... may the
New Year
be one of joy,
happiness and
prosperity
for all mankind
Sour Grapes
In The Desert?
DAN GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
THE JEWISH NEWS STAFF
And Their Families
extend heartiest greetings to the entire
Jewish Community ofMichigan with
gratitude for the splendid cooperation
that has enabled us to work together
for good community spirit.
Charles A. Buerger
Arthur M. Horwitz
Marianne Taylor
Brian Lawrence
Alan Hitsky
Elizabeth Applebaum
Phil Jacobs
Jennifer Finer
Glenn Triest
Seymour Manello
Illana Greenberg
Gail Zimmerman
Danny Raskin
Rick Nessel
Kathy Johnson
Barbara Lopez
Danny Samson
Tobie Kuppe
Betsy Leemon
Lisa Marshall
Art Shafer
Dharlene Norris
Marlene Miller
Karen Indig
Cheryl Grant
Dena Jacobs
Sylvia Stafford
Marla Cooper
Cathy Ciccone
Curtis DeLoye
Ralph Orme
Gayle Baldi
Debbie Schultz
Jill Davidson Sklar
Carla Jean Schwartz
Burt Chassin
Sharon Brown
Linda McCarthy
Ruth Littmann
Kris Morgan
Julie Edgar
Mary McMahon
Paula Smith
Carolyn Stankiewicz
Ann Abrams
Patty McMurray
Susan Brooks
Robin Magness
Robyn Katz
Phil Smith
Morris Bednarsh, Anthony Ferrari & Chris Schornack
Extend
1.1.!
C../)
w
Hearty Wishes To Our
Customers and Friends
For A Very
Healthy and Happy
NEW YEAR
CC
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M.B. JEWELRY
22
DESIGN & MEG. LTD.
Applegate Square
Northwestern Hwy. at Inkster
(810) 356-7007
olan, Gamla and Yarden
are Israeli synonyms for
good wine. In late March,
an unusual experiment
was launched by the Jewish
Agency — a vineyard in the
Negev desert irrigated with salt-
water. Should it succeed, anoth-
er name may be added to the fine
wine list.
The seven acres of vines were
planted near Kibbutz Sde Boker
on the Beersheva-Eilat highway
as part of the Jewish Agency's
Negev-Arava rural and develop-
ment activities. The success of
this experimental vineyard may
lead to the planting of another
120 acres in nearby Ramat Ov-
dah, at a cost of $18 million.
It will create new jobs in the
area and could also prompt the
construction of a new "wine
route" in the desert which would
be integrated into both high-tech
agriculture, tourism and indus-
try.
Yet, the most intriguing part
of this project is that vines will be
irrigated by salty water, pumped
locally from the Qinoman
Aquifer. 'The last grape growers
in this region were the Nabateans
(300 BCE to 100 BCE)," says Yi-
gal Yerushalmi, director of the
Negev region in the Rural and
G
al and Urban Development,
claims otherwise.
"The quality of the wine —
most of which is slated for export
— will depend on a combination
of the height of the vines, the dif-
ference between daytime and
nighttime temperatures in the
desert and the salinity of the wa-
ter." Hall goes according to plan,
she says, the results will come in
the shape of vintage Chardonnet,
Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet
Sauvignon and Merlot — at three
different degrees of salinity. Its
success may also prompt the es-
tablishment of a local winery with
subsequent employment and
tourism spin-offs.
Still dubious? Well, according
to Professor Serruya, several
quality wineries have already ex-
pressed interest in the first yields
before planting has even com-
menced. While the plan on paper
seems far from dry, medium dry
or even sweet, the wine in the
glass will be a litmus test for the
connoisseurs. El
Haifa Team
Studies Dolphins
Haifa — More than 200 sightings
of a pod of 900 dolphins off the
Mediterranean coast of Israel
have been reported to a Haifa
University team studying these
marine mammals over the past
two years. This is the first time
that facts and figures about "Is-
raeli" dolphins have been pub-
Urban Development Department lished.
The team, led by Oz Goffman,
of the Jewish Agency. "And no
one has ever irrigated grapes a graduate student in the uni-
with salty water. This will rep- versity's Department of Marine
resent a major breakthrough in Civilizations, presented its find-
agriculture and, particularly, in ings to a recent meeting of the Is-
rael Zoological Society held in
viticulture."
The saltwater irrigation sys- Haifa. The survey of wild dol-
tem, he claims, not only over- phins, including data on strand-
comes the natural problem of the ed dolphins, has been carried out
availability of sweet water in the since February 1993.
The objective of the dolphin re-
arid Negev desert, but also has
other advantages. According to search is basic study. But Mr.
experimental research, the salt- Goffman also wants to be able to
water will actually enhance the save the stranded dolphins in the
level of natural sugars in the fruit area in the future. Most of those
and since it is pumped from a inspected were very thin and gen-
depth of 1,000 meters, the salin- erally in an unhealthy state. The
ization of adjacent sweet water team is setting up a safeguard
reservoirs — where traces of salt- network based on volunteers.
The information on the "Is-
water were recently detected —
raeli" dolphins was obtained
will be prevented.
If skepticism still glues your mostly from trawler fishermen
lips together at the thought of a through the Israeli fisherman's
throat full of salty wine, Profes- radio. Occasionally photographs
sor Colette Serruya, director of were also transmitted. More de-
research and development for the tailed information was obtained
Negev-Arava region in the Jew- from encounters nearer the coast
ish Agency's Department of Rur- as well as from the observation
Turning salt into
wine.
.