E R M IN G
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Notable Abramson Family
Mixing Sports and Medicine
By HASKELL COHEN
(Copyright 1979, JTA, Inc.)
Generally speaking,
there is little in the field of
sports that relates to Mis=
hna or Talmud or, for that
matter, any theological
area. However, the thought
strikes me that we have a
situation in which a man
who has dedicated hislife to
sports, Jack Abramson, is
the father of two eminent
doctors who have done
much to improve the wel-
fare of their fellow man and
their co-religionists.
The thought strikes me
that the Mishna,- in the
fourth chapter of Ethics of
the Fathers, which asks the
question, "who is rich?"- is
applicable to Jack Abram-
son. The Misluia goes on to
answer that the rich man is
he who is happy with his lot.
Abramson certainly has to
be happy with the work of
both of his boys in the medi-
cal field.
Approximately a year
ago, Abramson's oldest
boy, Alan, an ear, nose
and throat specialist
gained some renown, un-
looked for, in operating
on a young Hungarian
Jewish child, the offspr-
ing of parents who had
gone through the
Holocaust. This Hunga-
rian youngster had been
-brought across the sea to
undergo delicate treat-
ment by doctor Alan Ab-
ramson, who performed
the surgery gratis, and
'then was publicized to a
great extent by all facets
of the media.
A few weeks ago Alan's
kid brother David came up
with an important piece of
research in his field which is
eye surgery and treatment
of the retina. David, an
assistant head of his de-
partment in Colunibia
Presbyterian Hospital, lo-
cated in New York City
brought out the fact that the
feces of dogs sometimes gets
into the eyes of people and
causes blindness.
He had a lengthy report
in this area and was inter-
viewed extensively by sev-
eral of the most prominent
commentators on the New
York television circuit. As a
matter of fact, Dr. Frank
Field, after interviewing
Dr. David Abramson, said
"Aren't there any other doc-
tors but Abramsons in the
city of New York who come
up with amazing work in
their respective fields?"
Both of the Abramsons
were members of the U.S.
Maccabia swimming teams
which participated over the
past few decades- in the
Maccabiot held every four
years, the year after the
Olympic year, with consid-
erable success. Alan was a
rather mediocre swimmer,
but his kid brother David
went on, in the year 1961 to
win a total of four gold med-
als in individual events
with one gold medal for a
medley relay. His records
stood for several years until
a guy like Mark Spitz came
along and smashed every
record in sight.
Truly, one must say
that Jack Abramson is a
rich man, and his wife
Ruth a rich woman in giv-
ing us the opportunity to
benefit from the medical
skills of their two bril-
liant children, who are
prominent physicians.
Meanwhile, activity con-
tinues at a rapid pace in Is-
rael in the sports firma-
ment. At the moment,
Chaim Glovinsky, honorary
treasurer of the Israel
Olympic team is in Russia
completing plans and ar-
rangements for housing and
feeding the Israeli athletes
who will participate in the
1980 Games. Unless some-
thing unforseen comes up,
Israel, definitely, will be
competitive in the upcom-
ing Games.
Friday, June 29, 1919 - 25
III Sale at
III all three
■ PsTisH stories.
KNIT
SUITS
$975°
Peace Challenges
Is Theme of
Schiff Speech
NEW YORK — Dr. Alvin
I. Schiff, executive vice
president of the Board of
Jewish Education of
Greater New ' York,
cautioned that "in the wake
of peace will come many
serious challenges to Israel
and the Diaspora in all ph-
ases of Jewish life," during
his keynote address at the
Zalman Shazar Prize cere-
mony in Israel recently.
Speaking before Jewish
educators, world Zionist
leaders and representatives
of the Israeli government at
the residence of - Israeli
President Yitzhak Navon,
Schiff also paid tribute to
several Diaspora com-
munities and to Dr. Azriel
Eisenberg, who served as
BJE executive vice
president for 17 years.
•• •our
entire stock
and more.
UJA Regional
Set- in Cleveland
NEW YORK — Detroiter
Joel D. Tauber, United
Jewish Appeal -regional
chairman for the East Cen-
tral Region, has announced
that the 1979 regional con-
ference will - be held in
Cleveland, Oct. 18-21.
"A special feature of the
conference," Tauber said
"will be a day devoted ex-
clusively to Women's Di-
vision programming."
• • •our
Fenkell store
forever!
Prof Honored
for Rights Work
PERMIT No. 1446
NEW YORK — Prof. Lee
A. Belford of New York
University's department of
religious education was
honored by the university,
the New York Diocese of the
Episcopal Church and the
Anti-Defamation League -of
Bnai Brith "for his efforts on
behalf of social justice, in-
cluding the civil rights
movement and Jewish-
Christian relations."
Oil to Portugal
CAIRO (ZINS) — Por-
tugal has signed agree-
ments with Egypt to pur-
chase Sinai oil. No date has
been set for the first of three
shipments, which will cost
$400 million.
HEY
DAMON
SPORT
SHIRTS
$900
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