Designing Eco-Architecture
THE
ISRAEL
Alan Dershowitz on Hamas
MAGAZINE
Clean Tech Entrepreneurship: The Time is Right
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VOL. 2, ISSUE NO. 25 FEBRUARY 2009
Beshalach, Feb 6, 2009 LIGHT
BET SHEMESH GUSH ETZION JERUSALEM MODI'IN TEL AVIV NEW YORK LONDON
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THE
ISRAEL
MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2009
February 2009: Shvat 5769 6 News: 22 Days of War 8 Greener Zionism 10 5 Questions for a Water Expert 12 Hamas’ Dead Baby Strategy 14 Health: Healing Migraines 16 Solar Energy Profiles 18 Simple Ways to Become Green 20 Green Architect
Did you know?
24 Travel: Khirbet Sumak 26 CleanTech Entrepreneurship
28 Finance 30 Relationships: Acceptance
There are 2,508,997 registered cars in Israel. In 2007, 229,721 new cars were bought. (M.O.T)
32 Environmental Education 34 Art: The African Connection 35 Food-a-licious Second Year, No. 25 February © 2009 by IsraTimes, Inc., 1 Ben Yehuda Street. All rights reserved. To contact us with your questions, concerns, or subscription inquiries, please call (02)625-6225 or email editor@ isratimes.com. For advertising needs, please call: (02)625-6227. Managing Publisher: Elie Rubin elie@isratimes.com Editor-in-Chief: Yehudit Singer Art Director: Yifat Safian Classifieds & Marketing: Yoel Almog, Avraham R. Sayegh, Martin Silverstone, Steve Jacobs Studio Rubin & Co: (054)723-4520 Stock Photography: istockphoto.com, Flickr. Copyrighting laws apply to all articles, and nothing may be reprinted without express permission from the Publisher. IsraTimes is not responsible for the content of the advertisements. The opinions represented in the articles contained within the IsraTimes rest solely upon the authors. Reproduction of any parts of the IsraTimes is forbidden without permission. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM READING THE ISRATIMES IN THE BEIT KNESSET DURING TIMES OF TEFILLAH. Please make sure to recycle your copy of IsraTimes when you finish reading!
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| February 2009
HABAYIT HAYEHUDI Prof. Rabbi Daniel Hershkowitz
Zevulun Orlev
Uri Orbach
Nissan Slomianski
Sar-Shalom Gerbi
Liora Minka
Always at the forefront of Society & Education Always at the forefront of Judaism Always at the forefront of Security Always at the forefront of Settling in Israel
www.habait-hayehudi.co.il
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בס“ד
news
Sudanese Refugees request IDF Service
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A group of Sudanese refugees asked to be recruited into the IDF to aid the fight against Hamas in Gaza. “We want to tell all the Israelis that it hurts us and it’s hard for us watching soldiers and civilians being killed. We have been here for a long time and feel connected to Israel. We have children who were born here, and we don’t want just work and money, we want to help Israelis,” said Sammy Yosef of Eilat. (Haaretz)
The IDF & Civilian Deaths The international media has been in an uproar regarding the number of civilian deaths in Gaza. Human rights organizations are now calling on indicting Israeli leaders for ‘war crimes’. According to IDF Spokesman Capt. Doron Spielman, “Hamas militants are not in uniform, they are dressed like civilians, and so the challenge in this operation is discerning who is a civilian and who is a militant.” Spielman told IsraTimes, “Were we not concerned with preventing civilian casualties on the Palestinian side, this would have been finished in 48 hours.”
Gaza who were not involved in terror and served as hostages for the murders of Hamas. We did not fight against them; we did not wish to harm them or their children or their parents or their siblings. On behalf of the State and Government of Israel, I convey our profound regret for these victims.”
Hamas booby-trapped civilian homes, schools, and hospitals which exacerbated the explosive reaction upon Israeli air strikes. Spielman said, “The Hamas leadership went underground, while the civilians were in the way of fire. It is extremely important to realize that this is the way Hamas works.” Over the years, Hamas has targeted civilians with rockets, mortars, and suicide attacks, deemed as “crimes against humanity” by Amnesty International.
Throughout the war in Gaza, Hamas found it difficult to garner support from the Arab world. “They are acting as if they are dictating policies for the Arab world, so it’s unlikely that Egypt is going to go out of its way to help strengthen their rule,” said Egypt’s foreign minister Mahmoud Aboul al-Ghait. “It’s a fact they Hamas is fragmenting the Palestinian people and bringing us backwards.” (Maariv)
Arab world against Hamas
United States PM Olmert’s Statement to I n a u g u r a t e s European Leaders 44th President “I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to reiterate the pain of the State of Israel and its sorrow and that of its soldiers for the loss of civilian life among the citizens of
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“Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values
upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old.” –Inauguration Speech of Barack Obama
Israeli Elections Kadima or Likud? Will it Make a Difference?
“We must make it known to the world that a two-state solution is detached from the Middle East reality.”- Benny Begin
TV talk show host Geraldo Rivera: “Are the people who fire the rockets at Israel terrorists?” Ambassador Riyad Mansour, UN Palestinian Envoy: “No, they are not terrorists.” | February 2009
news
1. Students participate in “Project Connect: Israel Winter Mission” through YU’s Center for the Jewish Future. Pictured: David Abrams and Adina Rosenblatt. 2. Postcard made by Brazilian Bnei Akiva leadership mission, as part of an international campaign for the IDF. 3. Students in the Yeshivat Hesder in Sderot packing food for 500 poor families in Sderot. Approximately 100 students there were drafted for Operation Cast Lead. 4. Chairman of the AFMDA Projects and Allocations Committee Jeremy Fingerman inspects a house hit by a rocket with MDA Chairman Dr. Noam Yifrach 5. “Project Connect: Israel Winter Mission”. Pictured: Meira Weiss Fartachi 6. AFMDA presents a $500,000 check to Magen David Adom outside the Sderot MDA station. 7. Enforced indoor amusement part “HaMishakia”, slated to open in March, funded by JNF-USA.
15 19 41,937
Seconds of warning given to Sderot residents to get to protective shelter Average time (in seconds) it takes to tie your shoes Tons of humanitarian supplies transferred to Gaza
4 70-94 8
Morning hour that rocket warning system begins in Sderot
% of Sderot children who suffer from PTSD symptoms Years of kassam rockets in the south
The staff of IsraTimes joins its readers in wishing our heartfelt condolences to the families of the fallen heroes of Operation Cast Lead:
13 10 71
Israelis killed in Operation Cast Lead
Israeli soldiers killed in Operation Cast Lead Palestinians evacuated to Israel for medical treatment
2,744 Hamas
336 182
Attacks by the IAF against
Staff Sgt Dvir Emanuelof, 22, of Giv’at Ze’ev Maj. Dagan Wartman, 32, of Ma’ale Michmash Staff Sgt. Nitai Stern, 21, of Jerusalem Cpl. Yousef Muadi, 19, of Haifa
Israeli soldiers wounded
Capt. Yehonatan Netanel, 27, of Kedumim
Israeli civilians wounded
Staff Sgt. Alexander Mashvitzky, 21, of Beersheba
At press time, Hamas is still launching rocket attacks against Israel, still summgling arms through underground tunnels and Gilad Shalit is still held hostage. Has the war really ended? www.isratimes.com
Warrant Officer Lutafi Nasraladin, 38, of Daliat al-Karmel
Maj. Roi Rosner, 27, of Holon Sgt Amit Robinson, 20, of Kibbutz Magal Capt. Omer Rabinovitch, 23 of Arad 7
eretZ
Greener Zionism
C
By SHAUL JUDELMAN
ould it be that the greatest global crisis since the Flood could be slipping by without the Torah mentioning it? Given that the Torah is the Book of Life and the Jewish people’s guide to living on Earth- that would be a serious omission. So why isn’t the religious world leading the environmental movement? And where is the Shulchan Aruch (Jewish Code of Law) for environmental issues? These were two major questions that accompanied my entrance into the Jewish religious world. As I learned that the Torah is a Source that has accompanied the Jewish people throughout our history, I started noticing that many Jewish texts present perspectives on questions at the heart of the environmental crisisit’s just no one that ever had the context of environmental crisis to see what was being said. Being that the Torah starts out with a very detailed description of the creation of the world, clearly the continued survival of this world must also be of concern. But nobody ever faced species extinction to understand why it was so important for the Torah to say that also the grasses brought forth their own seed for the continuance of each species, and for this it says “G-d was happy with His creation.” Why aren’t the Rabbis talking about it? Was there even a place where these environmental questions were seen as important enough to warrant study? And action? “Jewish environmentalism” is a quiet renaissance of projects that offers programming to young people in summer camps, schools and synagogues. Yet the reusable plates and nature walks remain rather foreign to the Orthodox world. However, an influx of ba’alei teshuva with deep commitments to both Torah and environmental values have been
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forging various new environmental projects even within the religious world. The growth of Environmental discourse within the religious world— a world that is inherently slow to take in ideas and ideologies from the outside—- has been slow but steady. Especially in Israel, with a religious world that is largely Right, and an environmental movement that is decidedly Left, there is an added challenge for environmental ethics to sweep the country. With new programs like the EABM and the Halichot Olam Center for Environmental Torah Research are bringing out the sources laying dormant in the Torah and even provoking Rabbinic conversation about these issues. Our Eco-Activist Beit Midrash is another example of a unique program, run under the roof of Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo in Jerusalem, where English speaking 20somethings combine Torah learning on environmental topics with community service, internships and tiyulim across Israel. We pride ourselves on the interns and workers we are bringing to Israel, as we renew people’s sense of Israel being a place where they have a niche to fill and contribute to a “Greened Zionism. “ The process of reconnecting Israel to Jews and the Torah to the earth is an example of an ecological principle— that a native environment grows the most effective tools to address it’s own challenges. The Torah is a likely guide to advancing Ecological thought within the Jewish people. Moreover, the meeting of Diaspora Jews with the Land of Israel opens a special connection between person and Place that is such a prime relationship in ecology.° Rav Shaul David Judelman, director of the Eco-Activist Beit Midrash, made aliya from Seattle, Washington, and completed smicha studies at Yeshivat Bat Ayin in 2006. For more info, contact www.shlomoyeshiva.org/eco or email organicjew@yahoo.com
Green Map Israel The Green Map system is an internationally-recognized system that enables anyone to participate in the “Green” elements of any local or urban area. To date, the system includes 560 cities, towns and villages in 54 countries. The Green Map is a fantastic, userfriendly resource for all those who wish to get on the greener side of any participating city. SPNI (Society of the Protection of Nature in Israel), in conjunction with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, has created a Green Map for Jerusalem. The map has over 150 icons separated by categories that include urban nature sites, communityecological gardens, recycling points throughout the city (bottles, paper, batteries), compost sites, historical preservation sites, bike paths, places with access for the handicapped, business and stores known for their environmentallyfriendly products, environmental organizations and more. Jacqueline Rose, Coordinator of Jerusalem’s Green Map website tells us, “for years, people who knew the city sent it suggestions and comments. The Ministry of Environmental Protection gave us permission to use their GIS (geographic information system), and thus Jerusalem’s Green Map was born.” The map enables everyone to get more acquainted with the ecological resources in the city, and opens the possibility to increase “eco-tourism” here in Israel. Plans are being made for Green Maps in Tel-Aviv, Haifa & other cities. Check out: www.greenmap.org.il
| February 2009
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environment
5Questions for
an Expert on Water: Professor Avner Adin by yehudit sinGer
Professor Adin is an expert on the engineering and technological aspects of how Israel is re-using waste-water for irrigation purposes. He is also an expert on purifying the wastewater for application to drip irrigation, a technology further developed at the Hebrew University, which saves a third to a half of water in the irrigation process. This technology is now being employed all over the world, particularly in countries where water is relatively scarce. He is the Founder of the Israeli Water Association.
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Since Israel’s major water resources are at risk, what is the potential to use the Mediterranean to supply water?
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The Mediterranean is a good and reliable source of water, but obviously we have to take the salt out before supplying it. This is done through sea water desalination plants. There are two in Israel: in Ashkelon, which is the largest Reverse Osmosis plant in the world, and in Palmachim. Together these plants produce 18% of the domestic water use in Israel. The goal is to increase the amount such plants produce, even though they will not solve the problem completely.
Drip irrigation is a water technology that has little drippers along a pipe, and allows water to drip directly into the plant. It reduces the water pressure, so water does not flow out in full force. Sprinklers, on the other hand, water the entire ground. Sub-Soil drip irrigation is a similar type of technology that waters the roots of the plants.
2
What is being done to increase water resources here?
Since the 1970’s Israel has become the #1 in the world for re-using municipal waste water. We currently re-use 75% of municipal waste water, mostly for agricultural purposes. Spain is #2 in the world, but only re-uses 12%. The goal is to get to 100%. After normal treatment, the water goes into ponds, and gets infiltrated into the soil, an innovative process named SAT – SoilAquifer Treatment. It is another project developed in Israel that is now used abroad. In SAT the natural sub-soil is used both for storage and as a huge physical-chemicalbiological filter which produces excellent quality, all-purpose irrigation water. After a few months in the ground, it gets pumped into the Negev. What used to be desert is now green.
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You’re an expert on ‘drip irrigation’. Please explain what this is, and how it is beneficial.
Drip irrigation saves 1/3 amount of water and produces better crops because the plant gets exactly what it needs where it is needed. It automatically controls exact amount of water, so it maximizes irritation, and it’s easy to plan.
4
Are there any technology incubators that specialize in water technology?
Yes, but there are only two in the world: one in California and one called “Kinrot” which is on the Kineret. There are several startups held there. The rest of the technology
incubators are not exclusively for water research.
5
What international partnerships exist that use the technology from your research? There is the European project called Project “Switch”, in which 30 international partners and 10 model cities participate in research and technology develop, management methodologies and risk analysis. Tel Aviv is actually one of the model cities. The goal is to development integrated water management in the future (20-30 years). The center of this project is in Holland, and I am one of six leaders. This project has developed novel technologies for re-using waste water, including electric treatment process which saves on chemicals and combines physical technology and natural purification of water by plants (the latter in collaboration with Tal-Aviv University). Additionally, USAID funded a project in Senegal, which investigated an application for SGR-Slow Granular Filtration- a method to filter waste water through local sand boxes for agricultural use developed by the Hebrew University and Volcani Research Centre. This is a simple technology for this region, and its purpose is to help provide food and reduce health risks for millions of people. However, even though the development is a simple process, it requires sophisticated research and know how as well as substantial financial support. ° | February 2009
security
Hamas’ Dead Baby Strategy The terrorist organization commits a double war crime strategy. By PROF. ALAN M. DERSHOWITZ
T
he Hamas “dead baby” strategy to cause as many civilian casualties as possible by firing its deadly rockets from schools and densely populated areas is producing understandable outrage around the world. What is not understandable is why the outrage is directed against Israel, which is a victim of this strategy, rather than against Hamas, which is its perpetrator. Hamas knew exactly what it was doing when it fired more than 6,000 rockets at Israeli kindergartens, elementary schools and playgrounds from behind its own children. It was playing Russian roulette with the lives of Israeli children in order to provoke a defensive response from Israel.
“
deaths. Indeed, it had its camera crews out and ready to film and transmit every gruesome image of dead Palestinian children. When a Hamas rocket aimed at Israeli children misfired and killed two Palestinian children, Hamas censored all images of these dead Palestinian children, because they were killed directly by Hamas rockets rather than indirectly by Hamas using them as human shields. That is the way Hamas manipulates the media coverage of its gruesome “dead baby” strategy. The media, of course, serves as Hamas’ facilitator. I am not suggesting that the media not show these horrible images, but rather that they should present them with a critical perspective, indicating the actual cause and the real culprit - namely Hamas and its cynical double war crime strategy of targeting Israeli children and hiding behind Palestinian children. A cartoon that is making its way around the internet does a better job of explaining the Hamas strategy than any photograph or video. It shows an Israeli soldier and a Hamas terrorist shooting at each other. The Israeli soldier is standing in front of a baby carriage, protecting the baby. The Hamas terrorist is firing from behind a baby carriage, using the baby as a shield. That is the reality.
The Hamas terrorist is firing from behind a baby carriage, using the baby as a shield. That is the reality.”
Hamas knew that Israel, like any democracy, would have to take whatever military action was necessary to stop the rockets. As Barack Obama put it when he visited Sderot, a town that had been victimized by more than 1,000 rockets and several deaths: “If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing.” Hamas also knew that Israel could not stop the rockets aimed at its children without accidentally killing some Palestinian children because Hamas was using Palestinian children as human shields for its rockets. Despite its best efforts to avoid killing civilians— Israel gains nothing from such “collateral damage” and loses much—Israeli missiles have killed dozens of innocent children who were deliberately placed in harm’s way by Hamas terrorists. Hamas also knew that the media would show the dead Palestinian children around the world, causing outrage to be directed against Israel for causing their
12
The international community most especially the United Nations, which has done nothing about genocides committed by Muslims is accusing Israel of “war crimes” for defending its civilians against Hamas war crimes. This too is part of the Hamas strategy which the United Nations facilitates. If the media and the international community continue to play into the dirty
hands of Hamas terrorists, its terrorism will continue and spread. Why not? It’s a win-win strategy for terrorists and a loselose strategy for democracies. Hamas knows that by attacking Israeli civilians, they can secure one of two results: Israel will do nothing and Hamas will succeed in killing Israeli children; or Israel will respond and inevitably kill some Palestinian children, thereby provoking the ire of the media, the international community and ultimately decent people all around the world who are revolted by the cynically manipulated images of dead children. The Hamas strategy may now be spreading to Lebanon where twice in several days, rockets have targeted Israeli civilian areas. Hezbollah, which denies responsibility for these rockets, actually originated this strategy in the summer of 2006, when it provoked Israel into trying to defend its citizens and its kidnapped soldiers. Other nations in the world are susceptible to similar strategies, as the United States learned, when it went after the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and discovered that they too use civilians as human shields. Unless this “dead baby” strategy is exposed and rejected in the marketplace of morality, it’s coming to a theater (or school or hospital) near you.° Professor Alan M. Dershowitz is a professor of law at Harvard University. He has been called “Israel’s single most visible defender – the Jewish state’s lead attorney in the court of public opinion.”
Did you know? Did you know that idling for more than ten seconds uses more gas and creates more pollution than simply restarting your engine? If you are stopping for more than ten seconds-except in traffic-turn off your engine. | February 2009
health
Dear Doctor,
I get migraines every now and then. When I do, I suffer terribly. I am extremely sensitive to light, noise and other external stimuli. What should I do to deal with the headaches when they happen? What can I do to prevent them? Please help! -Migraine The Nutritionist
The Cranio-Sacral Therapist
Tamar Schriger, Clinical Dietitian
Alan Wallis B.P.T, Physiotherapist & Cranio-Sacral Therapist
Although there is still no cure for migraines, there are several ways to mitigate the duration or frequency of these painful headaches.
Migraine headaches affect approximately 20 percent of the adult population. Although the causes are not fully understood, there are clearly genetic, vascular and neural mechanisms involved. The onset is often triggered by stress, history of head or neck trauma, certain foods and hormonal changes (in women).
Research has shown that migraine sufferers are more likely to have an unfavorable lipids profile and high blood pressure. Furthermore, it was concluded that migraines are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke. So, one should order blood tests and measure blood pressure. If the results are not within normal range, consult a doctor and clinical dietitian. They will make recommendations that can improve this profile. With respect to foods that trigger migraines, traditional triggers such as chocolate, aged cheeses, red wine and monosodium glutamate should be avoided, but some claim that triggers are individual. Skipping meals or fasting has also been cited as a migraine trigger. To document triggers, keep a detailed diet diary, including what is eaten and when as well as starting time of migraine and duration. Keep the diary for at least a couple of weeks. One nutrient to try is riboflavin (vitamin B2). Magnesium sulfate may help reduce the severity of migraines, particularly in people who are deficient in the mineral. However, magnesium may cause diarrhea. You may also try herbal remedies, such as feverfew. Although it has not been established unequivocally that feverfew can prevent the onset of migraines, it doesn’t seem to have negative side effects except when there is a history of depression or tendency toward bleeding. Pregnant and lactating women should not use feverfew.°
Contact Tamar: venishmartem613@gmail.com 14
Virtually anything that interferes with the autonomic nervous control of the blood vessels in the head can result in a migraine. Craniosacral Therapy (CST) treats these problems by normalizing autonomic nervous activity. It effectively mobilizes the membrane system within the head to take pressure off the nerve that is controlling the blood vessel, or the blood vessel that may be causing the headache. CST is also an effective stress reducer, which makes it particularly effective with migraines since they’re often precipitated or triggered by stress. CST is a popular non-pharmacological approach to the treatment and prevention of migraine headaches CST uses gentle techniques which release restrictions in the craniosacral system which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and the membranes and fluids that surround and protect them. The treatment is performed fully clothed on a treatment bed. The rhythm of the fluid pulsing through the craniosacral system is measured to detect potential restrictions and imbalance. Delicate manual techniques release those problem areas and relieve undue pressure on the brain and spinal cord. The result is a central nervous system free of restrictions and a body that’s able to return to its greatest potential. The effect of the treatment allows you to feel as if a helmet that is too tight on your head, has been taken off, which relieves tension. Your head will feel lighter and more free.°
Contact Alan: alan@wallis.co.il
The Osteopath
Dr. Simcha Shapiro, MD & Osteopath Osteopathy offers a synthesis of noninvasive hands-on assessment and treatment of the body structure, with a western medical perspective. It can be used as an alternative or in addition to medical treatment. When it comes to migraines, I take a 3-pronged approach to treatment: StructuralTraditional osteopathy specializes in addressing how the structure of your body interacts with overall health. Specifically with migraines, a complete assessment of the anatomy of the neck and head is necessary. Even subtle imbalances and restrictions in the movement of vertebrae and muscles in the region can influence the function of the nerves and blood vessels going to the head and neck. Through gentle hands-on treatment the structure of the body is returned towards a normal and free-moving state. As structure normalizes, function improves. Environmental- It is vital to identify and avoid environmental triggers that set off migraines. These may represent sensitivities to a variety of things (loud noises, foods, perfumes, chemicals, etc.). Stress Reduction- Whatever one’s medical condition, stress makes it worse. Decreasing stress is not just about taking away stressful things in one’s life, but often times can be about gaining new skills on how to deal with the stresses that we already have. Everyone has stresses in their lives, but not everyone is “stressed out”. As one of my favorite sayings goes, “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional!” °
Contact Simcha: simcha@listeninghands.co.il | February 2009
clean tech
BrightSource Energy, Inc.
Arava Power Company
provides clean, reliable and low cost solar energy for utility and industrial companies worldwide. BrightSource’s solar plants lead the industry in environmental design and help customers reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Our mission is to make solar energy cost competitive with fossil fuels by developing, building, owning and operating the world’s most cost-effective and reliable large-scale solar energy projects.
is one of Israel’s leading solar developers. They seek to supply 10% of Israel’s electricity needs through alliances with kibbutzim and other land owners, focusing heavily on southern Israel. With their vast research and experience they are prepared to build solar energy plants on a large-scale commercial basis. “They are the first to receive all government permissions including a license to produce solar energy.”
www.BrightSourceEnergy.com
www.aravapower.com Commercial grid connected solar system, Tnuvot industrial zone (Courtesy of Solar Power)
Solar Energy
Solar Power
Aora
is a systems integrations company providing renewable energy solutions. They design, supply and install solar energy systems for various applications including: grid-connected applications, rural electrification, telecommunications, security applications, irrigation and many more. They provide for residential, commercial, standalone and grid connected systems. Solar Power represents leading international vendors to bring top production from their product.
offers a unique modular solution to solar energy. Their small units can be linked with centrally controlled power plants and customized for client demand. Their system operates 24 hours a day because of its hybrid capabilities. When sunlight is unavailable the system operates on almost any alternative fuel source. Their systems are designed to require less land and equally as much power.
www.aora-energy.com
www.solarpower.co.il
Chromagen
is a global leader in the field of Solar Energy Systems and Energy Saving Solutions, with over 40 years’ experience. Chromagen provides systems designed for domestic and commercial use. Projects include transference of multi-story apartment buildings based on diesel fuel systems for water heating to Solar systems, solar projects in hotels and more. www.chromagen.biz Residential grid connected to solar system on dairy farm. Yinon, Israel (Solar Power) 16
Residential grid connected solar system in Kibbutz Mefalsim, North Negev (Solar Power) | February 2009
YET ANOTHER REASON TO MAKE ALIYAH
Make Aliyah and benefit from the
NEW OLEH TAX BREAKS Olim can now benefit from a tax exemption on foreign income for a period of 10 years.* Nefesh B’Nefesh provides participants with:
Assisted Government Processing s Employment Resources s Financial Grants* s Social Services Guided Aliyah applications are available online at: www.nbn.org.il/guided For more information contact: (02) 659-5834 s guidedaliyah@nbn.org.il Processing time: 6-8 weeks from receipt of application and all related paperwork. *Please check our website for complete details and eligibility requirements. This program is in cooperation with Misrad Hapnim and
environment
How to “Green” Your Life Simple ways to become more environmentally friendly By JACK REICHERT The truth about “going green” is that it’s mostly about you: improving your health, saving cash, and ultimately, improving your overall quality of life. While you’re making your life better you are also taking strides to heal our planet as well.
Why wouldn’t anyone want to go green? When taking on a challenge, like changing your entire lifestyle by “going green,” it is easy to get overwhelmed. So how do you go about doing this? Take it one step at a time. Every day or week, take on something new. We tend to overestimate what we can do over short periods of time and underestimate how much we can get done if we take the time. One day you will look back and wonder how you were ever able to do so much!
Energy
Water
When you leave a room, turn off the lights. No need to keep it on for the gnomes. Similarly, if you’re done with an appliance, unplug it. Many appliances continue to pull energy even if they are off. A good practice is to go around your house before you leave and before you go to sleep and unplug what you are not using.
Before anything else, check your faucets! Do you have leaks? Aerators? Aerators increase the pressure so that you need less water to do the same things, same goes for efficient shower heads. If you make these small changes, you will be surprised at how much you are saving!
Buying organic can get costly. However, if it is a good supplier it will be worth the extra money. Organic is healthier and often tastes better. Aside from which, organic companies avoid ethical problems that mainstream suppliers can run into. Are the animals treated well? Are the laborers growing the food getting paid at least minimum wage?
Keep learning! There are so many ways to live healthier-for you and the planet. The more you learn, the more you will find ways to save, give and grow!
Food
There is a whole other realm of environmentally friendly food: home cooking! At home, I enjoy trying to make foods that I like in restaurants. By doing this you can cut costs and nasty chemicals used in industrial food.
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Education
Performing Arts in English around the Country By Rafi Poch While the English theater scene in Israel does not come anywhere near the Broadway productions of NY, nor the off-Broadway productions (in terms of budget for renting spaces, costumes, sets, and lighting), there is surprisingly enough quite a lot of quality acting and theater productions right here in the Holy land, and for English theater, Jerusalem seems to be the hub of it all. There are currently seven English speaking theater companies in Jerusalem alone, with another five spread around the country. These theater companies range from amateur to professional, each one producing between one and five productions a year. Over the past few years, theater in Israel has been on the rise, with new theater companies opening every few months, and more communal involvement on the part of the English speaking community as a whole. This season (September 2008-June 2009) there will be over 17 different productions, which is an average of almost two shows per month. Seeing as each show runs seven or eight performances over a span of about two weeks, that’s almost a show every night. Shows scheduled for the upcoming season: RENT, The Diary of Anne Frank, Oklahoma, Henry the Fifth, Guys and Dolls, The Accomplices, 1776, and more.
Spread the word! One person alone can do a lot, but it won’t reverse the damage. Pass it on and you may affect lasting change throughout the planet!
So next time you looking for a romantic, thought provoking, entertaining, or simply enriching night, check out your local theater for a show. Even if you are not a “theater person” you may enjoy it and hopefully learn something.
Jack Reichert is a one of the founders of greenprophet.com. You can find more tips on how to green your life in his “Green Living Tips” column. In his recently launched site www. howtoreachmygoals.com, Jack, along with his team of hand-picked life-coaches, shares tools he uses to help people reach their goals.
For a full listing of shows in Jerusalem check out http://calendar.yahoo.com/ englishtheatrejerusalem° Rafi Poch is the Artistic Director at Merkaz Hamagshimim Hadassah’s Center Stage Theater. | February 2009
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exclusive interview
Green house in Aegina Island, Greece (Country of Elias Messinas)
EcoDesign By YEHUDIT SINGER “Green Design”, “Eco-Architecture” or “Sustainable Design” is an integrated approach to residential and commercial design that is based on the principles of reducing our impact on the environment. The standards for green design are based on LEED, the Leadership in Energy and Enviromental Design, an international rating system. IsraTimes spoke with Elias Messinas, architect, environmental consultant, and expert in sustainable design. Originally from Greece, Elias currently lives on Kibbutz Kramim in the Negev with his wife, Yvette and three daughters. He is spearheading the Kramim Eco Village project, a model sustainable village slated to begin construction this summer He is the founder of “EcoWeek”, an international non-profit organization that aims to raise awareness about adopting habits that protect the environment. Elias is also the head architect of GoodLiving, a business initiative to promote ‘green’ architecture in Israel, and consults on a number of ecological projects in Israel, Greece, and Cyprus.
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S: Tell us about the progress on the project in Kibbutz Kramim.
The project is perhaps the most promising ecological development in south Israel: the ecological expansion of Kibbutz Kramim, located 12 km. NE from Beer Sheva. It is a 200 dunam expansion for approximately 300 new housing units. What is special about this project is that it is following the guidelines of national and international ‘green’ building certification systems, such as LEED (the project is compatible for LEED Platinum), the European EPBD 2002/91, and the Israeli ‘green’ teken 5281. This project is also very exciting because it follows a very conscious process within the community, that does not only include the planning of a new extension of the Kibbutz, but also the gradual ‘greening’ of the existing community – since not everyone that has joined the community is ecologically minded. So, it is an exciting process that involves the community, the planning team and ‘green’ guidelines. My position as strategic environmental consultant is
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to be right in the middle of this process, consulting the architects, the community and the planning team. I regard this as a unique opportunity for me as an architect, to engage in a real ecologically minded, challenging project that will become the model for other ecological projects like municipalities, schools and private clients around Israel.
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S: There has been tension between environmentalists and contractors since land development, even for the sake of hityashvut, often destroys the natural habitat of the environment and biodiversity. How can one develop land while respecting nature? Are there any ‘golden rules’? It is a matter of intention. Architect Bill McDonough says that ‘if it was not your intention to destroy ecosystems with your building but you did destroy them anyway, it means that you have no design plan.” In other words, if we set the health of people and ecosystems in an equal footing with that of ‘development and we realize that the solution that we are proposing will harm the local
ecosystem, we have to have the guts to simply stop the development. There is another ‘golden rule’ which landscape designer Julie Bargmann calls “no waste leaves the site”. This means that we are allowed to ‘develop’ a site, but we are not allowed to pollute the rest of the world with our waste while doing that. I think that we must have the right intention, to develop respect for the earth’s ecological systems and processes, and to recognize the future repercussions of our actions today. Sometimes I think of how Israel was created. A poor country with lots of immigrants. What did the government do? It took them all to build infrastructure and plant trees. I think that we have to learn from those first steps in Israel’s creation, and how limited resources often make us more creative and resourceful…
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S: What areas in Israel are being planned?
Currently, I am discussing a quite exciting project with the administration of the Dudaim landfill in the south of | February 2009
exclusive interview
Israel. We are in the preliminary stages, and things were postponed for after the war in Gaza. However, the plan is to create a visitors’ center that will not only be of zero emissions, zero waste and be built from at least 90% recycled materials, but it will also use captured methane for energy and will apply a natural cleaning device for the liquid spill from the landfill, which today stands still in an open air pond, evaporating. It is quite likely that we will also investigate the possibility of cleaning up the soil of the visitors’ center plot, in case we find it to be contaminated from the landfill. I find this unlikely, since it a site adjacent to the landfill, and not part of the landfill. I have a very special relationship to waste. In Greece, where I lived with my family, waste was my introductory project to ecological entrepreneurship. Seeing the lack of proper recycling program on the island of Aegina, where we lived, I initiated a household waste recycling program. First, I involved the waste collecting municipal employees, then the mayor and finally the municipal board. The island produced 22-30 tons of waste daily—double in the summer. It took me two years of very intense efforts, articles in the local papers, and finally, in May 2007, recycling officially started on Aegina Island. In the south alone, we produce about 500 tons of solid waste daily, a large part of which is construction debris. With proper selection and recycling, we can reduce the debris ending up in the landfill by almost 90%. It requires an extra commitment from the owners, an extra effort from the contractors on site, but right now they all lack the awareness, sense of responsibility, and legal and financial incentive to do it.
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S: What is the relationship between cost efficiency and environmental sustainability? Many architects think that by spending $10,000 per square meter (what many of the LEED certified buildings cost) is being sustainable or ‘green’. I do not fully accept this as a solution. There are houses built of adobe or straw-bale that cost about $100 per square meter, and require lots of personal labor. Some people are suspicious of their quality, but I have visited these straw-bale houses
and have been very comfortable. There is of course a middle ground between those two edges. The middle ground is, first of all, common sense and the right intention. We do not have to deplete 30% of earth’s ecosystems in order to build enough wealth to afford to build a LEED certified building. We can build buildings that are both sustainable and priced in a way that can be affordable. This does not only refer to our wallet, but also in terms of how much the earth can provide for us and how much waste (emissions, etc.) we dump back to the earth’s ecological systems. Sustainability is connected with a long term view of our actions today. We have to remind ourselves that whatever we
do today has repercussions in the near future not only to future generations, but also to earth’s ecosystems. The same way we have been spoiled by buying cheap goods that come from a factory in China, and pollute the air, soil and water, using perhaps child labor and/or no labor rights, shipping it across the seas polluting the air and the oceans, and finally arriving to our country, being used for a few weeks and then ending up in a landfill, the same way, we are spoiled to build cheaply and think that we are actually gaining from the process. We are not. By building cheaply, we harm. By ‘saving money’ and avoid insulating our house, for example, we pay 10 times more in heating and cooling. By ‘saving money’ and taking a cheap architect (or no architect at all) we end up with a badly designed house, with wrong orientations, overheating, or not sufficiently ventilated or without sufficient natural light, and therefore we pay dearly in electrical bills, and with our health and happiness. We can also pay with our exposure to harmful environments, such as geo-magnetic and electro-magnetic fields, radon, chemical emissions and indoor air pollution. In other words, as people take surgery seriously, they should also take building their house seriously. Those who have no idea about what is an ecological building will end the conversation by saying that ‘it is too expensive’. This is a myth, since a properly oriented house does not cost more than a non-properly oriented house. That already saves you 15-20% in heating and ventilation. If you properly insulate your house, you may pay 8-10% more in construction, but you will save 30% or more in heating and cooling. So it is possible to not spend more in construction costs, or pay a mere 8-10%
House under construction in Rodiou www.isratimes.com
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exclusive interview
more, but to save 40-50% in heating, cooling and lighting bills in the long run. Once the house is properly oriented, properly shaded, passively cooled and properly insulated and it is already saving 50-60% in electrical, heating and cooling bills, then one can also decide to use renewable energy and low or no emission technologies for the supplementary heating and cooling needed. Applying all the possible environmental-friendly technologies can skyrocket the budget. I do not recommend that for every client, but if a client wants to minimize their fossil fuel emissions, then the technology is there. It has been tested and it works.
one company in Germany that produces paints and varnishes, which has such natural processes and ingredients, that they not only fully publish their ingredients, they also compost any waste that remains from the production process. The compost they make then goes to fertilize the plants from which they get their colors! This is a real closed no-waste loop of production (or what Bill McDonough would call a ‘cradleto-cradle’ process). When you use their paints, the place smells like orange – their base ingredient – and you can use the room right away.
periphery, since these factories are often too sophisticated for the local population. They therefore do not improve their livelihood, and bring people from the city to work in them, therefore increasing commuting. Also, often building factories or highways in small communities destroys the natural ecological systems that not only sustain the local fauna and flora, but the communities themselves. When these are destroyed, the communities loose, what is called, “the commons”- the natural ecosystems that give them work, food, biomass to heat, etc. They are threatened by development designed and
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implemented from city offices that have never set foot there to really understand the issues.
S: Your website states, “Most building materials are not designed with human health in mind.” What are the health hazards that come into play here? Please give examples of safe (and just as durable) materials that can be used.
S: Industrialization has done wonders for creating jobs in urban settings. It also has shifted the population so that a large percentage of the population now lives (and consumes) more in urban areas. What implications does environmental design have on jobs?
The unfortunate part is that it is not only the building industry that is using toxics in their products. There are very few products today that do not contain one or more of the 100,000 toxic chemicals used deliberately in industry today. We find chemicals in our food, bed, clothing… even in deodorants and shampoos! There is no ending. It is therefore not surprising that the building industry is no exception.
This is exactly what E.F. Schumacher, the English economist who also wrote “Small is Beautiful” (wholeheartedly recommended to anyone who likes reading about how to make this world a better place, why and how), wrote about. He spoke about education and ‘intermediate technology’— a kind of technology that is not necessarily hitech as one would find in a city, but is good enough to help people improve their livelihoods, and still provide labor intensive enough to keep people employed in the periphery (not having to move to the city to find work which usually does not happen and people end up unemployed living in slums).
The ‘sick building’ syndrome is the result of those chemicals that we find in glues, laminates, carpets, furniture, floors, paints, you name it. You will notice that even those paints that claim to be ‘ecological’ never publish their ingredients. If you ask the company, they usually do not release them. There is
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Developing the periphery does not always mean building factories in the
A perfect example is where we lived in Greece, on Aegina Island. You could see how the island was loosing its identity. Local people-instead of cultivating their land with pistachio trees, olive trees, grapes, almonds, potatoes, and other locally found produce-abandoned their fields, sold their land to development, and ended up spending the rest of their lives sitting at cafes, doing nothing. In effect, money corrupted the people, neglected the fields, replaced crops with concrete buildings, and has been turning the island for the past 15 years, into a sleeping resort for Athenians, who keep their houses closed for most of the year. In the meantime, their houses affect the landscape, use up natural resources to build, pollute the air (since they are badly built and insufficiently insulated) and overburden the electrical grid in the summer by overusing air conditioning units for cooling. To make this worse, for an island with no local water supply (Continued on page 37) | February 2009
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travel
Khirbet Sumak: Carmel’s Ancient Synagogue The rugged topography of the area left one of Israel’s largest cities untouched for centuries. By ILAN LEVIN
T
he Carmel, the ever green mountain, is host to one of Israel’s largest cities, Haifa. Roads, neighbourhoods and villages are found all over the mountain. However, this was not always the case. Modern settlement on the outskirts of the Carmel started with the German Templars in 1869. From this date onwards, and particularly after the British overran the country, the fortune of the Carmel changed. Jewish and Arab settlements were built on and around the Carmel.
most villages to be built on the outskirts of the mountain. This was the case with the large Jewish presence in ancient Haifa and Shikmona. Due to the above reasons the mountaintop
A century ago, the Carmel was relatively vacant of human settlements and had been for centuries. The relatively few Jewish villages had all disappeared by the 7th century CE. Khirbet Sumak is one of the few remaining archaeological sites from this era. However, before examining the story of Khirbet (meaning “ruin(s)” in Arabic) Sumak let’s explore why settling the Carmel proved to so difficult in the past. The Carmel, an extension of the mountain range of Samaria, runs in the general direction of northwest to southeast. Its average height is approximately 400 meters (about 1,300 feet) above sea level. The mountain range is crisscrossed by a large number of ravines and is covered by typical Mediterranean flora– thick and impassable. Land suitable for agriculture is relatively scarce. Even worse is the lack of water on the mountain. Surprisingly the Carmel has very few springs and no permanent streams or rivers. Therefore the Carmel’s rugged topography, lack of yearround water sources, and limited supplies of agricultural lands have had a detrimental effect on human settlement. This has forced
out of the hard limestone rock around the village. However, the villagers were best known for their leather tanning skills. The Arab name Sumak probably retains elements of the original identity and name of this ancient Jewish village. The most interesting parts of the village are the ruins of its synagogue. Interestingly, the synagogue did not follow traditional location guidelines – it was not built at the highest point in town nor was it the highest building. Regardless, it must have been an impressive building particularly when you consider the length of time it must have taken to build. On the northern slopes of the hill on which the village is built, there is more evidence for Jewish presence. The burial cave found here, typical of the late Roman and Byzantine eras, has a Menora carved on its entrance. In a nearby wine pressing pool, now full of rain water, there are dozens of orange dotted black salamander.
remained relatively untouched. One of the exceptions was the village known as Khirbet Sumak (the original name is unknown). Sumak is situated near the Druze village of Daliyat el-Carmel. The Jewish village existed in the late Roman period and into the Byzantine era (the 3rd to 5th centuries CE). Little is known of the village before or after this period. The village was quite large and judging by its size and architecture, quite prosperous as well. Vineyards and wine production, as well as olive oil production, were major sources of income for the villagers. In fact, there are a large number of wineries carved
The site was abandoned by its Jewish inhabitants probably during the 5th century. Perhaps this was due to the growing unrest among the region’s Samaritan population. This led to a series of revolts against the Byzantines towards the end of the 5th century. It is most likely that Sumak suffered at the hands of both sides forcing its inhabitants to flee. Today the area offers a glimpse into the Carmel’s long history. ° Ilan Levin is a tour guide with a degree in politics & philosophy from London University. For more details see www. trekis.com
“Therefore the Carmel’s rugged topography, lack of year-round water sources, and limited supplies of agricultural lands have had a detrimental effect on human settlement.” 24
| February 2009
FROM:
TO:
in focus
Financial & Real World Climate Change: Why Now is a Great time for Cleantech Entrepreneurship. Solar Energy Development Ctr. in Negev (Courtesy of Brightsource Industries)
By GLEN SCHWABER
C
rude oil has plummeted over 70% since it peaked at $147 in mid2008. Credit markets have dried up. As of January 13, the S&P Global Clean Energy Composite is down 66% over the last year. Q-Cells, one of the darlings of the solar industry is trading at just 25% of its 52-week high. The IPO window is shut. Meanwhile, rhetoric by world leaders on climate change is beginning to factor in the challenge of maintaining policy goals in the face of broader economic concerns. So why are we not stopping our investments or recommending that our portfolio company CEOs stop theirs? The reason is simple. Banking crisis notwithstanding, the fundamental drivers of cleantech innovation have not changed one iota in the past several months. Melting glaciers have not frozen up like world financial markets. Endangered species have not stopped going extinct. People haven’t stopped needing clean water. Nor have they ceased using electricity or driving their cars. Nor have they stopped
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having babies. And the Iranians have not suddenly become our friends.
greater consumption of natural resources, potable water, and energy.
Put another way, the three basic macro trends behind the cleantech investment thesis remain wholly intact.
(3) The West is dependent on oil and natural gas supplies from unstable and unpredictable regimes, some of whom are using oil revenues to fund terrorism and war. Whether oil is at $140 per barrel or $40 per barrel, the Western industrialized world is dependent on OPEC supplies and is therefore stuck in the position of funding some of its own worst enemies.
(1) Climate change is real and is unfortunately here to stay. Global mean temperatures have already risen in close correlation to greenhouse gas emissions / CO2 equivalents while the pace of CO2 emissions is still accelerating. We are already on pace to warm our planet by an additional 2 degrees Celsius by mid-century, with resulting known and unforeseeable changes to sea levels, weather patterns, and humankind’s living conditions on earth. (2) The world’s population is rising at a remarkable pace. There are about 6.7 billion people on earth today, with projections reaching 9.2 billion by 2050. Increasingly, people are moving to cities in search of a middle-class livelihood afforded through industrialization. According to the UN, by 2015 there will be 26 cities with 10 million or more people, up from 5 in 1975. A larger middle-class urban population means far
Taken together, these three drivers will continue to push policy, innovation, and investment in cleantech over the coming years. But even in the short term, we have already seen at least two encouraging signals about the future direction of the cleantech industry. First, it is noteworthy that the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act passed in the US, extended several tax breaks and incentives for renewables and clean technologies for eight years. Passage of this $17 billion bill gave long-awaited certainty to the US solar markets with both residential and utility scale solar set | February 2009
in focus
Petah Tikva (Courtesy of of Chromagen)
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the cleantech industry will be at the center of that innovation, leading us out of recession and into the next great phase of economic growth.”
Low profile thermosiphon system, Nof Alonim(Chromagen)
Thermosiphon systems in student residences, Afula. (Courtesy of of Chromagen)
to benefit. The bill also offers substantial incentives for wind, biofuels, and fuel cells. This is likely just a first step toward a more active US national policy approach towards renewables, given that President-elect Barack Obama supports carbon mitigation legislation at the federal level. And with the US consuming nearly 25% of the world’s energy, once the federal government starts putting effective price signals in place, the pace of cleantech innovation is likely to balloon. A second encouraging sign came in the form of GE’s public announcement on October 20, 2008, which reported on the company’s environmental business. Despite the economic downturn, GE highlighted that it expects 2008 revenue from its energy efficiency products to increase to $17 billion, up 21% over 2007 and that its annual investment in cleaner research and development will surpass $1.4 billion, a $300 million increase over 2007. “There is a green lining among the current economic storm clouds and GE customers and investors are benefiting,” said Jeff Immelt, GE’s CEO, “Cleaner innovation and technology resonate in the marketplace.” www.isratimes.com
Yes, in the short term, cleantech markets will likely be jittery as a result of financial volatility and the precipitous decline in oil prices. Later stage cleantech companies that were counting on access to public markets or significant debt financing to fund their future growth are going to have a challenging time ahead. We experienced a drop in cleantech investments in Q4 2008 as compared to Q3 2008 ($1.9B and $2.9B, respectively), and this trend will likely continue in 2009. But the bigger picture is that unlike with previous oil price declines, this time the larger, more sustained drivers for cleantech innovation are not likely to fade away. To conclude, let me put things into a slightly more personal perspective. When we completed the first closing of Israel Cleantech Ventures in January 2007, oil was $55 per barrel. Since that time, we have made nine investments and oil has taken a roller coaster ride up to a $147 high and a $36 low with no stable price in sight. Yet over the same time frame, we humans have emitted about 50 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalents into the atmosphere, increased the world’s population by 150 million
people (about 20x Israel’s population), and provided OPEC with $1.6 trillion in oil revenues (about 10x Israel’s GDP). Needless to say, the motivating forces behind cleantech are here to stay. In fact, as former President Bill Clinton recently remarked, once we stop looking to make money out of money and go back to making money out of business innovation, the cleantech industry will be at the center of that innovation, leading us out of recession and into the next great phase of economic growth. Now, more than ever, is a perfect time for Israeli cleantech entrepreneurs to start new businesses and to secure this country’s part in that next great phase of growth.°
Glen Schwaber is a Partner at Israel Cleantech Ventures. ICV welcomes inquiries from innovative entrepreneurs and Israel-related clean technology companies. See www.israelcleantech.com for more info
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finance
Protect Yourself and Your Charities from Ponzi Schemes An epic fraud scheme has shaken the world of Jewish philanthropy like none before. By DOUGLAS GOLDSTEIN, CFP® Bernard Madoff’s alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme crushed many investors, hitting the Jewish philanthropic world particularly hard. While many charities are busy regrouping, deciding how they can continue to meet their needs with less money, donors are reevaluating how they give charity and questioning how organizations invest their donations.
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Many donors feel burned, having learned through the news that their charities invested with Madoff. They don’t believe that their checks were a carte blanche for the institution to do as it wished with the funds; their donations were intended to help fulfill the institution’s mission, not swell its bank balance. About a year ago, I got a call from a mid-size charity looking for investment advice. The director asked me what they should do with the money they were collecting for their building fund. “Put it in a charity account that only buys treasury bonds, money market funds or bank deposits (CDs),” I suggested. He then explained to me that he had access to a special investment pool that always brings in around 10% per year with low volatility. Though I told him that I didn’t think he should go for something that sounds too good to be true, he dumped the whole lot into it. So much for the new building.
with preservation of principal as the main goal. The principles behind these accounts include: Safety: Using mostly insured investments, SCAs allow the directors of charities and their donors to sleep at night. Even though the funds don’t have the potential for high yields, who cares? Charities aren’t mutual funds competing for the best returns. Generating profits should be the focus of investors, not charities. Let the private investors take the risks with their money and then donate the profits to the charities.
Charities aren’t mutual funds competing for the best returns. Generating profits should be the focus of investors, not charities.”
Special Charity Account (SCA) Unlike endowments, where donors expect long-term money to be invested in a variety of different riskier investments intended to generate profits, SCAs handle short- to medium-term money
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Transparency: An SCA can allow both the charity and the donor online access to see how the money is handled. One central problem with Madoff was that he operated under a shroud of secrecy. If he had used a large brokerage firm or bank to segregate and hold client assets, he could never have gotten away with all that he did, since the third-party custodian would have been responsible for printing statements and sending them directly to clients. Liquidity: Rather than tying up cash in hedge funds, and instead of buying stocks that people are often loath to sell, SCAs hold assets in easy-to-sell positions, so cash is always available. And since the investments are liquid, the organization always knows exactly how much real capital is at its disposal.
Ease: With simple investments, charities can eliminate the costs, hassles and conflicts of interest that often arise with an investment committee. If you are reeling fiscally or emotionally from the effects of the recent scandals, consider speaking to your favorite charities and your investment advisors about using Special Charity Accounts.° Comments? financial.com
doug@profile-
Douglas Goldstein is the director of Profile Investment Services. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. His book, Building Wealth in Israel: A Guide to International Investments and Financial Planning, can be ordered at: www.profile-financial.com
Did you know? An automatic dishwasher uses less hot water than doing dishes by hand - an average of 22 liters less, or more than 7560 liters per year.
Did you know? By recycling 1 plastic bottle not only saves anywhere from 100 to 1000 years in the landfill but also saves the environment from the emissions in producing new bottles as well as the oil used to produce that bottle.
| February 2009
environment
JNF/KKL: The Wetland Project Revives Yarkon River
Israel’s 1st Center For Recycling
Purified sewage from Kfar Saba and Hod HaSharon is about to undergo a transformation. The renovated regional sewage purification plant will purify the water to the level suitable for agricultural use, after which it will be pumped into the Yarkon River. Thus, the purified water will actually decrease the level of pollution in the river, whilst providing the water for the foundations of a natural park to be built in south Hod HaSharon near the Yarkon Junction.
Israel’s first municipal center for recycling and rational resource use was inaugurated in Haifa in December 2008. The center spans an area of 1000 square meters, collects wastes and household products for reuse and recycling.
The project is being carried out with cooperation between the Yarkon River Authority, the Hod HaSharon Municipality, the Ministry for Protection of the Environment and KKLJNF who mobilized contributions from the Australian Jewish Community for the project that will cost NIS 25 million and is due to be completed by the end of 2009.
The center it is operated by Lev Chash - a volunteer organization. (Call for more info: 04 - 8672999)
The items are treated by volunteers and sold at cost to the needy and to municipal residents. A repair laboratory operates on the premises to check and repair electrical appliances for reuse.
Environment Saving the Dead Sea The Dead Sea has been shrinking since the 1950s, due to water diversion from the Jordan River. The sea’s water level drops approximately one meter a year. The decline in sea level has caused enormous damage around the Dead Sea. In addition the mineral extraction industry is responsible for 40% of the decline of the Dead Sea. One solution to bring water to the Dead Sea has been initiated by the World Bank, called the “Peace Conduit”, or the “Red-Dead Canal”. The goals of the project are to save the Dead Sea, produce fresh water through desalination and to promote peace in the region. The canal, according to the plan, will bring water from the Gulf of Aqaba in Eilat to the Dead Sea in a canal, via Jordan. The cost of the entire project is $5 billion, of which $15 million has already been raised.
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The World Bank is funding a feasibility study, but the environmental organization Friends of the EarthMiddle East, has called on the World Bank to conduct a study to identify alternatives since there are huge social and environmental implications. “In Israel, there are little incentives to conserve water, even though such incentives would allow the rehabilitation of the Jordan River and would stabilize the Dead Sea,” says Gidon Bromberg, Israel Director of the Friends of the Earth-Middle East. “There are lots of voices against this project, so we should develop alternative methods [that would enable] better water management.” The desalination component proposed is 5-6 times larger than that of any facility that currently exists. No other project anywhere in the world seeks to connect two seas.
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relationships
The Work of Acceptance
It is common for each spouse to have different expectations in marriage. There is hope to fix your frustration, but it will take work.
Acceptance.
I
By SHLOMIT BEN-MICHAEL t’s a word that is often casually tossed around when discussing the foundation of a respectful and trusting relationship. It seems obvious… and yet for many, honest acceptance can be elusive. Love is one thing and acceptance is another. “I love my husband, really! But he just isn’t what I want him to be,” a friend moaned to me recently. “And after six years of marriage, I can’t understand why I still think he’ll ever change…” “He won’t,” was my reality check. “So if you’re staying in this marriage, you’re simply going to have to accept him.” Then I added for good measure: “You know what they say-acceptance is the soil for personal growth.” “OK, I accept him, I accept him,” my friend proclaimed and sighed. It was a sigh I had heard many times before.
“
What if you are like my friend who would like to stay married, but true acceptance of the other eludes you?”
People enter marriages with all sorts of expectations from their spouse: He’ll bring me flowers every week... She’ll lose 20 pounds and take better care of herself...He’ll learn Torah more regularly...She’ll stop dwelling on the negative … The first year of marriage has the reputation for being a tough time for couples because often, the two are still waiting for their mutual expectations to magically materialize. For some like my friend the difficulties seem to extend well beyond the first year. Of course, I am not referring to situations of abuse or severe dysfunction in a relationship. I’m simply referring to the common, gnawing dissatisfaction that sometimes sets in when we realize that our mate’s habits or character traits are here to stay. So what can you do about it? What if you are like my friend who would like to stay married, but true acceptance of the other eludes you? It would be easiest to say, “Run quickly to your nearest marriage counselor!” But I’m not. While counseling has saved
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countless marriages, the first place to look is closer to homeinside yourself. Often people have the wrong idea about marriage, viewing it as a destination rather than what it really is a launch pad. If our task in life is to become a better, more complete person, then the challenge of living with another person with his or her different traits, values and habits is the essential classroom. Marriage is the ultimate characterbuilder, the unique opportunity that G-d has given us to work on ourselves.
attitude?
Now, this column could not possibly adequately address the various ways to make this happen. However, I have a humble suggestion. Next time you find yourself judging your mate, ask yourself the following questions: What underlying belief or thought of mine is making me feel dissatisfied? Is it absolutely true that my spouse needs to change? Or do I need to change my beliefs or
How would I feel if I dropped the judgmental thought(s) towards my spouse? This type of inquiry into one’s own thoughts in order to release one from emotional pain is the basis of a revolutionary method called “The Work” originated by Byron Katie. In her bestselling book, Loving What Is, Katie writes: “We have 20/20 vision about other people, but not about ourselves…everything outside you is a reflection of your own thinking. You are the storyteller, the projector of all stories, and the world is the projected image of your thoughts.” I love the fact that Katie calls her method of alleviating stress and suffering, “The Work” because alongside the joy and companionship, that is what marriage-and indeed all meaningful relationships-involve: Work. And the work is mainly on yourself. ° Shlomit Ben-Michael is a writer who lives In Efrat with her family. She has certification in Mental Health and Family Studies from Neve Yerushalayim and an MA in Clinical Sociology from UNT. | February 2009
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education
Sviva IsraelEffective Environmental Education Despite increased attention to environmental awareness society is failing to make significant progress in minimizing our air and water pollution and the size of our landfills. By CARMI WISEMON
A
recent study entitled “Environmental Literacy in the Israeli Educational System” by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Arava Institute, revealed that many of the students who participated in environmental programs showed no marked increase in their personal commitment to protecting the environment. This is a very disturbing statement. Do students have an innate difficulty in applying concepts that they learned in school? Sometimes, but it is more likely that they simply did not study or sufficiently understand the lessons to internalize them. It appears they were taught neither logical, nor moral reasons why they, as human beings, Israeli citizens or Jews, have a responsibility to protect the environment. Today, most educational environmental programming in Israel focuses on recycling arts, gardening, composting and cleaning campaigns. These activities are all experiential and lots of fun. The kids love the programs and so do the schools because they provide their students with a positive outlet for their creative energies. They also provide urban children with a venue through which they reconnect with and learn about the natural world. Nevertheless, there is a shortcoming in these noteworthy and even romantic pursuits; they don’t teach the students how the actions of the society in which they live impact upon our environment. They don’t help our students understand how to reduce air and water pollution, and create less waste. Does it help to teach a child to compost if they neither know, nor feel obligated to shut off the tap while brushing their teeth? After six years of directing communal and educational environmental projects, this question of how to move beyond ineffectual buzzwords to create real attitudinal change led me to found Sviva Israel. Our goal is to
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teach youth and their educators how we affect the environment, and what behaviors we need to modify in order to lower our ecological impact. Keeping the learning fun, but with practical orientation and goals, we help children and adults to both define and apply the concepts of sustainable development (the latest buzzword in Israel “sustainability” is as overused as it is little understood) and environmental protection to their daily lives while connecting with other students around the world.
transportation and housing habits affect resources around the globe. Once students learn how their personal consumer habits impact on the environment, they begin to minimize their impact by applying the 3Rs in personal, class and school-wide programs. Through our creation of a global network of environmental learning and partnerships, our students can document, share and compare their conclusions and projects with students in cities throughout the world. Jewish tradition has much to contribute towards creating a sustainable society, yet much of traditional Judaism has to say regarding the environment has been underexplored and often taken out of context. Sviva Israel’s programming is infused with Jewish sources for environmental responsibility, providing our students with not only a logical call for redefining their actions, but ethical and cultural reasons too.°
Our Eco Connection is a cohesive curriculum that uses games and online educational activities to teach children not only about pollution, radiation and species extinction, but to emphasize the importance of the most basic concepts: “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle”. Fundamental to this environmental trilogy is that we should reduce the amount of resources we consume, which will minimize our impact on our ecological systems. The program has run in schools, community centers and youth groups in Israel and the U.S. Students can visualize and internalize how their daily actions affect the Earth’s precious resources by measuring the size of their Ecological Footprint on our website (www.svivaisrael.org). Our child-oriented Ecological Footprint quiz, which has been used by teachers around the world, Arizona, measures how our clothing, food,
Carmi Wisemon is Executive Director of Sviva Israel. He is a graduate of the Meretz Kollel, received smicha from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and has a MSW from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. He is the editor of the annual journal of “The Environment in Jewish Thought and Law”.
Did you know? The greenest car out there is the Toyota Prius. The Prius uses gasoline, but is more efficient because it also uses regenerative braking to assist in charging the recyclable batteries. At operating temperature, it will shut the combustion engine off while stopped, and can be driven up to 64km/h with the required b a t t e r y power. | February 2009
art
The African Connection
An African art gallery in Jaffa shows how traditional African art uses eco-friendly materials. By ESTHER ROITER
A
frica, the second largest continent in the world, is a breathtaking mix of cultures and beliefs. The overpowering silence of its landscape is its music. Its civilization is the cradle of humanity. African art is a work of love. The images and works of art are each a unique visual celebration of life. It is one of the most diverse collections of art to be found among the cultures of civilization. The most popular African creations are its textiles, bursting with color, ceremonial masks, bead work in various forms, shapes, patterns and hand-tooled baskets. Emphasis is on the use of natural, eco-friendly materials such as shells, palm fibers, roots and bark. These materials are then utilized to create some of the most beautiful art objects one can only imagine. The use of eco-friendly materials in African society represents powerful elements. Simple, natural materials symbolize a host of beliefs regarding the world. Beads and shells, once traded as currency, symbolize wealth and status. Textiles are intended to be seen, adorned, and give pleasure. Dolls represent youth, fertility and childbirth. Various hues of the color spectrum represent of G-d (blue), jealousy (yellow) and poverty (pink). Mr. Ari Birnbaum, a renowned expert and professional collector of African art, states, “The Jewish people had immense involvement with African art. The first book ever written
on Africa was written by Lopez Duarte, a Portuguese Jew, in 1578, entitled History of the Kingdom of Congo.””
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Mr. Birnbaum’s knowledge of African art is superlative. He tells us that in the past century, Jewish scholars, dealers and collectors have played a vital role in the introduction of African art to the western world. Carl Einstein, a 20th century Jewish ethnographer and historian wrote the first contemporary book on African art. A host of African art dealers in Europe and the USA are Jewish and interestingly, some famous 20th century Jewish artists were influenced by the style of Africa, including Jack Lifschitz and Max Ernst.
“
Traditional African and Ethiopian folk culture is well aware of the importance of living in harmony with our natural habitat long before the western world woke up to the necessity of protecting the environment.” In Israel, we are connected to African art through the Ethiopian Jewish community. Ethiopian art is similar to African art in respect to the use of eco-friendly materials such as wood, cloth and clay. The
and village scenes—showing entirely black figures— parallel African religious art. Religious clay figures of synagogues and clergy are similar in thematic imagery. The folk, naive quality of both African and Ethiopian art is what give recognition to both groups. The feel of both African and Ethiopian art is indigenous and non-commercial. This is a key ingredient in the growing attraction to both groups. African tribal art and Ethiopian art show the world natural harmony and simplicityby using of nature’s raw materials, their simple, yet meaningful lifestyle. Traditional African and Ethiopian folk culture were well aware of the importance of living in harmony with their natural habitat long before the western world woke up to the necessity of protecting the environment. The African nation had sought to assert their identities through their art, both as individuals and as a nation, despite social and political upheavals. Their highly stylized art combines the elements of the past with the realities of the present.°
Esther Roiter is the owner of the Impala Ethnic Art gallery, located in Shuk HaPishpishim in Tel Aviv-Jaffa (4 Noam Street). She can be contacted at www. impalaethnicart.com
use of bold, brilliant color in their creations is also akin to African art. Embroidered Biblical paintings
| February 2009
food
Warming Winter Foods By GINAT RICE
W
inters in Israel can get quite cold, but the macrobiotic lifestyle offers easy and practical solutions to keep warm and treat colds and flu.
Grains, whole and milled, are central, including rice, barley, millet, oats, wheat and buckwheat. Other foods include land and sea vegetables, beans, soups, temperate climate fruit, fish, and desserts. Avoid processed foods, sugar, meat, eggs, nightshade vegetables and dairy products. We are all intuitively interested in foods and preparations that suit our environment. In winter one naturally seeks longer cooked foods like soups and stews, fish and baked foods. Raw food like salads and tropical fruits do not warm the body. Salty and bitter tastes cool the exterior of the body, bringing heat deep and low into the body. With cooler skin surface, one notices the cold less. Bitter foods, including lettuce, turnip, celery, alfalfa,
rye, oats, quinoa and amaranth, protect the heart from winter cold. Chicory root, available in coffee substitutes, is another good source of bitter tastes. In the coldest months of winter, oil and ginger are well suited to keeping us warm. Sautéing and frying food helps oil penetrate deeply in the body and generate heat. Ginger warms us by increasing circulation in the body. Spices and alcohol cool the body. Although their initial effect is to get blood flowing, with time they dissipate energy and promote sweating. Spices are natural in hot tropical or subtropical climates, not cold winter months in Israel. It is helpful to begin adapting to winter several months before cold sets in. Gradually incorporate more cooked foods and fewer raw vegetables. A simple recipe to counter winter weather is the Ume-Kuzu drink. You may not be familiar with these ingredients: Umeboshi: A salted, pickled plum that is a natural antibiotic. Kuzu: A strengthening powdered root that enhances our roots, the intestines. (Available in health food stores.) °
TU B’SHVAT FRUITS The Kabbalistic celebration of Tu biShvat originated in Tzfat, as recorded in Pri Etz Hadar, a 50 page pamphlet arranged by anonymous student of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria [1534-1572]. The pamphlet presents fruits to eat and passages to read, in a particular order. It is believed that as we eat, we elevate the fruits—and ourselves—through various levels, rising higher and higher. Here, Olam HaAsi’ah The World of Action Represented by fruits with inedible shells or peels. Symbolizes that we peel away the materialism that prevents our spiritual growth. Olam Ha-Yetzirah The World of Formation Represented by fruits with inedible pits (all is eaten except for the pit inside). Olam Ha-Bri’ah The World of Creation Represented by fruits that are entirely edible. Olam Ha-Atzilut The World of Emanation/Godliness Represented by fragrant fruit.
Ume-Kuzu Drink Mix two tablespoons cold water with one teaspoon kuzu. Add one umeboshi and boil in 2 cups of water until transparent.
Drink hot.
For children: Add apple juice for a delicious drink. For diarrhea: Drink 1 cup 2-3 times per day. Healthy eating will help you through the winter. For the occasional cold or flu, this easy remedy is a natural. Stay warm! Ginat Rice can be contacted through www.TheRiceHouse.com.
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35
ISRAEL’S MOST SERIOUS THREAT?
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By RICHARD H. SCHWARTZ The greatest threat to Israel’s survival may not be terrorism or Iran, as serious as these threats are, but a variety of environmental problems, especially global warming. The State of Israel has accomplished amazing things in its few decades in agriculture, education, law, social integration, technology, Torah study, human services, and academics. But simultaneous (and sometimes related) neglect and ruthless exploitation of its land, water, air, and resources have left Israel ecologically impoverished and endangered. Israel is especially threatened by global warming, as indicated by a 2007 report from the Israel Union for Environmental Defense (IUED; Adam Teva V’Din). According to the report, “The Forecast is in Our Hands,” unless major changes are soon made in Israel and globally, global warming could have catastrophic consequences for Israel, including: * Temperatures will rise an average of 3 to 12 degrees Fahrenheit, and there will be an increase in the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves. * The number of rainy days will drop and annual rainfall will decrease by up to 30 percent. Since Israel is already a semi-arid area with limited rainfall, this decrease will be very serious at a time of population growth and increased demands for water from industry and agriculture. * There will be an increase in the number and severity of storms, causing major flooding and other disruptions. * In the worst-case scenario, global warming could cause the Mediterranean Sea level to rise by 5 meters (about 16 feet), causing major flooding of low-lying areas. * The economic cost to Israel due to global warming effects could be as high as $33 billion annually, a major price in a country striving to reduce poverty and improve its health, education and other societal programs while maintaining its security in the face of many threats. Tzipi Iser Itzik, Executive Director of IUED, stated “There are a few short years in which we can work with the global community for the benefit of all. We need to start tackling climate change right now.” As the above factors indicate, Israel, the U.S. and, indeed, the entire world is endangered today as never before by global warming and other environmental threats.
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Hence, it is essential that tikkun olam, the healing and repair of the world become a major focus in Jewish life today and that Jews play our mandated role as “a light unto the nations” in helping the world’s people become more aware about the seriousness of the threats and the need for speedy actions in response. This would help revitalize Judaism by showing the relevance of eternal Jewish teachings to current threats and help move our precious, but imperiled, planet to a sustainable path.° Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D., is the President of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) and the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV) and director of the Veg Climate Alliance. He is also the author of Judaism and Vegetarianism, Judaism and Global Survival, and Mathematics and Global Survival. He is associate producer of the documentary “A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World.” See www.JewishVeg.com/ schwartz.
Warning:
Low Water Supply! Israel has two major water resourcesLake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) and the aquifers. The Kinneret is a surface water resource. It is our only surface water resource if we don’t count springs. The two main aquifers (groundwater) are the coastal aquifer (on the coast) and the mountain aquifer (on the western slope of a long chain of mountains in the Samaria and Judea mountain range). Two-thirds of our natural water comes from groundwater and one-third comes from the Kinneret. Currently, both water levels are low to point of risk. There are new “islands” in the Kinneret and we are close to the black line. If water drops below the line, it is impossible to pump water.
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(Continued from page 22) and a daily supply of water by ship, building tens of new swimming pools only increase the problem. Inevitably, during the summer months, the water is often cut off and there are electrical black outs.
Y
S: Can already-established buildings be transformed into sustainably-designed buildings?
In principle yes. For example, any existing building can improve its envelope with properly post-construction applied insulation and by replacing windows with double pain and thermal-break frames. Any house can improve its interior comfort in the summer with proper shading of the right windows. Any house can decrease overheating and overcooling from the roof by applying proper insulation or creating a green roof. Any building can upgrade their heating and cooling system with renewable systems, based on pellets, biomass, heat pumps, given that the site conditions allow it. What is difficult to do sometimes is to improve the orientation and design of an existing building. But you can minimize the negative effects (glare, sun penetration, lack of cross ventilation, etc.) with shading devices, opening new windows, blocking existing windows, planting around the building, etc.°
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Rehavia: For Rent! Diskin St- bright 3.5 room apartment-fully furnished, parking and elevator.2400$ Alex Losky Moshe: 0544793384 TALBIEH Pinsker st., 5 rooms, beautifully renovated, 3 full baths, double kitchen, all appliances, storage, parking. Only $670,000! Alyssa 054-668-4111 RE/MAX Vision 02-673-1661 www.remax-capital.com | February 2009
CLASSIFIEDS
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“Your Smiles Make My Business!� High-end studio portrait sessions with a professional photographer (hair & make-up stylists available). Perfect for your headshots, engagements, album covers, bar/bat mitzvah posters, resume, maternity, & baby shots. Call Nofia now at 054484-6899. http//:nofiaphoto.blogspot.com
ALEX LOSKY
Real Estate Group www.losky.co.il
02-623-5595
5-room 50 sqm Organiccottage,200 Vegetariansqm, Kosher Caterer terrace, entrance, parking, Personalprivate Chef Service 2,900,000 nis. Rita 054-546-4082. Take-Away Service 10 % Discount with this Ad
www.bisbari.com
077 HEALTHY (432 5849)
Vegetarian Restaurant ď ¨ Kosher Lemehadrin 33 Jaffa St., Jerusalem (02) 625-3065
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