resident "s Column by Eli A. Scher;

KEREN KAYEMETH tEISRAEl

declaration of peace between Israel and Jordan is a triumph made possible by agreement on
many water-related issues. Israel, which consumes approximately one million cubic meters per day
for home use, needs to protect and expand its water resources even as it helps Jordan.
In August 1994, even before the treaty was finalized, Israel responded to a severe shortage of water in
Jordan caused by a very warm winter. Israel transferred four million cubic meters of water from the
Yarmuk River to Jordan to be used for drinking purposes in Irbid and Amman, Jordan's two main cities.
The official fifteen-page treaty provides that Israel give Jordan 40 million cubic meters of Yarmuk River water annually. Ten
million more will be provided through desalination of brackish sources near the Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee). No water will be

taken from, the Kinneret.

The treaty also stated that beyond this 50 million meters, the two countries will construct two dams and a pumping station
on the Yarmuk and Jordan Rivers. The dam on the Yarmuk will be built at Adasiyah. Israel will approach other countries to

ask for financing.
While Israel and Jordan have cemented their neighborly relationship into what Arab specialist Professor Dan Schueftan of
Haifa University calls a "very warm" peace, reaching accord with Syria on issues of water will require overcoming many stub-

born obstacles.
Israel cannot use water as a bargaining chip in negotiating with Syria because Syria gets much of its water from the Eu-
phrates and has no need for Israel's water. Instead Syria wants a return to pre-1967 conditions under which it controlled the
east bank of the upper Jordan River and the northeast shore of the Kinneret. Israel must retain access to the tributaries which
feed the upper Jordan and Lake Kinneret. Israel must also have guarantees that Syria will not pollute Israeli-bound water.
Even so, buoyed by the success of the Israel-Jordon peace agreement, Israel and the world look for solutions to the Israel-

Syria stalemate.
Each of us has an opportunity to participate in the process that is taking those desert lands across which enemies have con-
fronted each other for generations and turning them into vibrant, fertile, life-giving forces. We can assist the process that will
bring together groups and ideas, that will turn old enemies into new friends, disunity into unity, discord into harmony, and
war into peace. This truly is a goal worthy of a lifetime.

NF Stresses
7-)pv4.47, 9rrient Of

FR

This year, the Negev will be
the principal focus of JNF's
work. Initiated jointly by the
Ministry of Agriculture, the Jew-
ish Agency and JNF, a develop-
ment program for the Negev
has been formulated to include
reclamation of thousands of
acres of agricultural land in the
Arava; planting thousands of
acres of citrus groves in the
northern Negev; constructing
reservoirs and dams to expand
the region's water economy;
building hothouses for agricul-
ture in the Arava; preparing fish
breeding ponds; and develop-
ing tourism sites and parks.
Some $300 million will be in-
vested in this program over the
next four years.

JNF Alleviates
Unemployment

17100 West
10 Mile Road

Southfield, MI
48075
Phone 557-6644
FAX: (313) 557-2412

The 1995 Israeli Budget
marks the third consecutive year
of this unique program which
provides 3,500 temporary jobs
for new immigrants and demo-
bilized soldiers alike, sponsored
by JNF jointly with the Ministry
of Labor and Social Welfare.
The project helps. reduce un-
employment, which mush-
roomed in the wake of the mass
exodus from the former Soviet
Union and Ethiopia, and facili-
tates accelerated development
of rest and recreation sites in
JNF forests.

We mourn the loss of: MIRI-
AM RHODES, HYMAN SABB-
OTA, CLARA WEISBERG and
ETTIE WEISMAN.

JNF Maccabi.„.,
Sports Area
Has Matching
Funds

Israel is one of the most densely
populated countries in the world.
The desert covers 60 percent
of the land of Israel. The area that
can support a population is truly
slender. The band bordered by
Jerusalem in the east and Tel Aviv
in the west has a particularly large
concentration of people, and
comprises the nation's largest
metropolitan area.
Because we wanted to give
something to the people of Israel
that would help families,. espe-
cially children, and because we
are so impressed with the extent
and quality of the work done by
the Jewish National Fund in Is-
rael, we are sponsoring a special
sports and recreation area - the
Maccabiah Sports Area in the
Ben Shemen Forest.
Facilities will include jogging
and walking paths, mountain
bike trails, observation points,
tourist centers, archaeological
sites, forest sports centers, forest
navigation routes, rope climbing
stations, and exercise spots along
the area's many hiking trails.
Over two and a half million
people visited this forest last year,
nearly twice the number who live
in the region. How is this possi-
ble? Families come several times
a year, and tourists visit as well.
The park will be situated near
the place where the Maccabees
defeated the Syrian army of An-
tochus Epiphanes nearly two
thousand years ago. The reded-
ication of the Temple of
Jerusalem after the Maccabeean
victory is celebrated during the
festival of Chanukah. We are now
rededicating ourselves to this pro-
ject by establishing a matching
fund to see it through to com-
pletion.

When you send a contribution
for the Maccabiah Sports Area,
we will match it! So your gift will
be worth double the amount you
send.
By supporting this project you
will help improve the quality of
life for Israelis.
Please send your contribution
today, and help children, adults,
citizens and tourists - all the peo-
ple of Israel.

Allen K. Fox
Suzan Fox
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tu B`Shevat 575L,

This year's Tu B'Shevat pro-
gram throughout the schools is
proving to be another successful
year. The monies from the
schools are still being counted.
Watch for more details in our
next JNF NEWS issue.

JNF Extends A
Speedy Recovery
To:

DR. FRED BLUM, BETTY
ELLIAS, BEA FEIGELMAN,
SADIE GOREN, BETTY NO-
SANCHUK, MELVILLE RICH-
MAN, JERRY SANFIELD and
GRANT SILVERFARB.

GoideL
Subscry,.et.
February 2 3,

Gw

Golden Book subscribers help
the JNF continue land reclama-
tion in Israel. We salute the fol-
lowing contributors of Golden
Books as of February 23:
EDITH KOLODNEYJACK &
MIRIAM SHENKMAN; IRVING
& FLORENCE HERMELIN,
DOREEN & DAVID B. HER-
MELIN; FRANK & BETTY EL-
LIAS.

Garden Donors
Enrolled As Of
February 23,
"I 995:

We acknowledge with sincere
appreciation the following gar-
den donors who enrolled in the
Michigan Garden Club as of Feb-
ruary 23:
BEA 8c JULIUS FEIGELMAN,
ARNOLD FEIGELMAN, RAB-
BI/CANTOR EDWARD & VIVI-
ENNE FEIGELMAN and DR.
MICHAEL & LINDA ELMAN;
MR. & MRS. DAVID GILL.

Questions
Wanted
Answe:
cvnrie

- .

Mazel Toy To:

MAX SOSIN on the birth of
his Great Grandson. GREGG &
SHELLY BRODSKY KEPES on
the birth of their son, Samuel
Brodsky Kepes. HUGHES &
SHEILAH POTIKER on the
birth of their Twin Grand-
daughters, Danielle and Cara.
Our congratulations and best
wishes to all!

Q. Is there an advantage to
sending in a donation with my
Membership form?
A. Yes! Your first donation,
mailed in with the membership
form, earns you double points.
Q. Can my company or orga-
nization join Frequent Funder?
A. No! Only individuals may
sign up for the program.