BLOCH, Bernhard

Calm and Diffident, Bernhard Bloch, attorney, of 50 Court Street, reveals his familiarity with Brooklyn's development by cautious innuendo rather than emphatic statement. This, however, does not in the least detract as, of course, it shouldn't from the worth of his ample observations of the manifold life and growth of the boro, in which he has been practicing law for more than a score of years.

Bloch was born on February 18, 1879, in Hamburg, Germany. He was brought here when he was ten years old. He attended P.S. 75, Manhattan, then he prepared himself for college entrance. He was a student at the College of the City of new York which conferred upon him the Bachelor of Science degree in 1899. Thereupon he became a teacher in public schools for five years, studying law in the meantime. In 1902 he graduated from New York University Law School, and in the same year was admitted to the bar.

Immediately following, he set out to practice in Brooklyn. His legal career, busy and eventful, contains, among other things, a five-year association (between 1910 and 1915) with the now Supreme Court Justice Mitchell May.

Bloch's view of the development of Brooklyn is closely interwoven with his ceaseless interest in the boro's communal life. Thus, he foresees a larger and wider expansion for Brooklyn in the near future because of its unique status as a city equipped with varied facilities of nature itself (the ocean, parks, etc.) as well as facilities created by the hands of man, and because of its proximity to Manhattan.

Speaking of Brooklyn's possibilities, Bloch remarked: "With the development of transit facilities it is inevitable that there will be substantial growth incidental to both the natural increase in population, and to the progressive shrinkage of Manhattan so far as its residential territory is concerned. With Brooklyn offering all comforts as a home city and Manhattan bent on building more skyscrapers it is imminent that there will be, as there is now, the exodus to Brooklyn, which will carry with it the necessity for more buildings in this boro."

Bloch is president of the Lawyers' Club of the Federation of Jewish Charities; director of the Unity Club; founder of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, member of the City college Club, charter member of Federation of Jewish Charities, president (1922 to 1925) of the Hebrew Educational Society, member of the Brooklyn Bar Association, and member of the American-Jewish Committee.

His recreations are: reading, theatre, music, bathing and walking. He is married, and with his wife and three children lives at 774 Rugby Road.

BLOCH, Irving Lee

Irving Lee Bloch, assistant secretary of the Home Title Insurance Company, 51 Willoughby Street, presents a living example of the rise of a poor youth from utter obscurity to a responsible position with an important organization.

And this rise has been brought about chiefly through sheer persistence, hard work and strenuous thinking, added to a flaming ambition to get ahead.

Bloch is an affable, pleasing and suave young man, and he makes friends with a facility given to but a few. In title circles he is regarded as one of the most capable and expert go-getters in the boro.

In the course of his long experience he has come in contact with a great many of the outstanding builders in Brooklyn, and his advice is frequently sought on important matters bearing on real estate.

Bloch was born here, on August 1, 1885. After attending public school he resolved to go to work to meet the pressure of circumstances. However, this did not dampen his enthusiasm for more training and education, and he was able to snatch enough time in the evening to attend a night school in which he took up shorthand and stenography. It was this training that helped him to obtain his first job as stenographer with the organization of which he is now assistant secretary. That was in 1907. In 1912 he was appointed tot he post of "closer of titles"; a year later he was made head of the closing department, and two years later he became assistant secretary. With the exception of a few years of his connection with the U.S. Title Guarantee Company and the Lawyers' Title Company, he spent his business career within the confines of the Home Title, where his services are deemed both exceedingly important and progressively valuable.

Bloch is a member of the Federation of Jewish Charities, Eighth Avenue Temple and its Men's Club, Chamber of Commerce, and the hillcrest Golf Club. He is an Elk and a 32d degree Mason.

His diversions are: golf, the theater, music and dancing (in which he is superbly proficient). He was married in 1910, is the father of two children, and lives with his family at 103 Lefferts Avenue, Flatbush.