10 December 1953
Dr. S. Weinbaum
221 North Rampart St.
Los Angeles, Calif.
Dear Sidney:
I am sorry that I was not in my office when you and Lena dropped by. I am very busy
right now getting everything done that needs to be done before leaving for India.
There is a matter that I feel that I should mention to you. When I was in Israel
and looking over the scientific work that was being done I thought of the possibility
that you and Lena would want to emigrate to that country. I may say that I was very
much impressed by it.
I spoke to Dr. Aaron Katchalsky, Weizmann Institute, Rehovoth, Israel, about you.
He suggested that you write to him if you are interested in the possibility.
Dr. Katchalsky is a leading chemist - his field is the chemistry of high polymers.
During the last few years he has been scientific director of the Weizmann Institute,
but that job has now been turned over to his brother.
Dr. Katchalsky said that the laws of Israel are such that any Jew who asks for admission
to the country is admitted.
He also said that it might be possible to arrange a job for you teaching physics somewhere
in Israel.
At the present time there is little work in physics being done in the Weizmann Institute
- they have laid the cornerstone of a physics laboratory, but have not yet appointed
physicists to the staff. No teaching is done there, however, and probably Dr. Katchalaky
had in mind some other institution. There is a university, Hebrew University, in
Jerusalem, and a technical school, the Teknion, in Haifa. In addition, there are,
I think, other schools in which physics is taught at other places in the country.
I found that I was very much interested in the kibbuzin. It occurred to me that it
would be possible that you and Lena would want to join a kibbuz. Probably you would
then work as a teacher, but the level of instruction in physics, mathematics, and
related subjects would not be very high. The kibbuzin are primarily agricultural
communal groups, but they carry on instruction of the younger people there.
Sincerely yours,
Linus Pauling:W
