10 Friday, February 18, 1983
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Israelis Protect Crops Without Hurting Wild
By BILL CLARK
JERUSALEM — Israel
farmers, like their counter-
parts all over the world,
have their share of wildlife
problems. The difference is
that the Israeli Nature Re-
serves Authoritiy doesn't
allow farmers to shoot, trap
or poison wild animals.
Most conventional animal-
control devices, such as
leghold traps, common
throughout North America,
are flatly prohibited.
To comply with the strict
aws here, Israelis are fend-
!ng off wildlife with such
,veapons as hard rock
music, taped bird calls, and
harmless, solar-powered
shocks. And to encourage
farmers to handle wildlife
nuisances without resorting
to cruel, deadly or non-
selective devices, the Na-
tare Reserves Authority is
working with them to in-
vent, experiment and ex-
pand humane and
biologically-acceptable
methods.
A blasting transistor
radio, for example, tuned to
a local station, connected to
a loudspeaker and set in the
middle of a field, is some-
times enough to dissuade
the local wildlife from
entering and feasting on ri-
pening produce.
With this technique, the
selection of the proper
radio station can mean
success or failure, says
Avinoam Lurie, the
authority's animal dam-
age control expert. "We
find that the army radio
station is best," he says,
"because it has a mixed
program of popular,
classical and oriental
music, talk shows and
news. The programs keep
changing and this tends
to discourage wild ani-
mals from entering the
field."
"Playing tape-recorded
alarm calls of birds also
works," Lurie says, explain-
ing that the authority has
taped the alarm calls of sev-
eral species of birds which
damage crops. "It's quite ef-
fective with starlings," he
said, "but not so effective
with other species, such as
bulbuls."
Shepherds have long used
reliable dogs to protect their
sheep, but only recently, Is-
raelis have learned that
dogs can be very useful in
protecting crops as well.
Again, success depends on
the technique. Simply let-
ting Fido sleep out in the
field doesn't help very
much.
"We've been working
with two techniques," Lurie
says. "First, we've found
house calls
a thing of
the past??
OF COURSE NOT!
Let
The Jewish News
visit your home or
that of a friend or
relative each week.
To: The Jewish News
17515 W. 9 Mile Rd., Suite 865
Southfield, Mich. 48075
Please send a year's gift subscription to:
NAME
_ _ _
ADDRESS
CITY
STATE
ZIP
OCCASION:
FROM:
❑ $15 enclosed
11
that a bitch with puppies
can be very effective in
keeping all other animals
away from the field. But
lately, we've been working
on a two-dog system using
dominant and subdominant
dogs."
"Dominant"
dogs,
meaning those which are
the most ferocious, have
a tendency to sleep more
soundly. So a more timid,
"subdominant" dog is
allowed to roam free and
alert the leashed-up do-
minant dog at the first
sign of an intruder. "The
technique is still experi-
mental," Lurie points out,
"but it seems to be work-
ing."
An electrified fence has
proved to be the best protec-
tion device. "We've had very
positive results with this,"
Lurie reports. "We've used
it all around the country to
protect farms from all sorts
of wildlife — gazelles, wild
boar, hares, porcupines and
even predators."
Most of the electrified
fences come from the work-
shop of Reuven Yoffe on
Moshav Nahalal in Israel's
north. Yoffe, a cattle, cotton
and pecan farmer by profes-
sion, is also an incurable
gadgeteer. The electrified
fence is one of his pet proj-
ects.
He produces two types of
units, each for a different
application, but both types
have certain similarities.
For example, both are fully
electronic, highly energy-
efficient, and highly effec-
tive without harming ani-
mals.
One unit, Yoffe ex-
plains, conducts 7,000
volts through rows of or-
dinary galvanized wire.
The unit is capable of
keeping about 25 miles of
wire electrified. When an
animal attempts to climb
through or over the
fence, it is shocked by the
high voltage, but because
the amperage is very low
(0.08 amps/hr.) no physi-
cal damage is done to the
animal. According to
Yoffe, this type of elec-
trified fence is useful for
permanent situations.
His other unit consists of
a single galvanized wire
connected to a 30,000-volt
electric pulse. Again, the
merit of the device is that
the amperage is so low that
the shock can't cause any
physical harm to the animal
touching it.
Although this unit is use-
ful for only four kilometers
(less than three miles), it
has the benefit of being
portable. With the aid of a
collection of fiberglass rods
as quickly-inserted fence-
posts, the electric fence can
be installed in a matter of
hours. Such application is
useful when a field needs
only temporary protection,
or when the farmer is fre-
quently shifting his stock,
as with sheep herding on
open grasslands.
Yoffe noted that by using
a higher-frequency oscil-
lator he could get good re-
sults with lower amperage.
Today, his 7,000-volt fence
can work at 30 pulses per
minute off a standard 12-
volt battery for a month
without recharging. And if
a modest amount of sun-
shine is handy, a small solar
charger can be attached to
keep the battery charged
and operating indefinitely.
Yoffe echoed the sen-
timents of many profes-
sionals involved in Is-
rael's wildlife damage
control. "Some time ago,
farmers simply wanted to
kill any animals that
came in and ate their
crops or killed livestock,"
he said. "But in recent
years, there has been a
new understanding. In-
stead of fighting against
the Nature Reserves
Authority, farmers are
now working with them.
"Farmers have learned,
and now they understand
that killing an offending
animal doesn't solve the
problem. It only opens the
way for another animal to
come in, and then another
and another. It can become
an endless cycle."
Dr. I.E. Gordon
Dr. Irving E. Gordon, a
dentist with offices in Pon-
tiac for more than 50 years,
died Feb. 10 at age 73.
Born in New York, Dr.
Gordon was a member of
Bnai Brith and Kiwanis,
and was graduated from the
University of Marquette
Dental School in 1931.
He was a member of the
American Endodontic
Society, the American
Analgesic Society and the
International Conference of
Implantation.
He leaves his wife, Be-
rtha; two sons, Dr. Stephen
of Santa Barbara, Calif.,
and Robert; two daughters,
Mrs. Michael (Judith) Stul-
berg of Santa Barbara and
Mrs. Steven (Debra) Sher-
man of Monsey, N.Y.; three
brothers, Dr. Daniel of
Newport Beach, Calif., Dr.
Sidney and Judge Norman,
both of Huntington Beach,
Calif.; a sister, Mrs. Lillian
Sussman of Palm Springs,
Calif.; and nine grand-
children.
Dr. Steinberg
NEW YORK — Dr. Israel
Steinberg, a developer of
angiocardiography, a tech-
nique in the diagnosis of
heart disease in adults, died
Feb. 15 at age 80.
Edward Wolf
Edward Wolf, founder of
the Wolf Sanitary Wiping
Cloth Co., died Feb. 8 at age
88.
A former Detroiter, Mr.
Wolf resided in Miami Be-
ach, Fla., for the past 15
years.
He founded his company
in 1912 in Ferndale. He also
founded the Windsor Wip-
ing Cloth Co. and the former
Wolf Fabric Mart.
Mr. Wolf was a 32nd
degree Mason, a Shriner
and a founder Lotti Wolf
Racing Stables.
He leaves his wife, Tina;
four sons, Morton, Stanley
and Roy, all of Southfield,
and Charles of Franklin; a
brother, Nathan of New
York ; grandchildren and
great-grandchildren.
Interment Florida.
Rabbi Kirshblum
Led NY Jewry
NEW YORK (JTA) —
Rabbi I. Usher Kirshblum,
spiritual leader of the
Jewish Center of Kew Gar-
dens Hills in Queens, died
Feb. 5. He was 71.
Rabbi Kirshblum, who
had been associated with
the Jewish Center since
1946, was membership
chairman of the Zionist
Organization of America
and a member of the Rab-
binical Assembly of
America in which he was a
leading opponent of ordain-
ing women as rabbis.
He also was active in
numerous Jewish com-
munal and Zionist organ-
izations.
Born in Bialystok, Po-
land, he came to the
United States as a child.
He was a graduate of
Albert Kanfer
Brooklyn College,
Albert Kanfer, a residen- studied at the Jewish In-
tial builder and land de- stitute of Religion and
veloper, died Feb. 11 at age was orgained a rabbi in
63.
1944.
Born in Philadelphia, Pa.,
In 1971 Rabbi Kirshblum
Mr. Kanfer lived 51 years in received an honorary de-
Detroit. He was the owner of gree of Doctor of Divinity
Albert Kanfer Builders, a from the Jewish Theological
business he started in 1946. Seminary of America.
He was a life member of
Cong. Beth Achim, Eugene Hevesi,
Craftsman Lodge of the Ma-
sons, Crescent Shrine Club AJC Official
and Louis D. Brandeis
NEW YORK — Dr.
Lodge of Bnai Brith.
Eugene Hevesi, foreign af-
He leaves his wife, Be- fairs secretary for the
rtha; a daughter, Mrs. American Jewish Commit-
Lawrence (Judye) Glazer; tee, died Feb. 15 at age 87.
three sisters, Mrs. Herman
The son of the former
(Ruth) Kass, Mrs. Mitchell chief rabbi of Hungary, Dr.
(Gwen) Kronick of Los Hevesi was an economic at-
Angeles, Calif., and Mrs. tache in the Hungarian
Harry (Mollye) Dubbs; and Embassy, but resigned in
six grandchildren.
protest over the passage of
an anti-Semitic law in
Dr. Samuel Danto Hungary. He came to the
Dr. Samuel B. (Budd) U.S. in 1937 and served
Danto, a dentist with offices with the AJCommittee for
in Detroit for more than 50 23 years.
He also was the UN
years, died Feb. 14 at age
representative for six
83.
A native Detroiter, Dr. Jewish non-governmental
Danto resided in St. organizations, among them
Petersburg, Fla., at the time the Joint Distribution
of his death. He retired to Committee and the Hebrew
Immigrant Aid Society.
Florida in 1973.
In the 1960s, he was a
Dr. Danto was a founder
liaison official between
in 1941 of Temple Israel.
He leaves his wife, Sylvia; many American Jewish
two sons, Dr. Bruce of De- organizations and the Vati-
troit and Dr. Arthur; one can.
sister and six grandchil-
dren. Interment St. Harry Band
Petersburg.
Harry Band, a retail fish
merchant, died Feb. 15 at
age 72.
Dr. Kline, Aided
Born in Poland, Mr. Band
Mentally III
came to the U.S. 69 years
NEW YORK — Dr. ago. He was the owner of a
Nathan S. Kline, whose fish store on 12th Street for
work with drugs helped 42 years and later on Seven
revolutionize the treatment Mile Road near Schaefer.
of mental illnesses, died
He was a member of
Feb. 11 at age 66.
Cong. Bnai Israel-Beth
His development of tran- Yehudah.
quilizers and anti-
He is survived by a son,
depressants made possible Steven A.. a daughter, Mrs.
the treatment of many Arnold (Sonia)
'
Smith; two
patients formerly consid- brothers, Hyman Band and
ered untreatable, the New Michael Wallach; and two
York Times reported.
grandsons.
"Over 65 years of traditional service in the Jewish community with dignity and understanding."
HEBREW MEMORIAL CHAPEL
543.1622
SERVING ALL CEMETERIES
26640 GREENFIELD ROAD
OAK PARK, MICHIGAN 48237
Alan H. Dorfman
Funeral Director & Mgr.