Overcoming Water Problem Israel Looks Ahead to Year 2000

By AVRAHAM PELEG

TEL AVIV — A new des-
alination plant — the biggest
of its kind in Israel has re-
cently begun operating in
Eilat. This is a prototype for
larger plants that are to re-
solve all of Israel's water
problems. And yet, according
to the head of the technolo-
gical department of the Na-
tional Council for Research

RUSSELL SCHREIBER ASSOCIATES ,

AGENCY OF THE SHOW WORLD'

•

testras • Entertainment

• Speakers • Concerts
Downtown Detroit - 96243010,

FIRESTONE

.

JEWELRY

holesale Diamonds & Jewelry
errWwthig, Jewelry & R arch Reparfin

SUITE 318 ADVANCE BLDG.
23077 Greenfield at 9 Mile
(313) 557-1860

Let Movies
- Recreate
Your SIMCHA

and Development, "Israel
came into the world thirsty
and will celebrate its 50th
anniversary towards the end
of the century with her thirst
still unquenched."
Israel is the only developed
country in the world which
uses more than 90 per cent of
its water potential, which is
about 1.6 billion cubic meters
per annum. Israel's scien-
tists and technologists must,
therefore, seek new water re-
sources. The richest and
most important is the sea,
but the water would have to
be desalinated.
A great leap forward in
water desalination came in
1964, when an agreement was
signed between the then U.S.
President Lyndon B. Johnson
and the Israel Premier Esh-
kol for the construction of a

other plant in Israel or else-
where in the world.
There are a number of
smaller desalination plants in
Israel, all south of Eilat. The
total production capacity of
desalinated sea water in Is-
rael has reached some 3,000,-
000 cubic meters per annum.

Circumcision Benedictions

By RABBI SAMUEL FOX

(Copyright 1974, JTA, Inc.)

SANdy FRIEdMAN

dual-purpose atomic reactor,
for producing electricity and
desalinating the water. How-
ever, this never materialized.
Israel has managed with-
out the reactor, by making
special efforts to restrict the
use of water. But the short-
age has not been overcome.
Today, the technology of
desalination has improved
considerably, due to research
and development carried out
in Israel. One example is the
new desalination installation
in Eilat, a company called
Israel Desalination Engineer-
ing. It has a production ca-
pacity of 4,000 cubic meters
daily, close to 1,000,000 cubic
meters annually. The plant
functions on the principle of
distillation, desalinating wa-
ter at a cost which is 20 per
cent cheaper than at any

plio- rogRAphy

398 -7211

cANdids • MOVIES • PORTRAITS

PAJAMA OUTFITS
DRESSES
SPORTSWEAR

29600 Northwestern

Between 12 and Inkster

355-2210

Master Charge

BankAmericard

Mon. thru Fri., 9:30 to 4

Two benedictions are re-
recited at a Jewish circum-
cision ceremony.

Our current practice is that
the first benediction is re-
cited by the mohel (the one
who performs the circum-
cision) and the second one is
pronounced by the father of
the boy who is being circum-
cized. The first benediction
extols the Almighty who
"commanded us regarding
circumcision." The second
benediction extols the Al-
mighty who "commanded us
to enter him into the cove-
nant of Abraham our father."
The reason for requiring two
such different benedictions is
given in a number of differ-
ent ways. Some claim that
two benedictions are required
because a Jewish ritual cir-
cumcision is composed of two
distinct acts—i.e., the cutting
off of the outer skin and the
slitting down and folding
back of the inner skin (Mig-
dal Oz.). Others claim that
the first benediction applies
to the mechanical perform-
ance while the second applies
to the achievement which is
gained thereby (Ra'aban).

There are also those who
claim that the first benedic-
tion applies to the actual act
of circumcision while the
second applies to the concern,
the cost and the effort in ar-
ranging the ceremony. It is
also stated that while the act
alone is accomplished by the
cutting, the father has a fur-

4 Day Showing in

INDIAN JEWELRY
SHOW & SALE

Original Handcrafted American Indian Jewelry Navajo-Zuni-Hopi

UP TO 50%
DISCOUNT

Turquoise & Silver
is America's #1
Investment

So Come Early
For Best -
Selection

distinguished
pieces from some of
the Southwest's
finest silversmiths

ther task--i.e., to enter his
son into the covenental fold
established by Abraham. This
certainly requires more than
a physical motion. What be-
>comes obvious from most
reasons offered is that a cir-
cumcision is indeed much
more than a surgical skill.
It signifies the tremendous
responsibility that rests upon
the father to. establish his
son as a connecting link in
the Jong chain of Jewish
heritage.
The benediction of "Shehe-
heeyanu" is not pronounced
at a circumcision ceremony.
This benediction which is
classically referred to as
"Birchat ha-Z'man" — i.e.,
the benediction that comes
at . the beginning of an act
performed or enjoyed at a
new season, requires the -oc-
casion to follow a seasonal
pattern. Since a circumcision
does not have a special sea-
son there is no place for this
benediction (Rabbenu Nis-
sim Sukkah, Ch. 4). Others
claim that the reason for
omitting this benediction is
that it requires a mood of
comfort and happiness. The
circumcized infant is in pain
and suffering so that the
benediction would thus be
out of order. Still others
claim that the benediction is
omitted because a child
doesn't pass the dangerous
stage of infancy before thirty
days.
Since the child is still in
danger the benediction is
not timely. It is also stated
that the act of circumcision
is one in which a number of
people share, i.e., the father,
the mother and mohel and
thus it would be inappropri-
ate for any one of them to do
it alone. It should actually be
known, however, that Sephar-
dic Jews do pronounce this
blessing at a circumcision
ceremony because Maimon-
ides actually stated that one
should do so. Many places in
Israel do likewise.

COULD BE
Hoeing a garden in mid-
summer heat is probably
what is meant by "growing
pains."

SHARE IN
FREEDOM

18631 WEST 7 MILE

6 BLOCKS WEST OF SOUTHFIELD EXPRESSWAY
Thurs. 12-8 — Fri. 12-8 — Sat. 11-7 — Sun. 11-6

*
*

U.S. Savings Bonds
New Freedom Shares

A top engineer outlines
future developments. "From
1982 we shall have at our
disposal distillation techno-
logy which will enable us to
build sea water desalination
plants of almost any size we
choose. Setting up such plants
is more a political matter
than a technological one. A
political decision will have to
be taken regarding the rela
tively high cost of desalina-
tion. Therefore, other tech-
nological possibilities are be-
ing explored at the same
time. By 2000 we shall have
to install a sort of country-
wide artificial kidney to ex-
tract the salt from the closed
fresh water circuit. This cir-
cuit has a growing accumu-
lation of salts and the 'artifi-
cial kidney' would purify the
national water system. To-
day, we are technologically
incapable of constructing
such a kidney.

"Larger and larger invest-
ments will have to be made
in urban and industrial sew-
age recycling. Proper re-
cycling would avail Israel
of a few hundreds of millions
of additional cubic meters of
water annually. The techno-
logy for a system of purify-
ing water by means of mem-
branes is already at our dis-
posal, but additional invest-
ments must be made in
purifying installations."
There are other means of

increasing water supply
which should not be under-
estimate d. For example,
seeding clouds with iodide
particles to induce rain
creates a 15 per cent increase
in rainfall wherever it is ap-
plied in Israel.

Despite all these possibili-
ties, one vital aspect must
not be overlooked: Israel's
demographic growth. A pop-
ulation increase of 2,000,000
is expected by the turn of
the century, which means a
rise in the water consump-
tion for industry, agriculture,
and domestic use.
(Translated from an article
in Maariv).

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, August 9, 1974-35

'Bar Mitrias, Weddings

and special occasions

Garson Zeltzer
Photography
559-7876

QUILTS

Made to Order
and Remade

Factory Showroom

TRAURIG'S

Established 1919

Quilt & Pillow Shop

15144 W. Seven Mile Rd.

DETROIT
342-9448
Sat. by appt.

"Let is Entertain You"

The
Sheldon. Rott
Orchestra

and

Vickie Carroll

Charlotte's Prices Are Lower

Saturday - Sunday - Monday

Hundreds of

HANDBAGS

1 /2 of 1/2

Reg. '30

Yesterday 5 15

Reg. $20

Yesterday 5 10

Reg. $10

Yesterday $5

NOW

$7.50
$5.00
$2.50

All Sales Final

Charlotte's Shops

121/2 & Southfield
OPEN
SUNDAY

9 Mile & Coolidge
11 Mile & Lahser
15 Mile & Orchard Lake

CLOSED SUNDAY

