Special Report

Experience Rosh Hashana at the Grand Hotel with
Jewel Kosher Catering and Phil Tewel ais
Detroit
in conjunction with AISH HaTorah

h

ON THE COVER

ROSH HAS HANA

Pho to by Ar ie l Je roz o li s k i/Jeru sa le m Pos t

September 12-16, 2007

at the world-class

gran)

otee

N1ACK1NAC ISLAND
MICHIGAN 49757

Defense
Shortcomings
Fixed, But
Much Work
Still Remains

Reserve before August 15, 2007 (5 days, 4 nights)
for an unbelievable rate of
$799 per person, based on double occupancy

plus tax & gratuities

Two Israeli soldiers console

$499 per child, age 3 - 15 as 3rd or 4th in room

each other on the Lebanese

plus tax & gratuities

border in 2006.

(out-met Glatt Kosher Cuisine
• Inspiring DaCerling & Shiu- rim

*

Call for reservations and information
248-948-9908 ext. 1
Phil: 248-661-4050

1272570

The Jerry Ross Band

•Rumplestiltskin
'LUSA •Nightline
•Persuasion
•Cassens Murphy Band
'Simone Vitale Band
'Intrigue
'Sun Messengers
•Radio City

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lorioross.com

Newsmaker

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L0-1/10 -ROSS SILALRIG

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248-398-9711

16

July 19 • 2007

that allow owners of private homes to
reinforce them against rockets; and the
Defense Ministry has been given exdu-
sive responsibility for the homefront.
he Second Lebanon War was
Also, $760 million has have been paid
Israel's `wake-up war," former
for
rehabilitation and compensation to
Israel
Defense
Minister
Amir
T
those who lost family members, prop-
Peretz said last week on the one-year
erty and livelihoods. An additional $660
anniversary of the start of the war.
Some needed changes have been insti- milion has been allocated for "stren
ening the north'.' Five centers for identi-
tuted, but if another war were to break
fying and treating victims of post-trau-
out soon in the north, the civil defense,
matic disorder have been established by
social welfare, health, educational and
the Health Ministry in the north.
other infrastructure would not be corn-
And the Education Ministry has bol-
pletely ready, the directors-general of
stered
formal and informal educational
five cabinet ministries and the Prime
frameworks
for children; allowed 12th-
Minister's Office conceded at a press
graders
affected
by the war to retake
conference.
matriculation
exams;
and provided eight
But, they said, the government
hours
per
week
of
small-class-size
les-
had made "vast strides" in repairing
sons for pupils in the area.
the shortcomings that became obvi-
In addition, thanks to the improve-
ous during the Second Lebanon War,
ment
in the economy and some direct
which claimed the lives of more that
intervention,
the unemployment rate in
150 Israelis and about 1,000 on the
the
north
has
dropped by 0.4 percentage
Lebanese side.
points.
The two-hour press briefing was to
The Interior Ministry has allocated
show the public the government was
$142
million to local authorities in the
responding after the lack of prepared-
north
for improvement of infrastruc-
ness and coordination so blatant during
ture
and
equipment, and for training
and after the war.
emergency
staffers. Dinur said that a
Efforts to help residents of the south
third
of
the
funds had gone to Jewish
suffering under continuous Kassam
areas,
a
third
to those of Arabs and other
rocket fire from Gaza also were dis-
minorities,
and
a third to infrastructure
cussed at the briefing.
that benefited all residents.
Ra'anan Dinur, director-general of the
Avi Yisraeli of the Health Ministry said
Prime Minister's Office, said the emer-
important
strides had been made in for-
gency systems for coping with the needs
tifying
hospitals,
but that it would take
of the homefront were "significantly dif-
ferent" today than they were a year ago. A billions of shekels to make all of them
project for upgrading about 3,000 public safe for all patients, so the work could
be only partial for the foreseeable future.
bomb shelters from the line between
However, underground and fortified
Acre and Amiad northwards has begun.
In addition, tens of millions of shekels facilities are being mandated in all new
hospital wings, he said. II
have been invested in installing and
repairing sirens that warn residents
to take cover; local authorities have
Web Exclusive!
been helped to train teams for assist-
Go to JNonline.us to read an
ing residents in an emergency; the
Israeli soldier's frontline diary.
Interior Ministry has issued regulations

Judy Siegel-Itzkovich
The Jerusalem Post

Since 197

,