Georgia and Israel Face Down Common Enemy Together

Water Crisis Addressed by JNF and Hadassah

Contact: Ronnie Porat • JNF Israel Emissary • 404-236-8900 • rporat@jnf.org

September 14, 2009 -- Atlanta, GA -- Not only is the program collaborative, but the issue spans two continents.

Join Jewish National Fund (JNF) and the Ketura Group of Greater Atlanta Hadassah for an evening on water or the lack thereof, on October 15, 2009 at 7:30 p.m., Congregation Etz Chaim.

Titled, “Water: the New Oil…Crisis from Georgia to Israel,” the program will feature Sam Olens, Cobb County Commission Chair and Chair of the Atlanta Regional Commission; Dr. Mort Mower, Chair of JNF-Parsons Water Fund; and Col. (Ret.) Sharon Davidovich, JNF Israel Emissary.

Both Georgia and Israel have experienced prolonged droughts. In December 2007, water levels in Georgia’s Lake Sidney Lanier, the region’s primary drinking water source, reached a record low. The rains finally returned this year but the future remains dim.

Israel is facing the worst water crisis in decades. Quotas for farmers and water rationing for Israelis have already begun and pumping from the Sea of Galilee, Israel’s primary fresh water reservoir, is in jeopardy.

“Both Georgia and Israel are facing similar scenarios,” said Lauren Mescon, president of JNF Southeast region, “and since JNF and Hadassah partner in many worthwhile projects, this event seemed like a natural fit.”

Dr. Mort Mower, a native of Baltimore, MD, is the inventor of the Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator as well as Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy for congestive heart failure. In 2002, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Ohio. Mower is chair of the JNF Parsons Water Fund, a $100 million campaign committed to creating new water sources for the water economy in Israel and its surroundings. This critical plan is now being implemented all around the country.

Colonel Sharon Davidovich spent 23 years serving in various positions in the Israel Defense Forces, including commanding officer of operations in Gaza, acting commander for Southern Lebanon’s Eastern Front, and commander of the Nahal Division. He has become an advocate and expert on the water issues that Israel faces today and recently represented JNF, the only non-Israeli NGO invited to speak before the National Investigation Committee on Water in Israel.

Sam Olens is chairman of the five-member Cobb County Board of Commissioners and vice chair of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, a 16-county planning entity dedicated to developing comprehensive regional and watershed-specific plans for the district. He serves on many regional boards, is involved in various non-profit organizations, and is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2008 Tom Bradley Leadership Award given by the National Association of Regional Councils.

The program is open to the entire community. RSVP by $10 check payable to Ketura Hadassah and mail to Deborah Chasin, 4092 Audobon Drive, Marietta, GA 30068. You may also pay at the door.

The synagogue is located at 1190 Indian Hills Parkway, Marietta, GA.

 # # #

Jewish National Fund (JNF) began in 1901 collecting coins in blue boxes to purchase land and return the Jewish people to their homeland. In over 109 years, JNF has evolved into a global environmental leader and become the central address for partnering with the land and people of Israel. JNF has planted 250 million trees; built over 1,000 parks and recreational areas; constructed security roads; educated students around the world about Israel; created new communities so that Jews from around the world would have a place to call home; discovered new means of growing plants under arid conditions, bringing green to the desert; and built over 200 reservoirs and water recycling centers, increasing Israel’s water supply by 10%. Today, JNF is supporting Israel’s newest generation of pioneers by bringing life to the Negev Desert, Israel’s last frontier. 

A United Nations NGO, JNF sponsors international conferences on desertification, shares afforestation techniques, and funds research on arid land management. JNF is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and continuously earns top ratings from charity overseers. For more information on JNF, call 888-JNF-0099 or visit www.jnf.org.