lie Friday, September 21,1919 THE INTROIT JEWISH NEWS Philanthropist Jakob Michael Dies, Was Yeshiva U. Backer Readers Forum Materials submitted to the Readers Forum must be brief. The writer's name will be withheld from publication upon request. No unsigned letters will be published. Materials will not be returned unless a stamped, self-addressed envelope is enclosed. Jewish Contributions to Modern Society Editor, The Jewish News: It is time for the Ameri- can Jews to present a united front and make both the young Jewish people aware of their heritage, and Americans aware of the re- markable contributions this small minority has made to this country and the world. It is time for the gentiles to know that if anti- Semitism interfered with the benefits gained from the Jews, they would refuse a blood transfusion — be- cause Dr. Landsteiner, a Jew, made it possible by dis- covering how to type blood. Also, they would not want their children to be im- munized against polio — the vaccine was discovered by two Jewish doctors: Jonas Salk and Albert Sa- bin. It would be most unfortu- nate if anyone contacted syphillis, because Dr. Was- serman, who found a test to determine the disease, and Dr. Ehrlich, who ,was the first to find a cure for it — were Jews. Maybe they won't want to drink pas- teurized milk — because it was a Jew by the name of r Nathan Straus who first learned about Louis Pas- teur's methods, and intro- duced pasteurized milk to America by establishing milk depots for the poor throughout America. Lillian Wald, a nurse who founded the Henry Street Settlement House on New York's East Side — estab- lished the "Visiting Nurse Service" which was copied throughout the country. As for nourishing diets, the concept of vitamins came from Casimir Funk, a re- search chemist in London. It was Dr. Selman Ab- raham Waksman, at Rut- gers University, after many years of research who conceived the theory of anti-biotics and dis- covered the "wonder drug" — streptomycin. Dr. Samuel A. Levine was the first doctor to diag- nose coronary throm- bosis. Dr. Albert Ab- raham Michelson, who found how to measure the speed of light, was the first American to receive the Nobel Prize. Julius Rosenwald was the first American to recognize To: The Jewish News 1 751 5 W. 9 Mile Rd. Suite 865 Southfield, Mich. 48075 the needs of the black corn- munity'and made huge con- tributions to establish wel- fare and educational pro- grams for the Negros. In 1862 the first children's clinic was established by Dr. Abraham Jacobs. Among the musicians rank George Gershwin, Irv- ing Berlin, Leonard Berns- tein, Jascha Heifitz and Vladmir Horowitz. The man who was the first person to make a breakthrough for the treatment of mental ill- ness, was Sigmund Freud, whose theories were intro- duced to this country by Dr. A. A. Brill, also a Jew. In every century Jews have been invited to settle in countries to help develop them, then they have been turned upon, tortured, and murdered, and forced to flee to other havens. The concept of Zionism was not born from idle ambition — but from de- spair, and a knowledge that Jews are secure nowhere in the world. During World War I, in Great Britain, Chaim Weizmann, a Jewish scien- tist discovered a method for producing TNT — which was vital to England's vic- tory. As a reward the Bal- four Declaration was issued — it promised to establish Palestine as a Jewish state and a British protectorate, where all Jews could enter. Palestine was a land of swamps, sand and stones. It was made habitable and fer- tile by people who had few funds and no knowledge and experience in farming, be- cause they had been re- WEI JUST moved from the soil -long ago. Schools and universities were built — the Hadassah Hospital was established through the voluntary ef- forts of Jewish women in America, and for the first time, modern medicine was introduced to the Middle East, and extended impar- tially to both the Arabs and Jewish settlers. After cen- turies, ancient diseases were abolished from this part of the world. The Jews comprise about one quarter of one percent of the entire population of the world — and yet the contribu- tion of the handful of these people cannot be measured. From the ancient world came the Law of Moses — The Ten Commandments which is the simplest set of laws to guide human rela- tionships. In the modern world, the father of the atomic age is the Jewish genius Albert Einstein. This great man once said, "Today in Ger- many, I am hailed as a German man of science, and in England, I am pleasantly represented as a foreign Jew.. But if ever my theories are repudiated, the Ger- mans will condemn me as a foreign Jew, and the English will dismiss me as a `German.' " The Jews are a remarka- ble and glorious people. It is time to dispel the unfortu- nate, persistent, distorted vision of the ugly Jew, and enlighten the world with the truth. Ann Barnett * * * Involve Kids for Israel Editor, The Jewish News: Give our children and youth the proper tools of in- formation and they will join us with head held high. Children are our future. Who is responsible for the burden of guilt we have placed on our children, forc- ing them to closet their identity? We are combat- ting $40 million of Arab propaganda and our own un-unified position because we are not informed of the facts, therefore, unable to rally united strengths. Is- rael is the only democracy in the Middle East, the only U.S. friend in the zone to combat Soviet dominance. Focus on our children; prepare, educate, discuss, reinforce. Make them aware, include them in con- versation and discussion on current events. Read to them, support educational efforts, take them to public, From Paste in old label NAME L Please Allow Two Weeks J Where no wise direction is, a people falleth; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. community-sponsored per- tinent lectures and debates. Younger children are never too young to begin hearing, listening, being aware and involved. Esther Pastor WZO Appointees NEW YORK — Dr. Jacob Freid has been appointed director of the public infor- mation department of the American Section of the World Zionist Organiza- tion. Dr. Freid was -formerly director of the Jewish Braille Institute of America, and of the Ameri- can Jewish Congress Office of Jewish Information where he also edited the "Jewish Affairs" series. He was chairman of the faculty, and of the Department of Political Science of the New School for Social Research. Dr. Mordecai S. Chertoff, the former director of the WZO department, has been appointed editor of the WZO's "Herzl Press." NEW YORK — Jakob Michael, industrialist, philanthropist and bene- factor of Yeshiva Univer- sity, died Sept. 7 at age 85. A trustee of Yeshiva Uni- versity since 1967, Mr. Michael provided the in- stitution with a $1.25 mil- lion gift to establish the Erna Michael College of Hebraic Studies. The school was named in 1966 in memory of Mr. Michael's wife, who died in 1964. Mr. Michael was awarded the honorary Doctor of Humane letters degree by Yeshiva University in 1967. Mr. Michael was known as an authority on Jewish ceremonial music as well as for his collection of Jewish ceremonial objects. In 1967, acting with the American Patrons of the Israel Museum, he gave the museum a Psalm book from Spain dating to 1492 and a Jewish music collection said to be the largest private as- semblage of its kind. Mr. Michael's benefac- tions also made possible the Jakob and Erna Michael Institute for Biomedical Research at Yeshiva University's Al- bert Einstein College of Medicine and the Erna and Jakob Michael Mic- rofilm Center in Jewish National and University Library of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Mr. Michael donated the ancient Italian Synagogue of Vittorio Veneto to the Be- zalel National Museum in Jerusalem. Other buildings donated in Israel included the Erna Michael School and the Nevi Michael Chil- dren's Home in Parades Hanna; Wingate Youth Aliya Children's Home, Tel Aviv; World Academy for Higher Jewish Studies, Jerusalem; Ozar Hatorah School in Shiraz; Yeshiva Torah Um'locha, Tel Aviv; Torah Schools for Israel in Natanya, Keren Yeldenu in Erin Karem, Jerusalem; and the Erna Michael In- stitute of Nuclear Science at Weizmann Institute in Re- hovot. Mr. Michael was s foun- der of the Jakob Michael Li- brary of Mosak Kook, Jerusalem and the Jakob Michael Collection of Jewish Music. He was a founder of Albert Einstein College of Medicine; the new Hebrew University Campus, Jerusalem; Boys- town Jerusalem; and Yav- neh, the national religious Jewish student organiza- tion. He was an alternate governor of the Hebrew University, a member of the board of overseers of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and co- chairman of the men's committee of Women's Social Services for Israel. His other cultural and educational organization affiliations included mem- bership: board of trustees, World Academy for Higher Jewish Studies, Jerusalem; Encyclopedia Judaica search Foundation and Th._ Jewish Center, both in New York; board of directors, American Friends of the Hebrew University; Jewish Music Forum; Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem; Joint Distribution-,Commit- tee; United HIAS Service; United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York; Otzar Hatorah, Inc., and the Na- tional Advisory Committee of the Synagogue Council of America. S. Levison, Rights Activist NEW YORK — Stanley David Levison, a New York lawyer and businessman, who was a key adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a behind-the-scenes figure in the Southern Christian Leadership Con- ference, died Sept. 12 at age 67. According to the New York Times, Mr. Levison played a prominent role in civil rights, peace and labor causes. A real estate investor and Ford dealer who was active in the American Jewish Congress, Mr. Levison influenced the financial policies, strategy and tac- tics used by Dr. King and the SCLC, the New York Times reported. Book Presents Modern View of the Torah "Ever Since Sinai," by Dr. Jacob J. Petuchowski (B. Arbit Books), propounds a philosophy of Judaism which is based upon the mil- lennial Jewish faith as well as the findings of modern scholarship. In the book, various poe- tic images are projected by the author to reveal the many-faceted nature of Torah concept. First, the Torah envisaged as a metaphysi- cal marriage contract be- tween God and Israel. Sec- ondly, the meaning and re- levance of the Torah are al- legorized by means of the blessing recited before the Max Friedman, reading of the scripture les- son-. of Shoe Chain The third metaphor NEW YORK — Max L. contemplates the Torah Friedman, former president as a "tree of life" and of the A. S: Beck Shoe Corp. stresses the organic and a benefactor and char- growth of Judaism ter member of the board of through its written and overseers of the Albert oral versions. Dr. Petuchowski is a re- Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva Uni- search professor of Jewish versity, died Sept. 18 at age theology and liturgy at the Hebrew Union College. 93.