MAR g

ie oa

 

wes wae yo

THE WE € OF SCIENCE
REHOVOT : ISRAEL Sew? niaint
PROF, 1. DOSTROVSKY IPRAIIVOAT .7 BINS
kehirg President February 28, 1974 Spee NWS

Prof. Joshua Lederberg

Dept. of Genetics

Stanford University Med.Schl.
Stanford, Calif. 94305

USA

Dear Prof. Lederberg,

Our retreat from the Suez Canal has had only a minor effect
on the personnel situation at the Institute. People are beginning
to trickle back in small numbers, but so far the effect is hardly
felt. | hope that the next few weeks will see an increase in
their numbers.

During the war and the period immediately following it the
participation in the national effort of those of the Institute
who were not called up for service for various reasons was very
much on an ad hoc basis and often as a result of individual
initiative. In this way groups and individuals helped out in
essential industries, on farms, in services and In social work.
The tasks fulfilled were mostly outside the normal competence of
the staff. They included, for example, fairly routine assembly
duties in industry, milking cows and picking flowers for export,
delivering mail, teaching in schools, transporting people and
helping families of fallen soldiers in various ways. Many of the
scientific staff are still taking part in the army's educational
and recreational programme (I'm not sure how exactly to classify
this activity!) by giving lectures on various scientific subjects
to front line troops.

Gradually these activities are being instituttonalized and
formalized. This is done within the framework of a national
policy aimed at a more equitable sharing of the load of the
emergency between the part of the nation manning the lines and
the part of the nation "back home", in the rear. The
Ministry of Education has issued clear guidelines for national
service of the Institutions of Higher Learning in Israel.
Although these affect primarily the universities with their
large student bodies, the Institute will also participate in
this programme. In addition, various other formal arrangements
of long duration are being finalized.

2/..

CABLE ADDRESS: WEIZINST (tsrael) rp poand ]¥D PHONE: 951721 yipoy
These extracurricular activities have been beneficial
in more than one way. Not only did the work of our staff
provide valuable direct and immediate help but the contact
of Institute personnel with parts of society entirely new
to them was important to both sides. The fact that scientists
came and worked shoulder to shoulder with soldiers, workers,
and farmers had a certain morale lifting value. At the same
time Institute scientists became directly aware of the problems
facing the nation at the present time. An appreciable number
of people are still involved in these activities.

Closer home, the continuing manpower shortage requires a new
approach to its utilisation. The problem is being tackled on two
levels - redistribution of personnel and retraining. The latter
point perhaps needs some further explanation. We are trying to
create a pool of people who, after proper training, can fill in
for various service personnel when they are called up. For example,
we alm at training some laboratory technicians and junior scientists
in the operation of basic workshop machines and in the maintenance
of mechanical and electrical equipment. Up to now, the Institute
equipment and facilities have been running well with reduced
maintenance because of the good condition in which they entered
the war period. But obviously this cannot last and already signs
are apparent of incipient breakdown and urgent need of maintenance.
it is this situation we are trying to solve by the retraining and
reassignment of personnel.

In spite of all these vicissitudes the Institute functions
almost normally. The present letter is getting a bit too long
to turn now to a description of some important scientific
matters. ! shall write you again soon a letter devoted entirely
to scientific and academic matters.

With best regards,

Sincerely,

~

i. ON