frustration with World ORT's fund
allocation process. ORT Israel was
operating more schools than any other
ORT national affiliate and teaching
more than one-third of all the world's
ORT students but, Lowensohn said, it
wasn't receiving its fair share of World
ORT's fundraising dollars.
Roffe acknowledged that ORT Israel
didn't get a proportionate amount of
ORT money, but for a good reason:
Unlike the Israeli ORT network, most
ORT programs worldwide do not have
sources of funding other than the
world organization.
"While 95 percent of ORT Israel's
budget comes from the Israeli govern-
ment ... our schools in Argentina don't
have any help',' she said. Argentina is
an example of a country where the
demand for ORT programs continually
outstrips the capability. The Michigan
Region is part of ORT America's effort
to raise money to build a new ORT
school there.
A resolution to the rift doesn't
appear imminent. ORT America
scored a victory last week when a
New York court enjoined ORT Israel
from using the ORT name and logo
in the United States, writing "that the
ORT mark is strong and inherently
distinctive." For its part, World ORT
is implementing new programs in
Israel outside the ORT Israel network
of schools and ORT America is raising
funds to support those projects. At the
same time, ORT Israel plans to start its
own fundraising effort in the U.S. to
support its schools.
Roffe said World ORT went to the
Israeli Ministry of Education to ask
what it could do as an expert in scien-
tific education to prepare students for
tomorrow's needs. The result is Science
Journey 2007, an initiative providing
30-40 schools throughout Israel with
computer labs, science labs, other
equipment, technology education,
curriculum development and teacher
training. World ORT is spending $7.4
million on the initiative, which could
be expanded if it proves successful.
Roffe said the program targets "red-
by
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ORT on page 22
Telling ORT From ORT
World ORT:
• Runs a network of some 800 educational institutions serving 270,000
students a year in 58 countries, including the United States.
Serves
10,000 U.S. students a year through a college in New York,
•
technical institutes in Los Angeles and Chicago, and computer centers
in Atlanta, Miami, Cleveland and Detroit (at the West Bloomfield JCC).
Runs
a Science Journey program at 30 public schools in Israel.
•
Was
born
in Russia in 1880 as a way to perform the high-level mitzvah
•
of teaching the poor to help themselves.
• Got its name from the Russian acronym for "Society for Trades and
Agricultural Labor."
• Is based in London, though its official headquarters is in Geneva.
• Can be reached online for information and donations at www.ort.org .
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ORT America:
• Is the largest private contributor to the World ORT network and thus
to the education of 270,000 people.
• Is a national, nonprofit fundraising organization with nearly 400 chap-
ters, including Michigan Region.
• Runs the Lipson student-exchange program with Israeli students
spending a month with Jewish families and studying at day schools.
• Was born in January from the merger of American ORT, founded in
1922, and Women's American ORT, founded in 1927. Based in New York.
• Reach it online for information and donations at www.ortamerica.org .
ORT Israel:
• Israel's largest educational network, it runs 160 schools and colleges
serving 100,000 Israelis of all religions and ethnicities each year.
• Relies on Israeli government appropriations, supplemented with pri-
vate fundraising.
• Was born in 1949 after Israel secured its independence. It declared its
own independence from World ORT in late 2006.
• Can be reached online for information at www.ort.org.il/en.
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