Effort Launched to Convince Nyc Jewish Municipal Workers Who Have Been Dismissed to Emigrate to Isra

The Jewish Agency’s aliya department is going after Jewish municipal employee and teachers, layed off because of New York City’s budget crunch, in an effort to convince them to emigrate to Israel where they will have jobs waiting for them, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned today.

Yehoshua Yadlin, executive director of the Israel Aliya Center of North America, said information about aliya has been given to all of the various associations of Jewish employes. In addition, various emissaries from fields where there are manpower shortages have come to the United States to talk about the job openings. These included teachers and psychologists. A representative of Israel’s Income Tax Office has also interviewed accountants and tax collectors. An emissary from Israel’s police force will arrive soon to interview Jewish policemen who have lost their jobs. Yadlin said.

His comments came after Uzi Narkiss, director general of the Jewish Agency’s aliya department, told the JTA in Jerusalem that a special effort is being made to seek the ousted employes.

Yadlin stressed that the municipal workers being sought are in fields for which there are shortages of people in Israel. All who go will be guaranteed a job, he said. He noted that a special effort has been made throughout the United States to recruit teachers. He said 223 teachers have been contacted throughout the country in the last few months of which 55 have already made aliya, 21 plan to go by the end of the summer and another 33 by the end of the year.

GOOD IDEA, SAYS CITY OFFICIAL

Mayor Abraham Beame’s office said that the mayor has no objection to the Jewish Agency’s recruitment program and the mayor welcomes offers of jobs for the dismissed employes from any source. This was echoed by Nelson Dworkin, who is chief of recruitment for the city’s personnel department. “Sounds like a good idea,” he said.

A spokesman for District Council 37 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employes, AFL-CIO, which represents the largest number of municipal employes, also said that it appeared to be a good idea. Dr. Michael Leinwand, head of the Jewish Teachers Association, also welcomed the Jewish Agency’s efforts and said, “I would be glad to help.”