Zionist Students in Poland Want Hebrew University in Palestine to Be Converted into Regular Universi

The Zionist student organisations in Poland have decided to petition the Jewish Agency authorities to convert the Hebrew University in Jerusalem into a regular teaching University with sufficient room for the Jewish students who are unable to pursue their studies in Poland, because of the antisemitic terrorism.

Signatures are being collected for the petition.

Demands that the Hebrew University should be transformed into a proper teaching University, giving normal University facilities to large bodies of students from Europe have been made repeatedly for several years past. Mr. Vladimir Jabotinsky has been especially prominent in putting this demand, urging several times that the aim to be pursued by the Hebrew University should be to provide educational facilities for Jewish students who are victims of the numerus clausus in Poland, Hungary and Roumania.

The Board of Governors of the Hebrew University, Mr. Jabotinsky said at a meeting held in Paris in April 1928, had recently proposed a budget of 350,000 dollars for the University. This sum was sufficient, he claimed, for an institution of higher learning with all the necessary faculties. The University of Madrid, he stated, costs the Government 400,000 dollars a year and has five faculties; the famous University of Jena costs 400,000 dollars and also has five faculties, and the University of Berne costs 300,000 dollars.

The budget contemplated for the Hebrew University, he declared, is therefore enough to make it possible to have a real university in Jerusalem. Unfortunately the organisers and founders of the Jerusalem University had adopted the attitude that they must create a scientific research institute, forgetful of the fact that there are thousands of Jewish youths who require an institution of learning which issues diplomas like any other university, and which would allow them afterwards to follow their chosen professions. It would be easy enough, he said, to find the teaching staff.

At the last Zionist Congress held last July in Basle, a resolution was adopted, which says that “the Congress looks upon the Hebrew University in Jerusalem as the highest institution of Hebrew and general academic education, which should exist not only as a scientific research institute, but as a complete University, a teaching institute where the graduates of the Hebrew schools in Palestine and Jewish students of the Diaspora can complete their studies as in the Faculties of European Universities, and obtain their academic degrees”.

The introduction of degree-teaching at the Hebrew University was approved by the Board of Governors and the Academic Council of the University at its meeting held in London as far back as June 1928, only a few weeks after Mr. Jabotinsky’s meeting in Paris. The decision was taken on the basis of a report drawn up the previous year by a special Committee presided over by Professor Brodetsky, appointed by the Board of Governors in August 1926, approving the introduction of degree-teaching in accordance with the general sense of the report, with proper safeguards in order to ensure that only students who are fully qualified, and prepared to undertake intensive study, are admitted, and that University courses be introduced only in subjects for which there are at the University professors and lecturers of high University rank, and in which adequate equipment also exists for the prosecution of post-graduate teaching and research, making a beginning in a Faculty of Arts and Humanities, by constituting the Institute of Jewish Studies and the School of Oriental Studies departments of the Faculty, and by instituting courses in Philosophy, History and Letters in the Faculty.

At the meeting of the Board of Governors and the Academic Council of the Hebrew University held in Zurich last July a special Committee was set up to take action with regard to the legal status of the University as a degree-giving institution. The meeting decided that titles of the degrees should be given after the first degree examinations take place in November.

Dr. J. L. Magnes, the Chancellor of the Hebrew University, in opening the sixth academic year of the University about a month ago, on October 26th., said: We confront a paradoxical situation in this the sixth year of the existence of the Hebrew University. On the one hand the grave economic crisis in the world compels us to reduce our budget by ten thousand pounds below the budget that was spent last year. On the other hand, we are in the fortunate position of announcing the establishment of the new Division of Biological Studies for a limited number of students.

The paradox, find suits answer in two factors, he pursued. The one that a large number of research laboratories in biological sciences are already in existence and it is these research laboratories with their personnel and equipment which are now to be placed at the disposal of students. This is not expected to interfere with the distinguished quality of the research work that has been going on for the past several years. In order therefore to establish this new Division of Biological Studies the University has had to add very little to what has already been in existence for research purposes. The second factor enabling the University in these critical days to establish the Division of Biological Studies for teaching purposes is the readiness of all the workers of the University to agree to the reductions in salaries.

During the coming December, he added, the Hebrew University will grant its first degrees to students in the Humanities. The first degree to be given by the Hebrew University will be that of M. A. (Magister Artium). The Board of Governors decided also that the research degree of the Hebrew University, which will not be conferred upon anyone for two more years, despite the research work that has already been done, should be the PH.D. (Philosophiae Doctor).

I should like at this point to mention, he added, that the University is continuing to give consideration to the question of entrance examinations to the Hebrew University. A detailed plan will be announced shortly. But it should be understood at once that these examinations are not general University examinations on the one hand, or secondary school leaving examinations on the other.