:4- mmor- L. : a LIFE IN ISRAEL nhelievable bird Special) 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Do You Go South For The Winter? Receive Rent Credit UP TO 2 MONTHS FREE! Independent Living Apartment Rentals Only. *Offer Limited. Some restrictions may apply. Applicable to new lease only. b Oa t o FRANKLIN CLUB APARTMENTS 28301 Franklin Rd., Southfield, MI 48034 I A Retirement Community 353-2810 OPENING/EXPANDING A BUSINESS??? I've Got LOCATIONS LOCATIONS LOCATIONS Call Today JONATHAN BRATEMAN PROPERTIES INC. (313) 474-3855 here comes a time in everyone's life for new beginnings. At Windemere Manor, a supportive care residence, these dreams come true with the first step in learning to walk again. New beginnings are the essence of Windemere Manor. Residents are encouraged to maintain their independent lifestyle. However, 24 hour licensed nursing support, assistance with medication, bathing and other supportive amenities are available. Experience new begin- nings with the finest supportive health care residence anywhere . . . and step into your own lifestyle. Located on Farmington Road just South of Maple Road in West Bloomfield • 661.1700 Stop by at your convenience Advertising in The Jewish News Gets Results Place Your Ad Today. Call 354-6060 36 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1989 Allan Afterman of Kfar Kalil adjusts solar storage batteries. Can Sun Power A Village? Kfar Klil Trying To Find Out CARL ALPERT Special to The Jewish News K li, is a tiny dot on the map somewhere in the Galilee Hills. One who approaches the area in which the settlement is located should not look for helpful road signs. The long approach road is unpaved. This is deliberate. "We are a group of creative people who don't want to be disturbed by curious visitors, and we even seek to discourage them." So we were told by Stephen Fulder, formerly of Oxford, whose family is one of 21 who make their home in this out-of-the- way place.- Their desire for solitude won't help them, for whether they wish it or not, fame of a sort has come to Klil. Visitors to Israel are familiar with the sun collec- tors which abound on more than 50 percent of the roof- tops of the country, providing the residents with an ample supply of hot water, heated by the sun's rays. Every home in Klil has a battery of collec- tors, but here they do more than heat water. They contain photovoltaic cells that convert the energy of the sun into electricity which can then be stored in batteries for use at will. - Klil was founded 10 years ago, and the score of families who gathered here found that they had in common a desire to live a pioneering life next to nature, far from the mad- ding crowd and the various contaminations of city life. For the first eight years they managed quite well without electricity, using in- stead storage batteries, kerosene, candles and oil lamps. The nearest power lines were miles away, and the cost of extending them to the Galilee aerie was pro- hibitive. Still, there was no denying the advantages of a steady power suply, and con- tact was made between the settlement and the Ministry of Energy, which was seeking a suitable spot for experimen- tal development of electrical energy for domestic use, drawn from the sun. "When we decided to go in- to this, we thought that all was well known and that we were simply buying fixed equipment that had to be in- stalled," Fulder told us. "We found out otherwise." For the past two years, they have in- deed been making and using their own electricity, but the path of experimentation has been beset with difficultie-s. In effect, they were guinea pigs, as they faced and over- came teething problems and the equipment was gradually improved. The scientific side of the ex- periment must be left to the scientists to explain. In brief, Israel has an average of 850-950 watts of solar radia- tion per square meter when the sun is shining. The highest anywhere in the world is 1,100 watts. The energy in the sun's rays is converted into electricity through a thin wafer of silicon which is placed in a frame with up to 40 other photovoltaic cells, covered with weatherproof plastic. 4 The electricity created is only 12 volts DC, but an inverter changes it into the 220 volts AC which is standard for domestic use in Israel. Is the power supply ade- quate? In the summer, yes, but on the cloudy days of winter the settlers have to economize. There is enough juice for illumination, radio, television and washing machines, though many of the families run their refrigerators on bottled gas. For winter heating many burn wood. "People lived before elec- trical refrigeration," Yael Roseman, a professional writer, told us, "and we got along, too. We like this kind of life, and we're willing to pay a price for it." They do have telephone contact with the outside world. Dan Schreier, an American from Los Angeles, put it even more bluntly. "We decided that if we're going to live in Israel, then we might as well go whole hog and live a real pioneering life. This is the best place of all to raise children, next to nature and unspoiled by city life." His youngsters are 12, 11, 7 and 3. All the children at Klil, and there are many, are taken to schools daily in nearby towns. Mike Silverman, formerly of New York, noted for us that almost all the residents are college graduates. "We have not come here looking for economic success," he said. "We would have remained in the city for that. What we want is a quiet life." He has a wife and four daughters. - 4