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President's Column by Eli Scherr
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KEREN KAYEMETH tEISRAft
FROM
ter is the source of life. How many of us in this country can truly appreciate the importance of water, this re-
s ource which we tend to take for granted? In Israel, "water is the source of life" is stated with the force of ex-
perience by inhabitants of a land whose most severe perennial plight of nature is the scarcity of water.
Israel relies on three main fresh water sources: the Sea of Galilee and two major underground aquifers which
stretch beneath the coastal plain and the central mountain ridge. Annual rainfall in Israel ranges between six and ten
billion cubic meters of water, mainly between November and March, and is concentrated in the north of the country.
Most of this water, about 60%, is lost to evaporation in Israel's intense heat. Approximately 35% percolates into the subsoil where about
half recharges the aquifers, and half is lost as run-off. The remaining 5% constitutes surface floodwaters of which only about one fifth is
currently captured before the balance drains into the sea. As a result, Israel is left with an annual renewable average of some 1.7 billion
cubic meters of fresh water.
This 1.7 billion cubic meters of fresh annual accumulation is barely enough to supply the needs of the present population of Israel in
a "normal" year. Additional immigration, erratic rainfall, and periodic drought exacerbate the water shortage and create the potential
crisis faced by Israelis every year. Israel's water problems cannot be solved by conservation alone. New sources must be created to meet
the growing demand.
Rural farming communities depend upon water to fuel the agriculture and fish farming which are the basis of their economy. Since
many of these communities cannot afford to continue importing the water necessary to sustain the lives of their people, the water crisis
imperils their very existence. Without the rapid construction of the dams and reservoirs included in Israel's water conservation blue-
prints, settlements may be forced to abandon their homes and farms. Unless JNF is able to implement additional water conservation
projects soon, many settlers will see their Zionist dream of life on the land desiccated and destroyed.
For years, experts have expressed the thought that the next war in the Middle East would be fought over water. Because of the amaz-
ing events of the past two years, however, it is now widely believed that water will be one of the key bargaining factors in the arbitration
of peace. Whatever other differences must be settled, the issue of water must be resolved as a prerequisite to normalized relations be-
tween Israel and its neighbors. Addressing and properly resolving the water problem places even greater pressure on Israel for the cre-
ation of additional water sources to compensate for possible new territorial arrangements with its neighbors.
The generation of new sources of water supply is JNF's responsibility and expertise. Working in partnership with Israel's official water
agencies — the Water Commission, Mekorot, and Tahal — a master plan for meeting Israel's water needs has been drawn up. The plan
is wide-ranging and forward-looking.
Plans call for purifying and recycling an additional 100 million cubic meters of sewage water for agriculture, desalinating another 100
million cubic meters of brackish water, and constructing a new system of dams and water reservoirs to capture al least 100 million cubic
meters of floodwaters. Projects are planned or under way in the Beit She'an Valley, where added facilities will lessen the demand on the
Kinneret; the Jezreel Valley, where a major drainage program will help save Israel's "breadbasket" from salinity; the Nahal Besor
riverbed in the Negev, where currently only 2 million cubic meters of water are captured, one sixth of the total available. JNF's construc-
tion of additional recycling facilities, which purify sewage water for crop irrigation, will also provide a -water boon to beleaguered farm-
ing communities. These are merely some of the projects that form the overall plan that JNF is charged with implementing.
JNF has, of course, constructed numerous facilities already. Reshafim reservoir in the Galilee; the Shif a, Moda and Ma'oz Chaim
reservoirs in the Beit She'an Valley; and the Nevatim, Kedma, and Nahal Hayun dams in the Negev, among others. The effects of these
and other JNF built installations have been swift and salutary, enabling farming and industrial settlements throughout Israel to thrive
and allowing their residents to look forward to a future of prosperity and stability.
But so much more must be done. Unresolved, the water crisis may foreshadow severe economic decline and place an obstacle on the
path to peace. Without the basic necessity of life, many of Israel's new immigrants may be forced to abandon their hopes of building
new lives in their new homeland. The planned JNF projects will help eliminate the specter of a water catastrophe. But they cost money
— money which JNF does not have.
JNF is committed to meeting this challenge. To succeed, we depend on support from all over the world. To succeed, we depend on
your support.
Our JNF staff will be happy to provide more complete derails about this crisis and the steps that are being taken to meet the resulting
challenge, if you will please call 557-6644 during normal business hours.
By providing assistance to development of a dependable fresh water supply for Israel, you will be assuring the very life blood of sur-
vival to our fellow Jews and to the State of Israel.
Mayor & Judge Archer
Honored By JNF
FillID
17100 West
10 Mile Road
Southfield, MI
48075
Phone 557-6644
FAX (810) 557-2412
More than 600 guests attend-
ed the Tree of Life Award Din-
ner honoring Mayor of Detroit
Dennis Archer and his wife,
Judge Trudy DunCombe Archer
on October 6th at Cong. Shaarey
Zedek. Anthony Franco, past re-
cipient of the Award, served as
Master of Ceremonies for the
evening; Frank Stella, also past
recipient of the Tree of Life
Award, gave tribute to The
"Of Blessed
Memory"
We mourn the loss of ROSE
BURSTYN, JOSEPH HAAS,
RABBI SEYMOUR NULMAN,
and PHILIP OLENDER
Archers; and, Jack Robinson, a
recipient of the Award, present-
ed the Guests of Honor with the
Tree of Life Award. The net pro-
ceeds from the dinner will es-
tablish a Forest of 10,000 Trees
in the American Independence
Park in Israel, bearing The
Archer name. On behalf of the
JNF, our thanks to all those who
supported this dinner.
JNF Extends A
Speedy Recovery
To
MAURICE GLAZIER, BET J
GREENBAUM, LILYAN KASKY
and HELEN TUKEL.
Congratulations To:
PHILLIP STOLLMAN who re-
cently celebrated his 90TH
BIRTHDAY...and for being the
1994 Bar-Ilan University Hon-
oree.
LIBBIE POSEN on the recent
occasion of her 90TH BIRTH-
DAY
May you both live in good
health to 120.
MAZEL TOV TO SANDY
SCHORE & MAX SOSIN — on
the recent marriage of their
Grandchildren, NEIL SCHORE
to BETH SOSIN.
Blue Box
Collection,
Golden Book
Subscribers As Of
October 14,1994:
Our apologies to all of you
who have called in to have your
Blue Boxes picked up and are
still waiting for the pickup. We
had such a tremendous response
to this campaign, that, unfortu-
nately, it has not been possible
to make pickups as quickly as we
would have liked. Please bear
with us. Your Blue Box will be
picked up and replaced with a
new one.
Golden Book subscribers help
the JNF continue land reclama-
tion in Israel. We salute the fol-
lowing contributors of Golden
Books as of October 14, 1994:
JENNIE MALAMUD & CHIL-
DREN; MARTIN R. GOLD-
MAN; DOREEN & DAVID B.
HERMELIN; BETTE & MARV
HEIDENREICH.
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