Evening star., 1947-12-10
.Jewry Explores
Plan 10 Build
Hospital Here
Committee to Meet
Tonight to Consider
Need and Costs
By Thomos 6. Buchonon

Washington may soon have new
hospital, built by the efforts Of its
Jewish citizens, to serve not only
the Jewish population but the COM
munity at large.
A special committee of the Jewish
Community Council will meet to-
night to discuss the need, cost and
medical scope of such an institu-
ton.
Long sought by prominent Jew
lSh doctors and laymen here, the
proposed hospital would be organ
lied along lines similar to those
already established in New York,
Boston and other cities.
1t is the third new hospital con-
sidered by religious groups here,
Providence Hospital authorities have
expressed a desire to rebuild their
present institution near Catholic
University, and a Seventh-day Ad-
ventlst group already has laid the
foundation of 60-bed hospital to
serve the Anacostia area.
The projected Jewish hospital
would have these objectives:
l. To help relieve the city-wide
shortage of hospital beds, and sup
plement existing medical services in
which the need is greatest.
2. To provide Jewish doctors with
greater opportunity for hospital
training and practice.
3. To afford orthodox Jews the
assurance that dietary practices
called for by their religion will bs
observed.
200-Bed Hospital Considered.
Although plans are still indefinite,
committee members said today they
are thinking in terms of 200-bed
hospital. They said site adjoining
the Hebrew Home for the Aged,
1125 Spring road NV, is one loca-
tion now being considered.
The institution would be open to
members of all faiths and would
carry a large charity and out
patient load. 1T would conduct well
organized research projects and
might ultimately be affiliated with
Washington medical school.
Jewish leaders were reluctant to
discuss the racial issue but acknowl-
edged that unofficial quota" restric-
tions in the city's existing medical
centers makes it difficult for younger
Jewish doctors to get staff positions.
The proposed new hospital would
expand such training opportunities
here.
An important consideration, they
declared, is the provision of kosher
meals. The absence Of facilities for
preparing foods according to Jewish
ritual in most general hospitals, 1t
was pointed out, often deters ortho-
dox Jews from seeking hospital
ttreatment.
To Explore Problems Tonight.
The Jewish Community Council,
operating with the jacob Medi-
cal Society for Jewish physicians,
took the initiative in planning the
new hospital last month when 1t
appointed special committee to
investigate the matter.
Tonight's meeting will be held in
the Dorchester House, 2480 Six
teenth street NV, home of COM
mittee chairman I. S. Turover,
Bethesda lumber dealer.
Mr.. Turover said the aim of the
committees first meeting would be
to set up machinery to investigate
how large the hospital should be,
where it should be located, how
much it would cost to build and
what would be its estimated annual
operating deficit, which probably
would be underwritten by Jewish
philanthropists here.
Such survey, he said, would be
conducted by professional agency
to be designated by the committee.
If 1t finds that a serious need for
the hospital exists, the committee
will then have the problem Of rails
ing money to finance it.
Anacostia Project Lacks S45O,000.
Meanwhile, work is already under
way on the foundation of Anacos-
tia's new hospital at Nichols avenue
and Forester street S.W.
The six-acre site on which the
hospital is being built was decided
to the General Conference, Seventh
day Adventists, by DR.. Henry Hadley,
veteran Washington physician and
philanthropist.
So far only about sl50,000 is avail
able for construction and most of
this Is DR.. Hadley's own contribution.
Seventh-day Adventist authorities
plan a community appeal early next
year for the balance of the $4,000
they expect to spend to bring the
60-bed hospital to completion.
(Ilnnnni{ D,rL croun AL.