Justice Meier Steinbrink, national chairman of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, today filed a formal complaint with the New Jersey Division Against Discrimination charging that he was denied accommodations by the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall in Atlantic City because of his “Jewish creed”
The incident which prompted the action by the recently retired New York Supreme Court judge occurred on March 5, 1952, when he attempted to make a reservation for a double room through the Chalfonte’s New York office. The request was made via telephone by the judge’s secretary in his name. Later that same day the hotel’s New York representative called back to say that no accommodations were available for the desired dates, March 25th to April 1st.
“Suspecting that the refusal of accommodations was due to my Jewish name.” Justice Steinbrink stated, “I immediately arranged for a telephone call to be made to the New York office of the respondent hotel under the name of John Elliot.” This reservation, the judge asserted, which was for the same accommodations originally requested by him, was granted by the hotel and subsequently confirmed by letter.
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