Another Low for Haaretz
As most of us know, Professor Robert Aumann received the Nobel Prize in Economics several days ago. The headline of Haaretz’s story covering the event was: “School told Nobel Prize Winner in economics ‘you’re no good in math, try auto mechanics.’” The first line of the article repeats the point, the only change being that it begins, “at the yeshiva high school where he studied….”
Professor Aumann studied at the Rabbi Jacob Joseph School, was outstanding in math, graduated from the high school, continued in the Beth Medrash, and in interviews and speeches he has given credit to the yeshiva for his interest in math. It is nothing short of outrageous that Haaretz could not get this right, although I suspect that its willingness to print something so patently false arose in some measure from its antipathy to yeshivas.
If it is not known, I have been president of the Rabbi Jacob Joseph School for thirty-three years, and this is a voluntary position.
So have they responded to your letter?
This is an old chesnut about geniuses. It’s told about Einstein all the time. Einstein told it about himself, I think. Don’t get too offended.