Appeals to British-jewish Millionaires to Endow Hebrew University

(J. T. A. Mail Service)

“The Jewish Guardian,” non-Zionist weekly published here under the headline, “Wanted, Millionaires!”, urges British Jews to provide endowments for the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In an editorial in its issue of Aug. 3, the paper writes:

“What seems to us to be wanted for the Hebrew University is an intelligent millionaire. There is really a splendid opportunity for the characteristic gesture of such a personage.

“It seems to us a bit humiliating, if we may say so, that provincial cities in England, such as Bristol, Nottingham and Reading, to select three recent examples, can get up universities in a day out of the proceeds of the checks of their own prominent and grateful citizens, while the Chancellor of the University of Jerusalem has to conclude his address by saying: “It is impossible, of course, to carry out the programme authorized by the Board of Governors without the necessary means. A budget for the coming year covering regular expenditures of £54,000 was authorized, and in addition to this it will be necessary for the University to secure the remaining money required for the completion and furnishing of the new Library building. As is known, almost all of the money necessary for the support of the University comes from America. I should really feel ashamed, and perhaps it would seem incredible, if I were to mention the unbelievably small sum that comes to the treasurer of the University from all the countries of the world except America. The University, of course, expects more and more funds from America, but the University has been established for the sake of all Judaism, and both Palestine itself and the rest of Jewry both East and West should feel their obligation to this Jewish centre of learning.’

“We thoroughly sympathize with Dr. Magnes; we thoroughly share his sense of shame. Bristol has its tobacco, Nottingham its lace, Reading its biscuits, and the rich men endow their seats of learning. One city, one university, is becoming the rule in England. All the cities, half a university, would seem to be the practice among us Jews.

“Surely, there are rich men in all Israel, who can do for Jerusalm, the Holy City, at least as much as a millionaire apiece has done for commercial centres in this country. The Hebrew University at Jerusalem has struck the imagination of the world. Jews settle in Palestine by the consent of the League of Nations, under the terms of the British Mandate, and found a national home among the hills consecrated by their history, and almost their first act is to establish the nucleus of a University. They get the first statesman in Europe, the veteran ex-Premier of England, to open the University in person. Yet Jerusalem lags behind Nottingham in the public spirit of the men who should support it. We very earnestly hope that some Jew of public spirit, not necessarily a ‘Zionist’ in any political sense–for knowledge has no politics–may now at once be forthcoming to put at least £500,000 at the disposal of Dr. Magnes and his coadjutors.

“Secular education at home needs no plea for support. But the help of rich men is wanted for several allied objects. The University College, London, Centenary Appeal, which will incude the rehousing of the Mocatta Library, is still in need of ampler funds. Our Ministers of religion, who are also teachers, must be liberally pensioned, and this complement to the Jewish War Memorial is urgently required. We appeal to millionaires with imagination to give largely, big sums, at once. It is not a question of a hundred pounds here and there. It is a question of laying permanent foundations for the educationa security of the rising generation of British Jews,” the paper declares.

A patent was granted to Eugene Vinogradov of the Bronx, a Jewish student of Morris High School, for a newspaper vending machine, an automatic device for the sale of newspapers. It contains several newspapers or magazines and releases one at a time, when a token or a sufficient number of pennies is dropped in a slot.

A previous patent was granted to Vinogradov for an optical and automatic device, which eliminates the use of electric lights in dark rooms during the day ime, by means of efflcient and equal distribution of sunlight throughout the building.

The drive for financial relief for the families of European Jewish veterans of the World War was endorsed by Governor Smith in a letter made public yesterday by Julius S. Berg, National Chairman of the Foreign Veterans’ Relief Drive. The letter was addressed to Colonel Morris J. Mendelsohn, Cmmander-in-Chief of the Jewish Veterans of the Wars of the Republic.