Don’t Drop Jewish Name, Says Congressman Who Succeeded by Keeping His

Got Position Because He Kept Jewish Name, Jacobstein Relates (Jewish Daily Bulletin)

Apropos of the current discussion aroused regarding the change of names of Jews, an interesting experience was related here by Congressman Meyer Jacobstein of Rochester.

When Jacobstein finished his university course, he informed one of his professors, a non-Jew, of his intention to choose the teaching of economics as a career. The professor warned Jacobstein of the difficulty he would encounter because of his Jewish name and advised him to change it to a non-Jewish one before submitting his application for an appointment.

Jacobstein refused, declaring: “This was my father’s, grandfather’s and other ancestors’ name before me. My grandfather was a rabbi. I am proud of the name and don’t intend to change it even if I am unable to obtain a position.” The professor shook his head dubiously.

Shortly afterwards, Jacobstein applied for an appointment to the economics faculty of the University of North Dakota and was accepted. Later he learned that about fifteen applications had been received, all except his own from non-Jews, with qualifications about equal. The president looking through the applications, noticed that Jacobstein was a Jew. “That settles it, this man gets the job,” he said, “surely a Jew ought to know a little more about economics than these other fellows.”

Jacobstein, in relating the story, remarked “You see a Jew does not always lose by retaining his own name.”