. Pearl Denmark
executive editor of Jewish Week
and Mrs. Gertrude Brodsky.
is
Victor M. Bienstock, who for
The self-effacing, pleasant Dr.
Axelrod was extolled from all 37 years was general manager of
the
Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
sides. Daniel G. Rice, a spokes-
Serving as associate editor is
man for NIMH, said Dr. Axelrod
Bernard
Postal, who recently re-
was "nonplused, without words
tired as public relations director
but very, very pleased and to-
tally and genuinely surprised" of the National Jewish Welfare
Board. Another associate editor is
when he was informed of the
David Horowitz, the last editor of
award.
the American Examiner, who is
"His colleagues all love him," a former president of the Foreign
Rice said. "He is very well respect- Press Association in New York.
ed at NIMH. He never closes the
door of his lab office. Those work-
ing with him are always in to see Israel Defense Spending
him. He is so open and gracious
with his time and energy. He is Over $4 Million a Day
highly respected by the younger
TEL AVIV (ZINS)—Israel's se-
people."
curity costs are 400 per cent higher
Rice pointed out that Dr. Axel- than before the Six-Day War, ac-
rod's small staff is highly dedicat- cording to well informed sources.
ed to him and emphasized the Israel now spends on her defense
special dedication of Mrs. Helen an average of $4,350,000 daily—an
Hunt, a black assistant who has actual outlay of approximately
worked with him for 16 years.
$1,450,000,000 annually.
"Mrs. Hunt," Rice said, "some-
One Phantom jet costs more
times come in at 5 or 6 a.m. and than $5,000,000, whereas the price
works nights and weekends, too, of a French Mirage was $2,000,000.
when necessary."
The price tag on a modern tank is
Dr. Axelrod's immediate super- $350,000.
ior at NIMH is Dr. Irwin J. Ko-
Total defense costs include hun-
pin, 41-year-old chief of the la- dreds of millions of pounds spent
boratory of clinical science since on frontier fortification.
1968. Dr. Kopin, who holds a
Countering the latest Soviet in-
bachelor's and medical doctorate tervention alone involved an ex-
degrees from McGill University, penditure by Israel of several hun-
also is a native of New York City. dred million dollars.
A member of Bethesda's Beth El
Congregation, Dr, Kopin said he
You must play the fool a little,
would not have been at the insti- if you would not be thought wholly
tute on the day of the Nobel an- a fool.—Montaigne.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
52—Friday, November 27, 1970
Gahal Opposition Role on
Limited Basis—Dultzin;
Herut-Liberal Tie Fails-
TEL AVIV (ZINS)—The role of
Gahal (Herut-Liberal bloc) as op-
position- is a limited one, accord-
ing to Leon Dultzin, treasurer of
the Jewish Agency, speaking at
a press interview. According to
Dultzin, Gahal will continue to
support the economic and security
policies of the government and,
as a practical matter, will not op-
pose the political steps which the
government recently has under-
taken.
It is also expected, said Dultzin,
that Gahal will vote with the gov-
ernment on the new state budget,
the largest portion of which is for
national security.
It was announced from Jerusa-
lem that Dultzin will make a short
trip to America in the first half
of December on behalf of the
United Jewish Appeal.
Relations are not running smooth-
ly between Herut and the Liberal
Party, stemming from the Lib-
erals' refusal to merge with Herut.
Liberal leader Joseph Sapir said
at the Gahal convention two weeks
ago that the time was "not ripe"
for a merger.
Menahem Begin, leader of
Herut, denounced that decision
Sunday. He told newsmen, "I do
not take this resolution as a re-
jection and I look forward to the
,day when the Liberals will con-
sider the time ripe."
Gahal was a member of Premier
Golda Meir's coalition government
until last August when it quit the
cabinet in protest against Israel's
acceptance of the American peace
initiative. Gahal is bitterly opposed
to peace talks with the Arabs
under the auspices of UN mediator
Gunnar V. Jarring.
•
•
Dayan-Allon Contest
Gets 2-Year Start
JERUSALEM (ZINS)—Although
new elections in Israel are still
two years off, the contest between
Moshe Dayan and Vice Premier
Yigal Allan for the future post of
prime minister is once again mak-
ing headlines.
A "preview" to the next Knesset
elections will occur in December
at the national convention of the
United Labor Party where both
Allon and Dayan are represented.
Political observers believe that
Dayan's alleged "reversal of
position" to the effect that Israel
ought to renew the Jarring talks
without insisting on a withdrawal
of the Soviet missiles was a
maneuver to influence public
opinion, proving that Dayan is
not a "hawk" thirsting for war,
but a flexible politician prepared
to make necessary compromises.
It is reported that Golda Meir
telephoned Dayan for an explana-
tion of his reported new position
vis a vis the rockets. When be
answered that he had been quoted
out of context, she is said to have
been so annoyed that he hung up,
abruptly ending the call.
The reports now circulating that
the U.S. government aimed at re-
cruiting Dayan secretly into the
service of the Central Intelligence
Agency were attributed to Allan's
supporters who are out to tarnish
Dayan's image.
Organize in U.S. Colleges
NEW YORK (JTA)—The Asso-
ciation for Jewish Studies, the first
professional organization of, pro-
fessors of Jewish studies in Amer-
ican colleges and universities, al-
ready has a membership of more
than 100 such teachers, according
to the National Foundation for
Jewish Culture, which reported
the new group was started last
September at the close of a three-
day gathering at Brandeis Uni-
versity.
Prof. Leon A. Jick, f a cult y
dean at Brandeis and director of
the Lown Center for Contemporary
Jewish Studies, is president. The
association is planning a broad
program to attract scholars teach-
ing Jewish studies at the college
level.