THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
48 Friday, April 1, 1977
75-Year Old Idea Could Promise New Life for Dead Sea
By ZE'EV SEGAL
(Copyright 1977, JTA, Inc.)
JERUSALEM—"...When
they arrived at the hotel,
Kingscourt did not want to
leave the car. He wanted to
continue the journey to the
Dead Sea channel. Fortu-
nately, little Fritz had fall-
en asleep on the way, other-
wise Otto could never have
permitted himself such an
The
SHELDON ROTT
ORCHESTRA
Featuring
T.V. & Recording
Artist
VICKIE CARROLL
"Professional Entertainment"
967-3187 255-1599
exceptional idea. It was de-
cided, therefore, that the
women would remain in the
hotel with the child, while
the men would go alone on
the short trip down the val-
ley.
"In front of them
stretched the blue expanse
of the Dead Sea, and a dea-
fening -noise, which was the
sound of the water in the
channel, which had been
brought through tunnels
from the Mediterranean
Sea and was pouring down
into the valley.
"In a few words, David
explained the nature of the
plant: the Dead Sea, as it is
known, is -the lowest place
in the world, its level being
394 meters below that of
the Mediterranean Sea.
There could, therefore, be
•
From All Of Us To All Of You—
A Peaceful, Ha ppy , Joyful Passover
BRODY'S
BOYS & YOUNG MENS WEAR
•
•
LI 3-41 15
1 3 745 W. NINE MILE RD.
•
•
BankAmericard
• Master Charge
• Layaways
no simpler idea than that of
using the gigantic height dif-
ferential and making it into
a source of energy.
"The height loss in the
channel's path from the
coast to the Dead Sea is
just a little over 80 meters,
leaving, therefore, a drop
of 300 meters or more. The
width of the channel is 10
meters and its depth three,
and it produces some 50,000
horsepower..."
When Theodor Herzl pub-
lished this account in his
book "Altneuland" in 1902,
there was no lack of skep-
tics and doubters who re-
jected the seer's vision. But
as, bit by bit, the vision has
started to become a reality,
there has been no lack of
scientists, with a sense for
reality, who have tried to
find an achievable idea in
that charming description
picnic in one of
of a
the most
most awe inspiring won-
derlands in the world.
In those pre-state days, in
what was the most difficult
period for Jewish settle-
ment in the land of Israel
in the late 1930s, a world-
famous American expert,
whose activity was destined
to represent the first sparks
of American scientific aid
to the Promised Land, ar-
rived in the "old-new" coun-
HAPPY PASSOVER TO THE COMMUNITY
PROFESSIONAL AUTO SERVICE CO
GRAND OPENING
C SPRING SPECIALS
FRONT END
ALIGNMENT
SNOW TIRE REMOVAL
SPECIAL plus
HIGH SPEED BALANCE
AND ROTATION
$5 0 0
$ 1495
per tire
reg. 17.95
reg. 6.50
COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR
• Electronic engine tune up — points, plugs, timing, condenser
• Front end alignment — balancing, setting toe in, camber & caster
• Brakes • Engine scope service • Air conditioning
▪
▪
ASK ABOUT SOUTHFIELD AREA'S (1st)
Senior citizen discount
Family discount — 2 or more cars
Car pick up service — return to home or office
Dial-a-mechanic — free emergency service advice
GET A FAIR SHAKE
20134 W. 8 Mile, So. (W. of Evergreen)
357-3111
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7-6 p.m., Sat. 7-2 p.m.
NKAMEAICAAO
one kr," Arlir
WHILE WAITING ENJOY T.V. AND COFFEE
—
try. An expert in soil preser-
vation and hydrology, Wal-
ter Clay Lowdermilk came
armed with scientific re-
search papers, a lot of
know-how, documents,
maps and Herzl's book that
had been written at the be-
ginning of the century.
He studies the conditions
of the country, examined
its soil, toured the Dead
Sea region, and decided
that it was possible to - turn
the Dead Sea into a source
of life and energy, with the
waters of the Mediterra-
nean flowing into it and the
height differential serving
for the production of
energy.
His conclusions, which
were published, inter alia,
in his book "The Land of Is-
rael—The Appointed Land,"
served as a source of in-
spiration for many experts
who came to a clear con-
clusion: that the vision
could become reality. It is
feasible to work out a plan
for directing a gravity fed
flow of water from the
Mediterranean Sea through
a large tunnel to the Dead
Sea, with the purpose of pro-
ducing hydro-electric power
via a large artificial lake
and a system of locks and
dams.
But fate was not kind to
this plan. For a long time
the various plans were kept
in dusty drawers, while on
the shelf above them in a
place of forgotten honor,
was the vision of the
"Seer" of the state. The
Yom Kippur War wls the
signal for making the poten-
tial "energy plan" an ac-
tuality. The fuel crisis,
which became a much
more serious problem fol-
lowing the war, demon-
strated the need to find re-
liable and cheap energy re-
sources. –
At last, the forgotten
drawers were opened. Six
months after the end of the
war, the then Israel Min-
ister of Development,
Hayim Gevati, appointed a
committee of experts with
the task of examining "the
feasibility of establishing a
hydro-electric plant in the
Dead Sea area." In other
words, the committee was
asked to look, objectively,
into the important and unan-
swered question: can the vi-
sion of Herzl be turned into
functional reality?
The committee, headed
by Prof. Shlomo Ekstein, of
Bar-Ilan University, sat for
lOng months discussing the
subject. The committee,
amongst whose members
were representatives of the
Atomic Energy Council, the
electricity corporation, the
water planning authority,
the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry, the Israel
Chemicals Corporation and
the Dead Sea Works, exam-
ined the old research
papers, toured the area and
consulted experts.
Its conclusions were
clear. It says in the com-
mittee's report "The estab-
lishment of a hydro-electric
plant in the Dead Sea area
seems practical from an en-
gineering point of view and
is within the realms ,of eco-
nomic feasibility." -
The committee's -report
loosened the wheels of the
plan and in April of this
year, Dr. Moshe Mandel-
baum, • director-general of
the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry. announced
the establishment of the
plan's directorate; which
would undertake, within the
framework of the Elec-
tricity Corporation, com-
plimentary examinations,
detailed planning, the prepa-
ration of calculations for
the implementation of the
research findings, and the
determination of ways to re-
alize the fabulous visionary
concept of Herzl's dream,
now approaching its 75th an-
niversary.
The tests were planned to
continue for over a year. At
a scheduled date, a detailed
plan will be presented to
the government for its ap-
proval. The chief scientist
of the Ministry of Com-
merce and Industry will de-
termine the methods of the
plan's implementation,
based on diverting sea
water through a short and
open canal, between Ash-
dod and Ashkelon, and
transferring it to and
through a large tunnel, 75
kilometers long, emerging
at a point on the Heights
that are above Ein Fashkha
and Ein Gedi.
t
Near the point, whe
is proposed the tunnei
emerge, a control lake and
a large reservoir will be es-
tablished.
INVITATIONS
Weddings-Bar Mitzvas
Showers-Etc.
Complete Unique Selection
H & L SALES CO.
557-1240 or eves 837-1555
Best Wishes
For A Joyous and Happy Passover .
ALPORT SCRAP AND
SALVAGE CO.
Fred Rapoport — David Fealk — Albert Borkin
7900 Dix Ave., Detroit, Mich. 48209
843-0721
Passover Greetings
DgRO N,
SnOKE
10.&
S
From
EDDIE &
JANIE
CITRON
rsth,.
2 Locations to Serve You
23077 Greenfield 17017 W. 9 Mile Rd.
Sheraton Southfield
Advance Building
(Lower level)
Southfield Mich. 48075
559-5559
559-9119
ELECTROLYSIS
WORKS!
WE FOUND THAT OUT
YEARS AGO. AND WE HAVE
BEEN HELPING PEOPLE RID THEMSELVES OF
UNSIGHTLY HAIR EVER SINCE.
HELEN ZINBERG
IF YOU HAVE EMBARRASSING HAIR ON
THE FACE, UPPER LIP, ARMS, LEGS, OR
THIGHS, IT CAN BE REMOVED PERMA-
NENTLY. NOT BY GADGETS, NOT BY
PROMISED MIRACLES, BUT BY MEDICALLY
APPROVED ELECTROLYSIS.
16125 W. 12 MILE RD.—OPEN MON., WED., THURS. & FRI.
BY APPOINTMENT — 557-8115
8221 Curtis Open Tues. Only 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. UN 2 - 8914