A Profile Of Professor Albert Shield,Chaim Yerushalmi

Originally printed September 6, 1963

When he was invited by the dean of Temple University of Philadelphia to become head of the university's mathematics department, Prof, Albert Shield accepted on condition that he be excused from attending to his duties on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. The forty-three year old professor is a fine representative of Torah im derech eretz. He is one of the nation's outstanding young mathematicians - a foreign mathematical journal recently devoted an entire issue to a discussion of one of his theories - but also a strictly Orthodox Jew, who devotes much time and energy to the advancement of Torah study and Torah Judaism.

Born in a small town in Germany, received his first schooling in Munich. There he studied at the orthodox teachers seminary in Wuerzburg. In 1938 the Gestapo raided the seminary. One hundred students, including Albert, were arrested and sent to the infamous concentration camp of Dachau. The then eighteen year old spent ten weeks at the hell camp. He was almost at end of his strength, when he was freed following his receipt of an entry permit into England. Soon afterwards he immigrated to that country.

Shield resided in England for only about a year. In the spring of 1940, after the fall of France, the British interned all foreigners from enemy countries, including refugees from Germany Austria, fearing that spies might have entered the country in the guise of refugees. The internees were held either in camps in Britain or sent to Australia or Canada. They were released after they had been investigated and cleared by the British authorities.

. Albert was among those who were sent to Canada. He spent some time in a camp near Quebec, but was eventually released and permitted to settle in Toronto. "In Toronto I studied in Yeshivas Torah Chaim, which then existed in that city. Later I began to attend courses at the university. There was a time when I led my day in the following manner: In the morning I learned at the Yeshiva, in the afternoon I taught at a Talmud Torah and in the evening studied at the university," Shield told us when we visited him last week in his home in Philadelphia.

Shield continued his studies at Temple University from which he received a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1950. Since then he has served on the university's faculty. Last year he was made a full professor. This year he was appointed to his present position. As head of the mathematics department, he presides over an academic staff of 23 full time and 10 part time professors and instructors.

Shield, who as we said had asked to be excused from attending to his duties on Shabbos and Jewish holidays, recently made a similar plea on behalf of some of his students. The date for finals coincided with the holiday of Shavuos, Granting Professor Shield's plea, the authorities permitted 13 orthodox students to take their examinations on motzei yom tov. The students spent the festival as guests of the professor and on when the holiday was over, he had made Havdolo and the examinations were held in his house, under his supervision.

While speaking of religious activities among the Jewish student body, Shield could not help telling us of the following, Some time ago, the B'nai B'rith arranged a get-together for Jewish faculty members of Temple University and of University of Pennsylvania. The meeting ""vas attended by ten professors and by the two rabbis of the Hillel Foundation of the two universities. Shield was the only one who wore a yarmulke.

We discussed with the professor the problem of college education for yeshiva boys. Professor Shield said that he was in full accord with the view that a yeshiva man should continue his studies for some time. Only after he would have gained that wealth of knowledge that would enable him to counteract any influences detrimental to religion and he must choose a profession, should he enter college. He said that regrettably too many of our young men who had entered college, before having massed the necessary Torah knowledge, have fallen prey to views not in accord with our tradition.

Professor Shield is the author of several important papers in his field. In addition to serving a head of the mathematics department of Temple University, he is a consultant to the Radio Corporation of America and to Philco Corporation. For a period of time, he taught also at Pennsywania University and was a consultant for the Sun Oil Company.

The mathematician is prominently associated with several orthodox institutions in Philadelphia. He is also active on behalf of the local yeshiva and in the Agudas Yisroel. His wife too takes an active part in communal affairs; the Yeshiva of Philadelphia named her this year's "Eshet Chayil." Mrs. Shields, the former Clara Schechter, also studied at the University of Toronto, where she majored in languages.

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