Freedom 25



 

(CNN) -- Driven by desperation, Marina and Lev Furman stepped out of their home in Leningrad and took a 20-minute walk into uncertainty. Trailed by KGB agents, they bundled up and set out in the weak winter light for Palace Square, site of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.

They brought signs demanding freedom. And they pushed a baby carriage holding their 9-month-old daughter, Aliyah, who had already proved in her short life that she, too, could handle risks.

Friends told the Furmans they were crazy. Such demonstrations were forbidden in the square. The couple arrived in silent protest and spotted a mob of police and KGB agents waiting for them. Knowing they'd be taken away, they chained themselves to Aliyah's carriage.

For years, they'd asked for permission to leave. Each time, their requests were denied. Told once more they'd never be allowed to go, they were taking a final, calculated, bold stand.

On this day, though, they knew they weren't alone. The date was December 6, 1987.

Some 4,500 miles and a world away, 250,000 people were preparing to protest in Washington as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was preparing for his first White House summit with U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The demonstrators wanted to make sure the Furmans and other Soviet Jews weren't forgotten.

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives for his first U.S. summit with President Ronald Reagan.

Known as Freedom Sunday, the rally would be the culmination of a decades-long populist campaign the likes of which the world rarely sees. Americans of all stripes were coming together to demand human rights in a faraway land.

Driven by students and housewives and fueled by post-Holocaust guilt, civil rights activism and a newfound sense of Jewish pride after Israel's 1967 Six-Day War victory, the movement brought together Jews and non-Jews, religious and secular.

It's a part of a recent past that's nearly forgotten but that once enjoyed the support of top-tier politicians, congressional wives, Catholic nuns, actors, musicians and civil rights icons, includingMartin Luther King Jr.

If a new coalition has its way, the Soviet Jewry movement will find its place in history books and serve as a model for change in a time when global human rights abuses continue.

"It created a unity that today seems impossible," said Gal Beckerman, a journalist whose 2010 book about the campaign won widespread praise. "For Jews, this was the movement that allowed them to bridge their American and Jewish identities. ... They were flexing their political muscle for the first time."

Their mission was to keep human rights issues on the table for as long as it took, even as diplomats and politicians negotiated nuclear disarmament and trade agreements. In the end, this relentless push would play a part in ending the Cold War, bringing down the Soviet Union and ultimately freeing more than 1.5 million Jews -- many of whom watched from afar as the Jewish state of Israel grew, even while their own religion and identity was suppressed under Communist rule.

Learn what led to the oppression of Jews

Among those working behind the scenes was Reagan's secretary of state, George Shultz.

Part of the administration's agenda, when it came to negotiations, was human rights, said Shultz, now 92 and a distinguished fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.

"We developed a way to put it that I wrote out and read very slowly," he said, describing talks with his Soviet counterpart. "The gist was ... any society closed and compartmented will fall behind. So you've got to loosen up if you're going to be with it. And part of it is respecting the diversity and views of your population."

Shultz also met with "refuseniks," the term used for anyone who'd been refused exit visas. He attended a Passover seder with them at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. And he unofficially slipped a list of refusenik names to his Soviet counterpart, asking for their release.

While Shultz said it would have been inappropriate for him to attend the rally in Washington -- then-Vice President George H.W. Bush was among the speakers -- he loved the idea of Gorbachev turning on his TV to see the crowd on the National Mall. The event helped mark the beginning of the end. The gates were poised to open.

"It had a very positive impact," Shultz said.

Join the March - Freedom 25 was established to assure that the critical lessons of the Soviet Jewry movement are learned by future generations, so they can again be applied to expand the reach of freedom.

 

Immersed in water

From the Arizona Jewish Post. Friday, December 28, 2012

‘Immersed in water’: Sharon Megdal dives into policy and environmental issues

December 27, 2012

By Sheila Wilensky, AJP Associate Editor

Sharon Megdal (third from left) toasts “L’Chaim”with desalinated seawater with her colleagues at a desalination plant in Hadera, Israel.

University of Arizona Distinguished Outreach Professor Sharon Megdal grew up in Irvington, N.J., where scarcity of water wasn’t a problem. After she settled in Tucson in the late 1970s, her perspective began to change. “I lived here a dozen years before becoming immersed in water,” says Megdal, who started out as a student of state and local government and holds a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University.

In the mid-1980s, she served on the Arizona Corporation Commission, and in the early 1990s as executive director of the Santa Cruz Valley Water District, which no longer exists. She then worked as a consultant, including as an adviser on water resources for Pima County. In 2004, she became co-director of the UA Water Resources Research Center and a professor in the department of soil, water and environmental science.

“We live in a desert area where the focus on water is very important,” says Megdal. “I started reaching out to people interested in collaboration on water policy for personal and professional reasons on my second trip to Israel in 2006. My first trip to Israel was on a Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona mission in 1987.”

Following her 2006 trip, Megdal started having conversations with J. Edward Wright, director of the UA Center for Judaic Studies; Robert Verady, UA Udall Center deputy director; and others. “We hosted a workshop on the management of water policy in Arizona, Israel and the Palestinian territories in 2009,” she says. Megdal received grants from the National Science Foundation, U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation and the UA Foundation for that workshop.

For the past three years she’s gone to Israel twice a year to delve into water policy with Israelis and Palestinians. “I’ve gotten heavily into that collaboration,” says Megdal. Last month, Megdal organized a group of professionals from the Southwest to go on a working water management program in Israel. “Through seven days of site visits and interaction with top water experts, we learned about the region’s successes as well as challenges,” she wrote in her quarterly newsletter.

The November program had “the unique focus of professionals [working] on water issues intensively and extensively from a management and policy perspective, not technology or engineering,” notes Megdal. Among their visits, the group found out about the progress being made cleaning up the Yarkon River in Tel Aviv, where a deadly bridge collapse at the 1997 Maccabiah Games plunged athletes into polluted water, and also visited the Shafdan Wastewater Treatment Plant. “There are ways to develop solutions for issues that somehow seem insurmountable,” she says, adding that establishing personal contacts makes a difference. “I’ve built great friendships, professional associations over water policy.”

In addition, the Jewish National Fund-USA office in New York helped set up the professionals’ itinerary and “helped connect us to people I didn’t know,” says Megdal. JNF didn’t donate funds for the trip but designated it part of their Positively Israel Campaign, an initiative emphasizing Israeli progress.

Israel approaches its water issues in a centralized way, while “in the United States we handle water problems in a decentralized way,” notes Megdal, adding that pollution is a major problem in both countries.

Aaron Citron at the Banias Falls near the headwaters of the Jordan River in northern Israel.

Aaron Citron, 30, a Tucson native now working as a policy analyst for the Environmental Defense Fund in Boulder, Colo., was one of the 10 professionals who “went to Israel to learn about how Israel is a leader in agricultural and municipal conservation. Israel reuses 80 percent to 90 percent of their water in agriculture,” he told the AJP.

Citron, who holds a J.D. degree from the UA James E. Rogers College of Law, previously worked for three years at the Arizona Land and Water Trust. Growing up, he attended Camp Charles Pearlstein in Prescott for eight years and at age 16 participated on a NFTY in Israel trip, which was organized by the camp. There was a focus on nature and outdoor activities, says Citron, adding that Judaism emphasizes “healing the world and caring for the environment. I believe that had an unconscious influence on me.”

Working on many issues related to the Colorado River — the water source for seven western states including Arizona — is a big part of Citron’s job. “We’re trying to develop conservation measures,” he says, noting a recent Colorado River Basin study that looks at supply and demand in the entire area. “As we use more water,” asks Citron, “what will we do about that in the next 50 years? Before we invest in huge projects we want to focus on local solutions through conservation measures.”

Meanwhile, Megdal notes that Israel’s Jordan River and the Colorado River are both “overallocated,” with reduced flows to the Dead Sea and Mexico’s delta, respectively. “Both areas are concerned with climate change,” she adds. “There are lots of similarities between the Jordan River and the ‘mighty’ Colorado. Both are very stressed river systems.”

“Shared Borders, Shared Waters: Israeli-Palestinian and Colorado River Basin Water Challenges,” edited by Megdal, Robert G. Varady and Susanna Eden, published this month by CRC Press, elaborates on some of what she has learned with her colleagues. But they must continue their efforts, she says.

“I would like to work on resolving trans-boundary water issues between the Palestinian territories and Israel,” says Megdal. “I’ve developed good relations with Palestinians in the West Bank. In many parts of Israel there are major problems with untreated sewage, despite being touted for reuse of its wastewater in agriculture. It’s to everybody’s advantage to fix this. This little part of the world has the wherewithal to fix it. They just have to work together,” she affirms.

“Water is a health and environmental issue that has to be resolved. Untreated waste and pollution don’t recognize political boundaries.”

 

JNF weekly tour

Yesterday I spent the day with three families visiting from America who went on our JNF weekly tour to the Northern Negev.  Our JNF tour guide, Shahar Hermlin, and all the participants made the trip so special for me.  Shahar, just has a way with words. I listened to him speak as we drove on the highway leaving Jerusalem on the way to Sderot.  He talked about his grandfather who fought in the War of Independence. As he spoke he used the words like "we fought this war," " we were here in 1948," we saw the establishment of the state of Israel." Although he wasn't alive, he felt the sense of his country. That is something so accurate in the state of Israel. We are a "we" country. There is always this sense of national and group identity.

We got to the Sderot Playground and none of the participants had ever seen the place before. Shahar explained the significance and uniqueness of having a place where kids can play and be safe from rockets. Because of all the rockets that Hamas fires into Israel, JNF built the largest secure indoor recreation center for the children of Sderot.  There was an 11 year old participant that I was talking to and she said to me, "Ilana, this place is so cool." She kept climbing on the climbing wall, shooting the basketball hoops, and just enjoying life. She is too young and had no idea why this place is so special and so sad. For an 11 year old American from New Jersey this is an indoors fun place. For us Israelis we know the necessity of a "rocket-proof" structure in Sderot so that the kids can play, so that parents can throw their kids birthday parties, Bar Mitzvahs, etc and be close enough to shelter areas. Having some sense of normalcy is what has been established through the JNF Playground.

While driving to Beer Sheva to see all the development and plans to make Beer Sheva continue to bloom as envisioned by David Ben Gurion, I learned that in the early 20^th century the Ottoman Empire was ruling Palestine and while fighting battles, they would need to fuel their trains.  They therefore burned down so many trees in modern day Israel for building, trains, etc. This is a horrible consequence of colonization and war that I was not aware of.

JNF has planted almost 240 million trees since its creation in 1901. Each time I go on a weekly tour, and discover more and more of Israel, I learn something new and gain a greater appreciation for the work that I am a part of. Trees have little to do with this conflict but unfortunately, they too are affected. Each time a rocket is sent into Israel, damages occur.  In 2006, during the second Lebanon War, some 800,000 trees were lost in the North from Hezbollah Rockets.  Every time you and your family come to Israel and plant a tree, or plant a tree in honor or memory of someone, you are doing your part to build your roots in Israel and we at JNF are so grateful to you for that. 

Ilana Frankel | Administrative Associate - Israel Operations

The JNF weekly tour leaves every Wednesday from Jerusalem.  You can purchase a ticket and join us by clicking HERE.

Greeting from the Central Arava!!!

Russell Robinson

CEO, Jewish National Fund

Shalom Russell, 

It is with a great sense of pride and responsibility that I accepted the honor of becoming the 7th Mayor of the Central Arava Regional Council.

As you know, the local community is comprised of only 800 families even though the area encompasses of 6% of the land of Israel.

The story of the Moshavim in the Arava symbolizes in many ways the establishment of the state of Israel - the story of an idealistic group of young people and their efforts to follow David Ben Gurion's vision of settling the Negev, their struggle with the various challenges along the way and their success, against all odds, to make the desert blossom.  Today we are proud to have a small but thriving community that persists in its mission to realize Ben Gurion's vision, despite all the obstacles.

None of this would have happened without support and your dedication towards the development of the community.  As a second generation Arava pioneer, I am strongly committed to following in the footsteps of the Arava founders, and with your partnership to lead the community towards a bright future.

It is our vision to further develop and populate the Arava while preserving its unique and wild character.  We believe that the Central Arava will attract new residents to the region, encourage entrepreneurship and creativity,  and provide the community with opportunities for sustainable living.  The Central Arava Council will strive to preserve the region's ecology and strengthen the community.  We see a great importance in the further development of innovative agriculture in desert, thus positioning Central Arava as a national and international role model.  I believe that together we will continue making a difference to people's lives, offering the founders as well as new families a real opportunity and a home in the Arava.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and the Jewish National Fund for your friendship, partnership and ongoing efforts towards the development of Central Arava the place where I was born raised and proud to call my home.

Looking forward to working with you,

Your sincerely,

Eyal Blum, PhD

Mayor

The Trip That Took Me

Growing up, the most difficult part of being Jewish was not the fact that I was the only Jew in my group of friends, or that I had to tell my soccer coach I would not be making our last game because it was on Yom Kippur. Instead, the most challenging part of my Jewish childhood was staying completely silent in my room until 1:00pm on Sundays so that my mother would lose track of the time and forget that I should be in Hebrew School.

For me, Hebrew School doused the flickering flames of my Jewish fervor. I felt more identification with my heritage strolling down the kosher aisle of my nearest grocery store. I had no interest in an activity that made me sit indoors on sunny weekends and read a language backwards. These days, as I fill out the papers to complete my upcoming Aliyah to Israel, I realize those Hebrew classes could have come in handy.

So I know what you are thinking. How did a Hebrew School drop-out end up saying this past year--and truly mean it--B’Shana Haba’ah bi Yerushalem (Next Year in Jerusalem) at the Passover Seder table? Or, even better, that after a stint in Jerusalem, she is headed to live and raise her family in Sderot?

To be honest, I can’t believe it myself. Sure, the Birthright spell took over once my body remained magically afloat in the Dead Sea. Yet, my need to live in Israel stems from a reason far greater than just getting a chance to stroll through the outdoor markets again and feel the Mediterranean sand between my toes. I needed to make a difference—for myself and for Israel—until I was ready to call the land of milk and honey my home.

In the winter of 2008, I travelled with The Jewish National Fund’s Alternate Winter Break. The program offered the opportunity to go to Israel instead of college spring break hot spots like Cabo as well as do community service for the Jewish country instead of taking full advantage of the all-inclusive Mexican resort. It was a chance to see the “real” Israel, not just through a tour bus, but through hands-on experiences.

In order to participate on the trip, each participant is required to raise $900 for an indoor playground in Sderot, a JNF initiative to provide the children of Sderot with the "luxury" of playtime without the worry of rocket attacks. The building was constructed to remain safe no matter what was happening beyond the playground walls, providing these young people the security I took for granted when I was growing up.

Though I used the fundraising site that JNF provided, I noticed that my friends and family actually needed little explanation on why they should donate to the Sderot Indoor Playground. It was the first time that I understood the meaning of the global Jewish community and the powerful connection linking us together. Every push of a shovel and swipe of a paintbrush I made while on this JNF program brought me closer to Israel and made me feel that I was authentically part of the Jewish community.

JNF took us to Israeli locations passed over by the typical tourist, enabling us to see a broad range of towns and villages in the Negev such as Yerucham and Arad. We worked together as true Zionists, tearing unwanted weeds from the soil in order to make room for the delicate new roots of the tree we were planting. We learned that our hours spent painting the bomb shelters with decorative colors encouraged the local residents and made them feel less isolated. We could see for ourselves the difference we made by serving freshly prepared meals at the nearby soup kitchens. Together, through our work, we became one with Israel and with each other. As the mayor of Yerucham said when he spoke to us one night in the desert, “You came here with Israel on your minds, you will get Israel on your hands, and you will leave with Israel in your heart”.

He was right. I've saved the work gloves I made muddy working during that winter break in Israel. They remind me of how thrilling it was to make a difference and to be part of building a great nation. With Israel in my heart, I was ready to begin my path to make Israel my home and Sderot my neighborhood. After working in Israel, being a Jew no longer meant pretending to be asleep to escape Hebrew School. It meant exerting all my effort to be part of something important, extending into the future-- our future.

Sarah Cahners Hindman

July, 2011

We Couldn't Have Said It Better Ourselves

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Bedouin life - a "new" model of sustainable living

While "sustainability" is the environmental buzz word of the day, the Negev Bedouins have been part of this trend since their earliest days.  Their nomadic lifestyle has roots in making the most out of the dry regional landscape in which they live.  Bedouins have been practicing sustainable farming and agricultural techniques in the desert environment for thousands and thousands of years.  There is so much we can learn from their model and now JNF is working in partnership with the Bedouin municipality of Hura to do just that!

Bedouin practices have historically relied on herding sheep for meat, milk, and clothing - using every part of the animal, letting no part go to waste.  They have collected, saved and planted ancient seeds, some which are no longer available otherwise, which are favorable to the desert's unique growing challenges.

Since the urbanization of Negev Bedouin life at the start of the Ottoman rule, most have lost their connection to these ancient practices as their lifestyles have been more "modernized" and therefore less sustainable.  Project Wadi Attir is a collaboration meant to get Bedouins back to their ancient practices and to serve as a model for desert communities worldwide.

Jewish National Fund is working with the Bedouin Hura Municipal Council on this truly unique and empowering collaboration.  The project was designed by The Sustainability Laboratories and the local population to help bring back these ancient techniques with the purpose of creating community based enterprise combining Bedouin aspirations, values and experience with sustainability principles, modern day science and cutting edge technologies.

The core of the enterprise will involve raising several hundred goats and sheep, to produce organic meat and dairy products. In addition, a significant portion of the farm will be dedicated to the cultivation of a wide variety of medicinal plants that have been valued by generations of Bedouins for their health benefits. The medicinal plant operation will showcase and preserve Bedouin knowledge of natural remedies and will produce a line of healing and body care products.  Project Wadi Attir is also re-introducing the production of highly nutritious, desert hardy, indigenous vegetables which once formed an important part of the Bedouin diet, using the ancient seeds that have been saved over many generations.  In addition to growing these native vegetables on the site, a seed bank will be created and a women-led program will be launched to help spread the cultivation of vegetable gardens on family managed plots - empowering local women and girls!

Imagine - a project that connects urban Bedouins with their traditional practices, that generates new income, and re-introduces a healthier lifestyle into the community, all while serving as a model for communities in similar landscapes worldwide!  The project has attracted many collaborators, including the Bedouin community members, university scientists and researches, local non-profit organizations, a nearby kibbutz, government agencies and private sector companies. Project Wadi Attir has recently been established as the first ever, Bedouin agricultural cooperative in Israel. 

Sustainability is not a new concept!  We have much to learn from cultures, like the Bedouins, who are experts in conserving the small resources available to them and making the best use of their sparse environment!