Brain Drain in Israel

Rabbi Bernard Cherrick, vice-president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, expressed concern that the “retrenchment” by all of Israel’s universities is causing some of the best young intellectuals in Israel to leave the country. He said if the money used by the government and the Jewish Agency to get a “few Americans” to make aliya went to the universities it could “be used to keep the best brains in Israel.”

Cherrick spoke last Sunday to some 300 persons at a dinner of the American Friends of Hebrew University at the Essex House Hotel, at which the organization presented its highest honor, the Scopus Award, to Julian Venezky, a Peoria, Illinois lawyer, who is chairman of the board of directors of AFHU and deputy chairman of Hebrew University’s board of governors.

Explaining his statement. Cherrick said the a cutbacks at the universities meant that many young faculty members would lose their jobs. He said many persons who wanted to stay in Israel would leave because there were no places for them on university faculties. He urged AFHU members to provide the needed funds.

Venezky, who was one of the four founders of the Israel Bond Organization and a founder and first chairman of the National Cabinet of the United Jewish Appeal, was presented the award by Dr. Max Kampelman, president AFHU. Samuel Rothberg, of Peoria, chairman of Hebrew University’s board of governors, was chairman of the dinner.

Chaim Herzog. Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, told the gathering that if the Arabs wanted peace they should begin negotiating with Israel instead of promoting anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations. He said the Arabs talked of peace the news media while attacking Israel at the UN. He also noted that the PLO was telling the Western news media that it was ready for peace with Israel while its leaders were telling the Arab world just the opposite.