THE WATER WE DRINK

Tzfat's own Felicia Hazen has prepared the following report on drinking water. It was sent out as a special edition of Tzfat-Line, the e-mail bulletin that Yaffa and Moshe Smolensky have taken it upon themselves to edit and distribute. The bulletin is a great boon to our community

Read the report - and weep.

Physical, biological and common chemical characteristics Found in Drinking Water (H2O)
What is really in the water we drink?
Actually, I wish I could give you a reliable and accurate answer, but I can not. One thing I do know, is that water is definitely, not just H2O but much more, water has natural trace elements, tends to "pick up" ingredients on its way to our taps and has many different chemicals added to it.
I must say that I have conducted my own personal research on this matter and found Water, to be an amazing Element of nature. Although, I am still waiting for answers regarding the quality of our water as well as quantities of minerals and biological chemicals found in the Water of Tzfat, In the past couple of months, I have approached several places such as: Iriat Tzfat, "Mekorot" (Mrs. Anat Kinderman), Spokesman for water in Israel (Mr. Uri Schor), "Milgam" ( Manager of Tzfat office), Office of "Mevaker Hamedina" (Mrs. Gila Yekutiel), Department of Health, (Mrs. Orly Sarousi-Zohar) Engineer of National Water System (Mrs. Irit Hen) and many more. This has been an ongoing correspondence adventure for several weeks now, but I will not give up until I get some straight answers, regarding the Drinking Water in TZfat.
Yet, the things I have found out are that: The city of Tzfat gets its water from natural sources. According to Mrs. Anat Kinderman of Mekorot, ""Mekorot" is responsible for providing the Municipality (Iriat Tzfat) with our water, The municipality of Tzfat is not only in charge of providing us with our clean water in our taps but they are responsible for inspecting and reporting the quality of our water supply, as well as making sure it has the correct amount of elements: minerals and chemicals such as Fluoride, chloride, calcium, lead, etc… which are carefully calculated according to the city's population". Consequently, they must send this report to the Ministry of Health and Environment as well as publish a quarterly report to the public. This very report I have been trying to get.
W A T E R
Liquid water (H2O) one molecule of water has two hydrogen atoms covalently bonded to a single oxygen atom and is frequently perceived to be ordinary as it is clear, unscented, tasteless and omnipresent. It is the simplest compound of the two most common immediate elements, consisting of just two hydrogen atoms attached to a single oxygen atom. Indeed, very few molecules are smaller or lighter. The small size of its molecule belies the complexity of its actions and its singular capabilities. Water's unique properties and chameleonic nature seem to fit ideally into the requirements for life as can no other molecule. Water: in some way or the other, have levels of natural trace elements and chemicals such as: nitrogen, iron, sulfur, phosphorus, lead, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, fluoride, and more…..Epidemiological studies have examined the relation between exposure to trace elements (e.g., copper, zinc, arsenic) and minerals (e.g., magnesium) and the occurrence of disease, including reproductive outcomes, certain forms of cancer, rare congenital malformations of the central nervous system, cardiovascular disease, and sudden death., this matter is still a controversial arguments. Yet, because waterborne minerals are in ionic form and are easily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, it has been suggested that drinking water may be an important source of mineral intake. For example; calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), and sodium (Na+) levels may be abundant in drinking water. In addition, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+ have important physiological functions, and an unsuitable intake of these minerals may increase the likelihood of disease.
The information provided below is according to The Department of Health and environment, Israel, *EPA, *WHO and international guidelines for regulation and standard settings of chemical, biological and physical parameters and MCL- Maximum Contaminate Levels existing in drinking water which comes from our taps. *"EPA" (Environmental Protection Agency) Which provide Drinking Water Methods for Chemical Parameters and *"WHO" produces international norms on water quality and human health in the form of guidelines that are used as the basis for regulation and standard setting, in developing and developed countries world-wide.
All Maximum Contaminate Levels are presented in: milligrams per liter of water. (Unless stated differently). Alongside the chemical element is the periodic table symbol= For instance: Water = H2O
The chemical characteristics of water include natural substances such as dissolved minerals and man made toxic metals and organic chemicals. (Alkalinity, Chlorides, Copper, fluoride,etc…) The physical characteristics of water include turbidity, color, taste and odor, temperature, and foam ability (detergents).
The biological characteristics: water for drinking and cooking purposes must be free from disease causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and worms, eliminated by temporarily introducing a high chlorine concentration and others…
Organic Chemicals: include pesticides, herbicides, trihalomethanes, and volatile synthetic organics. Careless use of pesticides and herbicides can contaminate water sources and make the water unsuitable for drinking. The use of these chemicals near wells is not recommended. Maximum contaminant levels for several common pesticides and herbicides have been established.
Mercury – כספית = (Hg) The current Drinking Water Standards MCL- 0.001 per mg/liter Mercury; also called quicksilver is one of the least abundant elements in the earth's crust. It exists in two forms, an inorganic salt or an organic compound (methyl mercury). Mercury detected in drinking water is of the inorganic type. Organic mercury inters the food chain through fish and comes primarily from industrial chemical manufacturing waste or from the leaching of coal ash. If inorganic mercury inters the body, it usually settles in the kidneys. Where as organic mercury attacks the central nervous system. The MCL (maximum contamination level) for mercury set by the EPA is 0.002 mg/l.
Lead – עופרת (Pb) The current Drinking Water Standards MCL in Israel- 0.01 Lead, like mercury, another heavy metal, lead is a potent neurotoxin which accumulates in soft tissues and bone over time. Lead (Pb2) found in fresh water usually indicates contamination from metallurgical wastes or from lead-containing industrial poisons. Lead in drinking water is primarily from the corrosion of the lead solder used to put together the copper piping. Lead in the body can cause serious damage to the brain, kidneys, nervous system, and red blood cells. The US EPA considers lead to be a highly toxic metal and a major health threat. The current level of lead allowable in drinking water is 0.05 mg/l.
Arsenic trioxide ארסן - (As) The current Drinking Water Standards MCL 0.01 arsenic (As), chemical symbol for the chemical element is the most important commercial compound of arsenic, and the main starting material for arsenic chemistry. Arsenic (As) is not easily dissolved in water, therefore, if it is found in a water supply, it usually comes from mining or metallurgical operations or from runoff from agricultural areas where materials containing arsenic were used as industrial poisons. Arsenic and phosphate easily substitute for one another chemically; therefore, commercial grade phosphate can have some arsenic in it.
Barium –בריום (Ba) The current Drinking Water Standards MCL 1.0 Barium is a metallic element that is chemically similar to calcium but more reactive. This metal oxidizes very easily when exposed to air and is highly reactive with water or alcohol, producing hydrogen gas. Barium has some medical and many industrial uses Barium (Ba+2)is a naturally occurring alkaline earth metal found primarily in the Midwest. Traces of the element are found in surface and ground waters. It can also be found in oil and gas drilling muds, waste from coal fired power plants, jet fuels, and automotive paints. Barium is highly toxic when its soluble salts are ingested.
Chromium – כרום (Cr) The current Drinking Water Standards 0.05 - mg/I. It is a steel-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odourless, tasteless, and malleable. Chromium is found in drinking water as a result of industrial waste contamination. The occurrence of excess chromium is relatively infrequent. Proper tests must be run on the water supply to determine the form of the chromium present. Trivalent chromium (Cr-3) is slightly soluble in water, and is considered essential in man and animals for efficient lipid, glucose, and protein metabolism. Hexavalent chromium (Cr-6) on the other hand is considered toxic. The US EPA classifies chromium as a human carcinogen.
Nickel - ניקל (Ni ) The current Drinking Water Standard is 0.05 It is clear that in common with massive forms of chromium, aluminium and titanium metal that nickel is very slow to react with air, but it is a very reactive element. Nickel (Ni+2) is common, and exists in approximately 85% of the water supplies, and is usually around 1 ppb (part per billion). The US EPA has classified nickel as a possible human carcinogen based on inhalation exposure. Nickel has not been shown to be carcinogenic via oral exposure. No MCLG (maximum contamination level goal) has been proposed.
Selenium – סלניום (Se) 0.01 It is a nonmetal, chemically related to sulfur and tellurium, and rarely occurring in its elemental state in nature. In humans, selenium is a trace element nutrient which functions as cofactor for reduction of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidases and thioredoxin reductase. It also plays a role in the functioning of the thyroid gland by participating as a cofactor for thyroid hormone deiodinases.[5] Dietary selenium comes from nuts, cereals, meat, fish, and eggs.
Bromine ברומיד (Br) ( MCL 1.8 mg/l) is found in seawater and exists as the bromide ion at a level of about 65 mg/l. Bromine has been used in swimming pools and cooling towers for disinfection, however use in drinking water is not recommended. Ethylene bromide is used as an anti-knock additive in gasoline and methyl bromide is a soil fumigant. Bromine is extremely reactive and corrosive, and will produce irritation and burning to exposed tissues. Over 0.05 mg/1 in fresh water may indicate the presence of industrial wastes, possibly from the use of pesticides of biocides containing bromine Bromide is extensively used in the pharrnaceutical industry, and occurs normally in blood in the range of 1.5 to 50 mg/l.
Cyanide – ציאניד (C≡N), MCL 0.05 exposure to cyanide: Breathing air, drinking water, touching soil, or eating foods that contain cyanide. Smoking cigarettes and breathing smoke-filled air during fires are major sources of cyanide exposure: Breathing air near a hazardous waste site containing cyanide. Eating foods naturally containing cyanide compounds, such as tapioca (made from cassava roots), lima beans, and almonds. Cyanide specifically is the anion CN-. Many organic compounds feature cyanide as a functional group; these are called nitriles in IUPAC nomenclature (for example, CH3CN is referred to by the names acetonitrile or ethanenitrile per IUPAC, but occasionally it is labeled using the common name methyl cyanide). Of the many kinds of cyanide compounds, some are gases, others are solids or liquids. Some are molecular, some ionic, and many are polymeric. Cyanide is one of the simplest and most readily formed organic moieties. Cyanide and compounds of cyanide are almost universally present where life and industry are found. Besides being very important in a number of manufacturing processes they are found in many plants and animals as metabolic intermediates which generally are not stored for long periods of time. In addition to the simple hydrocyanic acid (HCN), the alkali metal salts such as potassium cyanide (KCN) and sodium cyanide (Na CN), are commonly occurring forms and sources of cyanide. The latter compounds are readily dissolved in water; the extent of HCN formation ispH-dependent. A significant fraction of the cyanide exists as HCN molecules up to pH of approximately 8, and the fraction increasesrapidly as the pH of the solution decreases. When these simple salts dissociate in aqueous solution, the cyanide ion combines with the hydrogen ion to form hydrocyanic acid, which is toxic to aquatic life. Chemically, the cyanide ion behaves similarly to the halide ionschloride,fluoride, bromide, and iodide.The cyanide ion combines with numerous heavy metal ions to form metallocyanide complexes.
Cadmium – קדמיום (Cd) MCL 0.005 Zinc and cadmium are in the same group on the periodic table, contain the same common oxidation state (+2), and when ionized are almost the same size. Due to these similarities, cadmium can replace zinc in many biological systems, in particular, systems that contain softer ligands such as sulfur. Cadmium can bind up to ten times stronger than zinc in certain biological systems, and is notoriously difficult to remove. In addition, cadmium can replace magnesium and calcium in cetain biological systems, although, these replacements are rare.
Silver (Argentum) כסף (Ag) MCL 0.1 Dissolved in water silver mainly occurs as Ag+ (aq), Silver is not a dietary requirement for humans. The body of an adult contains approximately 2 mg of silver. Our daily intake of silver is 20-80 μg, of which approximately 10% is absorbed. Naturally occurring silver concentrations in soil and surface water do not normally cause any environmental problems.
Toxic Metals: such as: Arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, and silver can all cause serious health problems. Lime soda softening and reverse osmosis can both be used to reduce the concentrations of toxic metals. Precipitation with alum is also effective for certain metals. Lead can be a serious problem even if not found in raw water. Corrosive waters may leach lead from pipes and fixtures, often exceeding the MCL 0.015 mg/l maximum safe limit.
Zinc – אבץ (Zn) MCL 5.0 Zinc is found in most animal proteins, beans, nuts, almonds, whole grains, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Phytates, which are found in whole grain breads, cereals, legumes and other products, have been known to decrease zinc absorption. Clinical studies have found that zinc, combined with antioxidants, may delay progression of age-related macular degeneration. Significant dietary intake of zinc has also recently been shown to impede the onset of flu. Soil conservation analyzes the vegetative uptake of naturally occurring zinc in many soil types. The (US) recommended dietary allowance of zinc from puberty on is 11mg for males and 8mg for females, with higher amounts recommended during pregnancy and lactation. Zinc in the human body is an important characteristic. Zinc is a mineral found in some natural waters, particularly in areas where zinc has been mined. Zinc is not considered detrimental to health at or near 5 mg/l but it will impart an undesirable taste to drinking water. For this reason, the MCL for zinc is 5 mg/l softening, reverse osmosis, ion exchange, or electro dialysis will reduce zinc concentrations.
Iron – ברזל (Fe) MCL 1.0 Iron is one of the most troublesome elements in water supplies. Making up at least 5 percent of the earth’s crust, iron is one of the earth’s most plentiful resources. Rainwater as it infiltrates the soil and underlying geologic formations dissolves iron, causing it to seep into aquifers that serve as sources of groundwater for wells. Although present in drinking water, iron is seldom found at concentrations greater than 10 milligrams per liter (mg/l) or 10 parts per million. Iron is mainly present in water in two forms: either the soluble ferrous iron or the insoluble ferric iron. Water containing ferrous iron is clear and colorless because the iron is completely dissolved. When exposed to air in the pressure tank or atmosphere, the water turns cloudy and a reddish brown substance begins to form. This sediment is the oxidized or ferric form of iron that will not dissolve in water. Iron is not hazardous to health, but it is considered a secondary or aesthetic contaminant. Essential for good health, iron helps transport oxygen in the blood.
Sulfur – גופרה (S) MCL 250 mg/L. Sulfates are a combination of sulfur and oxygen and are a part of naturally occurring minerals in some soil and rock formations that contain groundwater. The mineral dissolves over time and is released into groundwater. Sulfur-reducing bacteria, which use sulfur as an energy source, are the primary producers of large quantities of hydrogen sulfide- H2S . These bacteria chemically change natural sulfates in water to hydrogen sulfide. Sulfur-reducing bacteria live in oxygen-deficient environments such as deep wells, plumbing systems, water softeners and water heaters. These bacteria usually flourish on the hot water side of a water distribution system. Sulfate may have a laxative effect that can lead to dehydration and is of special concern for infants. With time, people and young livestock will become acclimated to the sulfate and the symptoms disappear. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria pose no known human health risk. The Maximum contaminate level is 250 mg/L.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) – כלל מוצקים MCL 800-1000 mg/liter. Drinking water becomes significantly and increasingly unpalatable at TDS levels greater than 1000 mg/liter. TDS are the total amount of mobile charged ions, including minerals, salts or metals dissolved in a given volume of water, expressed in units of mg per unit volume of water (mg/L), also referred to as parts per million (ppm). TDS is directly related to the purity of water and the quality of water purification systems and affects everything that consumes, lives in, or uses water, whether organic or inorganic, whether for better or for worse. 1.Dissolved solids" refer to any minerals, salts, metals, cations or anions dissolved in water. This includes anything present in water other than the pure water (H20) molecule and suspended solids. (Suspended solids are any particles/substances that are neither dissolved nor settled in the water, such as wood pulp.)2. In general, the total dissolved solids concentration is the sum of the cations (positively charged) and anions (negatively charged) ions in the water.3. Parts per Million (ppm) is the weight-to-weight ratio of any ion to water. 4. A TDS meter is based on the electrical conductivity (EC) of water. Pure H20 has virtually zero conductivity. Conductivity is usually about 100 times the total cations or anions expressed as equivalents. TDS is calculated by converting the EC by a factor of 0.5 to 1.0 times the EC, depending upon the levels. 1. Some dissolved solids come from organic sources such as leaves, silt, plankton, and industrial waste and sewage. Other sources come from runoff from urban areas, road salts used on street during the winter, and fertilizers and pesticides used on lawns and farms.2. Dissolved solids also come from inorganic materials such as rocks and air that may contain calcium bicarbonate, nitrogen, iron phosphorous, sulfur, and other minerals. Many of these materials form salts, which are compounds that contain both a metal and a nonmetal. Salts usually dissolve in water forming ions. Ions are particles that have a positive or negative charge.3. Water may also pick up metals such as lead or copper as they travel through pipes used to distribute water to consumers. 4. Note that the efficacy of water purifications systems in removing total dissolved solids will be reduced over time, so it is highly recommended to monitor the quality of a filter or membrane and replace them when required. The EPA Secondary Regulations advise a maximum contamination level (MCL) of 500mg/liter (500 parts per million (ppm)) for TDS. Numerous water supplies exceed this level. When TDS levels exceed 1000mg/L it is generally considered unfit for human consumption. A high level of TDS is an indicator of potential concerns, and warrants further investigation. Most often, high levels of TDS are caused by the presence of potassium, chlorides and sodium. These ions have little or no short-term effects, but toxic ions (lead arsenic, cadmium, nitrate and others) may also be dissolved in the water.
chloride ion – כלוריד NaCi MCL 250- 450 (is formed when the element chlorine picks up one electron to form an anion (negatively-charged ion) Cl−. The salts of hydrochloric acid HCl contain chloride ions and can also be called chlorides. An example is table salt, which is sodium chloride with the chemical formula NaCl. In water, it dissolves into Na+ and Cl− ions. Chloride is also a useful and reliable chemical indicator of river / groundwater faecal contamination, as chloride is a non-reactive solute and ubiquitous to sewage. Chlorides are salts resulting from the combination of the gas chlorine with a metal. Some common chlorides include sodium chloride (NaCl) and magnesium chloride (MgCl2). Chlorine alone as Cl2 is highly toxic and it is often used as a disinfectant. In combination with a metal such as sodium it becomes essential for life. Small amounts of chlorides are required for normal cell functions in plant and animal life. Chloride (Cl-1) is one of the major anions found in water and are generally combined with calcium, magnesium, or sodium. Since almost all chloride salts are highly soluble in water, the chloride content ranges from 10 to 100 mg/I. Sea water contains over 30,000 mg/i as NaC1. Chloride is associated with the corrosion of piping because of the compounds formed with it; for example, magnesium chloride can generate hydrochloric acid when heated. Corrosion rates and the iron dissolved into the water from piping increases as the sodium chloride content of the water is increased. The chloride ion is instrumental in breaking down passivating films that protect ferrous metals and alloys from corrosion, and is one of the main causes for the pitting corrosion of stainless steel. The SMCL (suggested maximum contaminant level) for chloride is 250 mg/i which is due strictly to the objectionable salty taste produced in drinking water.
Chlorine – כלור Ci~ MCL is the most commonly used agent for the disinfection of water supplies. Chlorine is a strong oxidizing agent capable of reacting with many impurities in water including ammonia, proteins, amino acids, iron, and manganese. The amount of chlorine required to react with these substances is called the chlorine demand. Liquid chlorine is sodium hypochlorite. Household liquid bleach is 5 ¼% sodium hypochlorite. Chlorine in the form of a solid is calcium hypochlorite. When chlorine is added to water, a variety of chloro-compounds are formed. An example of this would be when ammonia is present, inorganic compounds known as chloramines are produced. Chlorine also reacts with residual organic material to produce potentially carcinogenic compounds, the Trihalomethanes (THM's): chloroform, bromodichloromethane, bromoform, and chlorodibromomethane. THM regulations have required that other oxidants and disinfectants be considered in order to minimize THIM formation. The other chemical oxidants being examined are: potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, chloramines, chlorine dioxide, and ozone. No matter what form of chlorine is added to water, hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid, and molecular chlorine will be formed, the reaction lowers the pH, thus making the water more corrosive and aggressive to steel and copper pipe.
Surfactants (MBAS) (foaming agent sdwr-0.5) מרכיבים פעילי שטח (דטרגנטים אניונים) MCL 0.5 Surfactants are the foaming agents which are measured to determine if drinking water has an acceptable foam ability. The MCL of 0.5 mg/l is based on levels of foaming agents that would prevent the occurrence of visible foam. Although foam itself is not generally hazardous, other possible hazardous materials may be present along with the foam. Water with high foam ability should be analyzed to determine what treatment may be required and to help determine the origin of contamination. Foaming substances can be removed by conventional treatment consisting of coagulation/flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration, or by activated carbon
Copper – נחושת (Cu) MCL 1.0- 1.4 Copper is found in some natural waters, particularly in areas where copper has been mined. Excessive amounts of copper can occur in corrosive water that passes through unprotected copper pipes. Copper in small amounts is not considered detrimental to health, but will impart an undesirable taste to the drinking water. For this reason, the limit for copper is 1.0 mg/l.(1.3 mg/l by the copper/lead rule) Copper can be removed by conventional treatment consisting of coagulation/flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration, or by lime soda softening or reverse osmosis. Copper is a metal that does not react with water (H2O), but the oxygen of the air will react slowly at room temperature to form a layer of copper oxide on copper metal.It can be seen that copper in "pure" water is more noble than hydrogen. As a result it does not corrode in oxygen free water and the corrosion rate in oxygenated water is low.
Magnesium - מגנזיום(Mg) MCL 50-150 is the ninth most abundant element in the universe by mass. It constitutes about 2% of the Earth's crust by mass, and it is the third most abundant element dissolved in seawater. Magnesium ions are essential to all living cells, and are the 11th most abundant element by mass in the human body. The free element (metal) is not found in nature. Once produced from magnesium salts, this alkaline earth metal is used as an alloying agent to make aluminium-magnesium alloys, sometimes called "magnalium" or "magnelium".
Manganese – מנגן (Mn) MCL 0.2-0.5 It is found as the free element in nature (often in combination with iron), and in many minerals. The free element is a metal with important industrial metal alloy uses. Manganese ions are variously colored, and are used industrially as pigments and as oxidation chemicals. Manganese (II) ions function as cofactors for a number of enzymes and the element is thus a required trace mineral for all known living organisms. There are two reasons for limiting the concentration of manganese in drinking water: 1) to prevent aesthetic and economic damage to property and 2) to avoid any possible physiological effects from excessive intake. The domestic water user finds that manganese produces a blackish color in laundered goods and affects the taste of beverages, including coffee and tea. The Pa. DEP limit for manganese is 0.05 mg/l. Essentially the same treatment processes used to remove iron are used to reduce manganese levels. However, manganese is harder to remove than iron, because its precipitation is more pH dependent.
Calcium – סידן (Ca) MCL 80-300 Calcium as a mineral occurs in water naturally. Seawater contains approximately 400 ppm calcium. One of the main reasons for the abundance of calcium in water is its natural occurrence in the earth's crust. Calcium is also a constituent of coral. Rivers generally contain 1-2 ppm calcium, but in lime Areas Rivers may contains calcium concentrations as high as 100 ppm. Examples of calcium concentrations in water organisms: seaweed luctuca 800-6500 ppm (moist mass), oysters approximately 1500 ppm (dry mass). In a watery solution calcium is mainly present as Ca2+ (aq), but it may also occur as CaOH+ (aq) or Ca(OH)2 (aq), or as CaSO4 in seawater. Calcium is an important determinant of water harness, and it also functions as a pH stabilizer, because of its buffering qualities. Calcium also gives water a better taste. Calcium is an important component of a healthy diet. A deficit can affect bone and tooth formation, while over retention can cause hypercalcemia (elevated levels of calcium in the blood), impaired kidney function and decreased absorption of other minerals.[4] High calcium intakes or high calcium absorption were previously thought to contribute to the development of kidney stones. However, more recent studies show that high dietary calcium intakes actually decrease the risk for kidney stones.[5] Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium. Dairy products, such as milk and cheese, are a well-known source of calcium.
Alkalinity AT - The alkalinity of water is a measure of its capacity to neutralize acids. Alkalinity is imparted to water by bicarbonate, carbonate and hydroxide components. Bicarbonates represent the major form of alkalinity, since they are formed in considerable amounts from the action of carbon dioxide upon minerals in the soil. Although there is no MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) for alkalinity, a range of 30 to 100 mg/l of Calcium Carbonate is desirable for finished drinking water in order not to adversely affect taste and corrosivity. Alkalinity itself is not considered a health hazard.
Borate B (OH4) MCL (1.0) is a compound of Boron. Most of the world's boron is contained in seawater. Sodium borate occurs in arid regions where inland seas once existed but have long since evaporated. Boron is frequently present in fresh water supplies in these same areas in the form of non-ionized boric acid. The amount of boric acid is not limited by drinking water standards, but it can be damaging to citrus crops if it is present in irrigation water and becomes concentrated in the soil.
Phenol (carbolic acid )– פנול C6H5OH - MCL 0.002 Phenol has a limited solubility in water (8.3 g/100 ml). It is slightly acidic: the phenol molecule has weak tendencies to lose the H+ ion from the hydroxyl group, resulting in the highly water-soluble phenoxide anion C6H5O−. Phenol has been found in materials released from landfills and hazardous waste sites, and it has been found in the groundwater near these sites. Phenol is usually found in the environment below 100 parts per billion (ppb), although much higher levels have been reported. One ppb or less of phenol has been found in relatively unpolluted surface and ground waters.
Sodium – נתרן (Na) MCL 180-200 (no official regulation ) Sodium is present in great quantities in the earth's oceans as sodium chloride. It is also a component of many minerals, and it is an essential element for animal life. As such, it is classified as a “dietary inorganic macro-mineral.” The sodium content of drinking water is generally of little concern to consumers except those on sodium restricted diets. The amount of sodium in drinking water is insignificant compared to the sodium normally consumed in the average diet. When it is necessary to know the precise amount of sodium present in a water supply due to dietary constraints, a laboratory analysis should be made. The usual low sodium diets allow for 20 mg/l sodium in the drinking water. When this limit is exceeded, persons on low sodium diets should seek a physician's advice on diet and sodium intake. When water is softened by the ion exchange method, the amount of sodium is increased when sodium chloride is the regenerant. For this reason, water that has been softened should be analyzed for sodium if a precise record of an individual's sodium intake is recommended. High sodium levels can be reduced with reverse osmosis or electro dialysis units.
Potassium – אשלגן (K) (no regulation) Potassium is a dietary requirement for nearly any organism but a number of bacteria, because it plays an important role in nerve functions. Potassium is a dietary requirement for us, and we take up about 1-6 g per day at a requirement of 2-3.5 g per day. The total potassium amount in the human body lies somewhere between 110 and 140 g and mainly depends upon muscle mass. The muscles contain most potassium after red blood cells and brain tissue. Whereas its opponent sodium is present in intracellular fluids, potassium is mainly present within cells. It preserves osmotic pressure. The relation of potassium in cells to potassium in plasma is 27:1, and is regulated by means of sodium-potassium pumps. Vital functions of potassium include its role in nerve stimulus, muscle contractions, blood pressure regulation and protein dissolution. It protects the heart and arteries, and may even prevent cardiovascular disease. The relation of sodium to potassium used to be 1:16, and is now about 3:1, Potassium plays a central role in plant growth, and it often limits it.
Ammonia – אמוניה , sometimes called Azane, (NH3). (No regulation) It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of the planet as a precursor to foodstuffs and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or indirectly, is a building block for the synthesis of many pharmaceuticals. Although it is in wide use, ammonia is caustic and hazardous. Ammonia is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent smell similar to human urine, as the urine contains an amount of ammonia in it. It is lighter than air, its density being 0.589 times that of air. It is easily liquefied due to the strong hydrogen bonding between molecules; the liquid boils at -33.3 °C, and solidifies at -77.7 °C to a mass of white crystals.
Aluminum - אלומיניום (Al) MCL 0.2 Drinking water contributes to less than 2% of total aluminium consumption. Pharmaceuticals (such as antacids and buffered analgesics) potentially contribute substantially to the total body burden of aluminium (up to 5000 mg/day in users of antacids). There is also some absorption through the skin from deodorants containing aluminums. Aluminums in the diet from food and water is poorly absorbed through the gut. Less than 1% of aluminums in water is absorbed and the rest being excreted through the fasces. Of the aluminium absorbed, most is excreted via the kidneys and only a very small amount accumulates in bone, liver and brain tissues.
TOC (Total Organic Carbon) (no regulation) is a measurement to track the overall organic content of water. The organic content of the water will appear on the water analysis as C (carbon). The TOC test is the most common test performed to obtain an indication of the organic content of the water.
Antimony – אנטימוניום (Sb) 0.006 a metalloid, antimony resembles a metal in its appearance and in many of its physical properties, but does not chemically react as a metal. It is also attacked by oxidizing acids and halogens. Antimony and some of its alloys are unusual in that they expand on cooling. Antimony is a geochemical categorized as a chalcophile, occurring with sulfur and the heavy metals lead, copper, and silver.
Fluoride - פלואור (F+) 0.7 ppm it is a common constituent of many minerals. Municipal water treatment plants commonly add fluoride to the water for prevention of tooth decay, and maintain a level of 1.5 - 2.5 mg/l. Concentrations above 5 mg/l are detrimental to tooth structure. High concentrations are contained in waste water from the manufacture of glass and steel, as well as from foundry operations. Organic fluorine is present in vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Inorganic fluorine, under the name of sodium fluoride, is a waste product of aluminum and is used in some rat poisons. The MCL established for drinking water by the US EPA is 4 mg/l. Fluoride can be reduced by anion exchange. Adsorption by calcium phosphate, magnesium dioxide or activated carbon will also reduce the fluoride content of drinking water. Reverse osmosis will remove 93 - 95% of the fluoride. Fluoridation of water (for example, by adding SiF62-) for the purpose of reducing dental caries, is generally regarded as safe. However, ground waters containing excessive amounts of fluoride (> 1 mg/liter) are widespread. The health claims for fluoridation remain controversial. Fluoride is a mineral that naturally is present in ground water. The amount of fluoride occurring naturally can vary from negligible to very high concentrations. Usually, fluoride content is higher in more mountainous areas. It has been determined that a fluoride concentration of 0.7 to 1.0 parts per million (ppm) is the most advantageous in fighting tooth decay. Fluoride compounds, usually calcium fluoride, are naturally found in low concentration in drinking water and some foods, such as tea, seaweed, and fish bones (as in fish soup). Fluoride forms a binary compound with another element or radical. Examples of fluoride compounds include hydrofluoric acid (HF), sodium fluoride (NaF) and calcium fluoride (CaF2), and uranium hexafluoride (UF6).Calcium fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral found in all water sources, such as lakes, rivers, groundwater and oceans. Community water fluoridation is the process of increasing fluoride levels in drinking water supplies with the intention of improving oral health. This is usually done by the addition of sodium fluoride, sodium fluorosilicate, or fluorosilicic acid. So when we are talking about fluoride in the water, it is for systemic use in children until the age of 12. The responsibility for fluoridating the water is on the water provider, although, our water has a level of natural fluoride that fluctuates between 0.4 to 0.5 ppm, "The required level of fluoride in Israel is set at 0.7 ppm".Many groups continue to question the practice of water fluoridation despite the current stance of the medical and dental research communities. The various groups do not necessarily agree with one another, but they share some arguments against water fluoridation, including several key issues. Those opposed to public fluoridation of drinking water say that water fluoridation can have negative health effects (such as dental fluorosis) which outweigh the purported benefits of water fluoridation. Some opponents claim that releasing fluoride compounds into municipal water takes away individual choice as to the substances a person ingests and amounts to mass medication.
Hardness - קשיות The EPA currently has no national policy with respect to the hardness or softness of public water supplies. Sodium salts are also found in household water supplies, but they are considered harmless as long as they do not exist in large quantities. Hard water retards the cleaning action of soaps and detergents, causing an expense in the form of extra work and cleaning agents. Furthermore, when hard water is heated it deposits a hard scale on heating coils, cooking utensils, and other equipment with a consequent waste of fuel. The scale formed by hard water coats the inside of distribution system piping, which can eventually cause significant reductions in its water carrying capacity. Soft water, on the other hand, tends to be more corrosive. A hardness of 75 to 100 mg/l as CaCO3 is usually considered optimal for domestic water. Water harder than 300 mg/l as CaCO3 is generally unacceptable. Lime soda ash or ion exchange softening processes can be used to produce acceptably soft water. Calcium and magnesium salts, Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions are the most common cause of hardness in water supplies, are divided into two general classifications: carbonate, or temporary, hardness and noncarbonate, or permanent, hardness. Carbonate hardness is called temporary hardness because heating the water will usually remove it. When the water is heated, bicarbonates break down into insoluble carbonates that precipitate as solid particles which adhere to a heated surface and the inside of pipes. Noncarbonate hardness is called permanent hardness because it is not removed when water is heated. Noncarbonate hardness is due largely to the presence of the sulfates and chlorides of calcium and magnesium in the water.
PH - The term PH is used to indicate acidity or alkalinity of a given solution. It is not a measure of the quantity of acid or alkali, but rather a measure of the relationship of the acid to the alkali. The pH value of a solution describes its hydrogen-ion activity. The pH scale ranges between O and 14.Typically all natural waters fall within the range of 6.0 to 8.0 pH. A value of 7.0 is considered to be a neutral pH. Values below 7.0 are acidic and values above 7.0 are alkaline. The pH value of water will decrease as the content of CO2 increases, and will increase as the content of bicarbonate alkalinity increases. The ratio of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate alkalinity (within the range of 3.6 to 8.4) is an indication of the pH value of the water. Water with a pH value of 3.5 or below, generally contains mineral acids such as sulfuric or hydrochloric acid.
Turbidity – עכירות (0.5 ppm) is the term given to anything that is suspended in a water supply. It is found in most surface waters, but usually doesn't exist in ground waters except in shallow wells and springs after heavy rains. Turbidity gives the water a cloudy appearance or shows up as dirty sediment. Undissolved materials such as sand, clay, silt or suspended iron contribute to turbidity. Turbidity can cause the staining of sinks and fixtures as well as the discoloring of fabrics. Usually turbidity is measured in NTUs (nephelometric turbidity units). Typical drinking water will have a turbidity level of 0 to 1 NTU. Turbidity can also be measured in ppm (parts per million) and it’s size is measured in microns. Turbidity can be particles in the water consisting of finely divided solids, larger than molecules, but not visible by the naked eye; ranging in size from .001 to .150mm (1 to 150 microns). The US EPA has established an MCL for turbidity to be 0.5 to 1.0 NTU, because it interferes with disinfection of the water.
Corrosivity: The tendency of water to corrode pipes and fittings is health related as well as being of economic importance, since the materials released into water by corrosion may include lead, cadmium, and other toxic metals. The corrosives of water are not easily measured. However, equations have been developed that reasonably predict the tendency of water to corrode on the basis of temperature, total dissolved solids, calcium content, hardness, pH, and alkalinity. These equations indicate the calcium carbonate stability of water the tendency to either deposit or dissolve calcium carbonate (CaCO3), the most common scale forming compound. In most cases, water that is neutral or slightly scales forming is preferred. Water that is excessively corrosive can be stabilized made no corrosive by the addition of lime and soda ash to increase the pH and alkalinity, or by the addition of polyphosphates or silicates to form protective coatings on the pipe walls. These treatment processes are relatively complex, requiring trailed operators and regular monitoring.
Color in water is almost always due to organic material, which is usually extracted from decaying vegetation. Color is common in surface water supplies, while it is virtually non-existent in spring water and deep wells. Color in water may also be the result of natural metallic ions (iron and manganese). A yellow tint to the water indicates that humic acids are present, referred to as “tann- ins “. A reddish color would indicate the presence of precipitated iron. Stains on bathroom fixtures and on laundry are often associated with color also. Reddish-brown is ferric hydroxide (iron) will precipitate when the water is exposed to air. Dark brown to black stains are created by manganese. Excess copper can create blue stains.
Odor Taste and odor problems of many different types can be encountered in drinking water. Troublesome compounds may result from biological growth or industrial activities. The tastes and odors may be produced in the water supply, in the water treatment plant from reactions with treatment chemicals, in the distribution system, and/or in the plumbing of consumers. Tastes and odors can be caused by mineral contaminants in the water, such as the salty taste of water when chlorides are 500 mg/i or above, or the rotten egg, odor caused by hydrogen sulfide. Odor in the drinking water is usually caused by blue-green algae. Moderate concentrations of algae in the water can cause it to have a grassy, rusty or spicy odor. Large quantities can cause the water to have a rotten, septic, fishy or medicinal odor. Decaying vegetation is probably the most common cause for taste and odor in surface water supplies. In treated water supplies chlorine can react with organics and cause odor problems. The US EPA lists odor in the Secondary Drinking Water Standards. The contaminant effects are strictly aesthetic and a suggested Threshold Odor Number (TON) of 3 is recommended. Treatment Odor can be removed by oxidation-reduction or by activated carbon adsorption. Aeration can be utilized if the contaminant is in the form of a gas, such as H2S (hydrogen sulfide). Chlorine is the most common oxidant used in water treatment, but is only partially effective on taste and odor. Potassium permanganate and oxygen are also only partially effective. Chloramines are not at all effective for the treatment of taste and odor. The most effective oxidizers for treating taste and odor are chlorine dioxide and ozone. Activated carbon has an excellent history of success in treating taste and odor problems. The life of the carbon depends on the presence of organics competing for sites and the concentration of the odor-causing compound.
Bacteria are tiny organisms occurring naturally in water. Not all types of bacteria are harmful. Many organisms found in water are of no health concern since they do not cause disease. Biological contamination may be separated into two groups: (1) pathogenic (disease causing) and (2) non-pathogenic (not disease causing). Pathogenic bacteria cause illnesses such as typhoid fever, dysentery, gastroenteritis, infectious hepatitis, and cholera. All water supplies should be tested for biological content prior to use and consumption. E.Coli (Escherichia Coli) is the coliform bacterial organism that is looked for when testing the water. This organism is found in the intestines and fecal matter of humans and animals. If E.Coli is found in a water supply along with high nitrate and chloride levels, it usually indicates that waste has contaminated the supply from a septic system or sewage dumping, and has entered by way of runoff, a fractured well casing, or broken lines. If coliform bacteria are present, it is an indication that disease-causing bacteria may also be present. Four or fewer colonies / 100 ml of coliforms, in the absence of high nitrates and chlorides, implies that surface water is entering the water system. If pathogenic bacteria is suspected, a sample of water should be submitted to the Board of Health or US EPA for bacteriological testing and recommendations. The most common non-pathogenic bacteria found in water is iron bacteria. Iron bacteria can be readily identified by the red, feathery floc that forms overnight at the bottom of a sample bottle containing iron and iron bacteria. Treatment Bacteria can be treated by micro-filtration, reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, or chemical oxidation and disinfection. Ultraviolet sterilization will also kill bacteria; but turbidity, color, and organic impurities interfere with the transmission of ultraviolet energy and may decrease the disinfection efficiency below levels to insure destruction. Ultraviolet treatment also does not provide residual bactericidal action; therefore, periodic flushing and disinfection must be done. Ultraviolet sterilization is usually followed by 0.2-micron filtration when dealing with high purity water systems. The most common and undisputed method of bacteria destruction is chemical oxidation and disinfection. Ozone injection into a water supply is one form of chemical oxidation and disinfection. A residual of 0.4 mg/i must be established and a retention time of four minutes is required. Chlorine injection is the most widely recognized method of chemical oxidation and disinfection. Chlorine must be fed at 3 to 5 ppm to treat for bacteria and a residual of 0.4 ppm of free chlorine must be maintained for 30 minutes in order to meet EPA standards. Reverse Osmosis will remove over 99% of the bacteria in a drinking water system.
Organic Chemicals: Organic chemicals include pesticides, herbicides, trihalomethanes, and volatile synthetic organics. Careless use of pesticides and herbicides can contaminate water sources and make the water unsuitable for drinking. The use of these chemicals near wells is not recommended. Maximum contaminant levels for several common pesticides and herbicides have been established.
Trihalomethanes: are a group of organic compounds that form when chlorine reacts with humic and fulvic acids (natural organic compounds that occur in decaying vegetation). Trihalomethanes, potential carcinogens (cancercausing agents), should not exceed 0.10 mg/l in drinking water.
Volatile Synthetic Organics: occur in the waste products of various industrial processes and are commonly found in ground waters near heavily industrialized areas. At high levels these chemicals have accuse toxic effects, and at trace levels some are suspected of being carcinogenic. Limits for several of the volatile organics are currently included by the EPA as regulated contaminants. Organics can generally be removed by adsorption with activated carbon. Trihalomethanes can often be avoided by altering the chlorination process. Most volatile organics can be eliminated with aeration. The effectiveness of reverse osmosis units on organics has not been fully investigated. For all organics, protection of the water source is an important consideration.
Oil and Grease - There is no specific oil and grease EPA limitation for potable water, though there are a number of restricted compounds which may possibly (probably) be present in oil and grease contamination of the water. Measurement of oil and grease has been affected at two levels in recent years. The change of the defining method from EPA Method 413.1 to EPA Method 1664A was caused by the phase-out of freon-113 according to EPA 1.4 -.5 1664 Israel: 0.2mg/liter (SM-5520C) standard method. Some data show a reporting limit of 1.26 ppm and samples as high as 2.40 ppm. No data on whether these are naturally occuring fats, polar vs. non-polar, or any other discriminating criteria. It is almost impossible to find health standards or exposure limits for oil and grease in water.
From this study, I have come to the conclusion that water is needed in order to survive. It contains many things- more good things than bad. If we like it or not, we all need water, even though we haven't a clue to what is really in a glass of water we drink, Water is a common chemical substance, with many influential health parameters and is essential to all known forms of life. Water is one of the most studied substance on Earth but it is amazing to find that its behavior and function are so poorly understood (or even ignored), not only by people in general, but also by scientists working with it everyday. The chemical and physical traces I have stated above are according to world-wide agreement; nonetheless I can not and will not guarantee that these standard levels actually exist in the tap water of Tzfat.

NEW CONSUMER AND CIVIL-MINDED GROUP FOR ENGLISH-SPEAKING ISRAELIS


I have begun a Yahoo! Group called Loosen the Fetters of Injustice.

This is the group description:

This group has been created as an alternative. It is meant for people who are ready and willing to take charge of their lives and assume the responsibility of bettering Israeli society.

We concern ourselves with getting the tarnish off the gold that the government has appropriated from us, not getting the tarnish off our silverware. There are groups that deal with the small issues. This is for people able to cope with the big stuff.

Our purpose is not simply to inform and debate, that of course is necessary and even enjoyable, but out focus is the creation of affinity groups and task forces that will organize direct action when government and business abuses us.

This group is run democratically.

All the Owner/Moderator will do is screen members to make sure that no spammers get in and delete the spam if they do manage to get through the net.

There is no censoring of topics.

There is no censoring of opinion.

Posts are not moderated or edited.

The group is set so that your messages go to the entire group and are in the messages archive. Your message will not go just to the person that you are responding to unless you decide they will. Discussion is encouraged here!

No member can be expelled without the group as a whole voting on it.

The polls will be used to reflect democratic opinions and decide how to take action.

This group is OURS. All of the members are equal partners. That includes the person who hit the buttons in order to initiate this group. That's all the initiator is supposed to do and the title "Owner/Moderator" should be understood as nothing but a meme from a society accustomed to thinking in hierarchical terms.

Breathe freely. Be yourself. Allow yourself and others the joy and empowerment of emancipation from the manacles and gyves of government, business and moderation of groups that acts as though it was a government or a business. Have fun!

Israel, Jewish, Consumer, Government, Grassroots, Affinity Group, Task Force

I think you'd be a very valuable member of the group and request your participation.

Please feel free to extend this invitation to those whom you know to be like-minded.

Link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Loosen_Fetters/

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat - aka D2
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

RABBI YEHUDAH ASHLAG, BAAL HaSULAM - THE ANARCHIST KABBALIST

Bet you didn't think there were any Anarchists who look like that!

Read on, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ha-Levi Ashlag (1885- 1954), one of the most famous Kabbalists in the Jewish world, was utterly amazing in every way:

"Through intensive study of Kabbalah, a person's desire to give to others is developed in relation to this goal. Ashlag believed that the coming of the Messiah meant that humans would attain this quality which would allow them to give up their selfishness and devote themselves to loving each other for the sake of life's purpose, as stated in the commandment "love thy neighbor as thyself."
Ashlag had strong political opinions, believing in a religious version of libertarian communism, based on principles of Kabbalah, which he called altruist communism. Though his anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist ideas show some Marxist influence, he strongly opposed communism instituted by force. He supported the Kibbutz movement and preached to establish a network of self-ruled internationalist communes, who would eventually annul the brute-force regime completely, for “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”, because there is nothing more humiliating and degrading for a person than being under the brute-force government. However, most of the contemporary followers of Ashlagian Kabbalah seem to ignore the radical teachings of their rebbe. "

Source: http://tinyurl.com/ywuydc

Not only are these teachings ignored, they have been silenced. As famous as he is, almost no one knows this aspect of his thinking.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

TWO MASTERS OF THE KABBALAH ON RATIONALITY

Rabbi Avraham Abulafia (Born: Saragossa, Spain, 1240, Died: Greece after 1291) wrote: "Here (in Torah) you will discover that which you seek and you will see that they all (all of the Teachings) cry out in protest against the absence of widsom, against unworthy deeds, and against limited understanding."

His student, whom he guided in the Way of Kabbalah Nevu'it, wrote: "I did not, to be sure, experience the corporeal (magic) effects (of such practices); and even granting the possibility of such a form of experience, I for my part want none of it, for it is an inferior form, especially when measured by the perfection which the Soul can attain spiritually. Indeed, it seems to me tht he who attempts to secure these (magic) effects desecrates God's Name and it is this that our teachers hint at when they say: "Since license prevailed, the Name of God has been taught only by the most reticent priests."

Similarly, some claimed that: "It is a well-known and undisputed fact among the people of Spain, and a tradition handed down from their ancestors, that Rav Natronai came to them from Babylonia by means of a "leaping of the road." He taught Torah, and then returned. He was not seen to travel in any caravan, and nobody observed him on the road. "

A century afterwards, when the incredulous Rav Hai Gaon (born 939; died on March 28, 1038) was asked to express his opinion about this story, he dismissed it, suggesting that some imposter might have been passing himself off as the eminent scholar. "

There is no room for magic, superstition or irrationality in Torah - not only not even in the Kabbalah, but most especially not in the Kabbalah.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

11% Increase in the Incidence of Cancer in Tzfat Since 1997

According to an article that appeared in the 19/10/07 edition of one of the Tzfat local papers, "Chadash B'Galil", there has been an 11% increase in the incidence of cancer in Tzfat.

We are in fifth place in incidents of cancer per capita in the nation. We are after Chaifa and Tel Aviv, and before Afula and Tiveria.

This is very odd considering the fact that Tzfat is located on a mountain and is legendary for its pristine pure air.

All of the other towns are far more industrialized than Tzfat. Tel Aviv is home to a great deal of manufacturing. Chaifa is home to some of the most dangerous chemical manufacturing possible as anyone who has gone near the port can attest.

Women are 6 times more likely than men to become ill with cancer.

What environmental factors would contribut to this?

I'd like to make a suggestion. When I was young I remember a number of women who became ill with cancer. They all had one thing in common - suppressed misery and rage. They were "good eggs" who lived only for their husbands and children. They sacrificed themselves entirely. For their efforts, they were not appreciated by their husband. Their children respected them a bit more, but still saw them as floor rags.

I believe, and there are oncologists who agree entirely with this, that there are emotional factors that play a part in carcinogenesis.

I think there are simply a great deal of women in Tzfat who are miserable with their lives and dare not express their feelings to themselves or to others.

The cancer allows them to opt out of the lives that they hate.

Certainly, this is not always the case. But is a known phenomenon and we should be considering in, in my opinion.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

A CRITIQUE OF "DIRTY, FILTHY, STINKING TZFAT LAUNDRY"

I received the following criticism for publishing "Dirty, Stinking Tzfat Laundry". I'd like to share it because it seems to me a critique that any number of well-intentioned, but misguided, Jews are likely to level.

The critique:

"I question the sincerity of this person. who makes her politics (anarchy) public knowledge.

Although the corruption is certainly wrong and needs to be corrected, I also question someone's motives who wants to make this "known to the world." The UN would absolutely devour this information. The UN ignores the atrocities in Darfur, Tibet, and elsewhere and concentrates solely on anything negative about Israel. Why give Israel-haters even more ammunition?"

My response:

Leaving people to die, most particularly the feeble and infirm, including sick and handicapped children, during a war while one parties with the vouchers in hotels intended for them, is an atrocity. An atrocity was committed by Jews against Jews in Tzfat. That's the word for it. Wrap you mind around that.

Neither is it the first atrocity committed by Jews against Jews in this country and around the world.The majority of Jews are, in part, hated because of the acts of the rich and powerful Jews who not only send the children of their own People to die in fabricated wars to make them richer, but yet hide behind Jewish solidarity.

I am not hesitant to say to the world that the Jews who care not a whit for their People, but only about their power and money are a pox on the body of the Jewish People and a plague on the House of Yisra'el.

It is high time we sent a clear message of total rejection and disavowal of that scum to the world. We, as a People in toto, are paying for the sins of the Jewish rich.

I am not doing this because I am an Anarchist. It just so happens that an Anarchist is the person with the courage and dedication to justice to do this.

I wrote more to this person after thinking the matter over for awhile. This is the continuation:

There are, and always have been the privileged and the disenfranchised among us Jews.

Although it is true that during the powerful and massive waves of anti-Semitic activity some, I repeat some, a small number, of rich Jews were divested of their holdings and hauled off to their deaths together with their unwashed brethren, with whom they would not have otherwise associated; those are unusual cases.

In most cases the wealthy were not only able to bribe their way out of trouble with the Gentiles, or flee; they often collaborated with them against the poor Jews.

Protected behind their sundry security systems, the rich Jews left the poor Jews at the "mercy" of the Gentiles whose anti-Semitism was aroused by the nefarious activities of the wealthy Jews.

Though the rich Jews were the one who aroused the most hatred, the hatred was taken out on the poor and defenseless Jews always - always, today as well.

Who were the victims of the pogroms? The rich Jews? And in our times, who are blown up on buses by terrorists? The rich who drive around, or are chauffeured around, in limousines? Or those who cannot afford private transportation?

You are protecting those who send us to our deaths at the hands of anti-Semites whose hatred has been aroused because of the socio-economic havoc that they wreak.

Of course there were the truly humanitarian fabulously wealthy philanthropists and benefactors Montifiore, Dona Gracia and her family. And have I already mentioned Montifiore, Dona Gracia and her family?

Were Baron Rothschild's intentions pure in establishing the settlements in Israel? None of his efforts in Europe were aimed at eradicating Jewish poverty. He *caused* Jewish poverty in Europe, as well as Gentile poverty, and the Gentiles took their justified hatred of him and his ilk out on the Jewish peasants and small artisans. He was doing business in Palestine. Period.

It's high time we roused ourselves from the mythology about the Jews that we are taught.

Ordinary Jews, like everyone else, are seen by rich Jews as nothing but servomechanisms and soldiers for the defense of their power and privilege.

To hell with them.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

IT BEHOOVES US TO AIR THE DIRTY, STINKING LAUNDRY OF TZFAT

HEBREW VERSON

http://tinyurl.com/36gyov

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

A BEAUTIFUL ARTICLE ABOUT URBAN KIBBUTZIM

"An Urban Kibbutz in Jerusalem"

by Shulamit Reinharz, the Jacob Potofsky Professor of Sociology at Brandeis University, where she founded the Women's Studies Research Center and The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (hbi@brandeis.edu).

Tzfat needs this spirit and these activities, particularly that of Kibbutz Reshit and Kibbutz Bet Israel in Yerushalayim so very, very much.

Short excerpt: "Recently, three members of Kibbutz Reshit received a national prize for their work. They were cited for providing education and social-community services with enthusiasm, creativity, persistence, and outstanding leadership. The prize rewarded ongoing, long-term activity that has enjoyed great success and is intended to benefit and, in particular, to empower a disenfranchised population."

Let's make it happen here too.

Only we, the concerning and caring residents of Tzfat, can make it happen.

No one in the Municipality will initiate this. No one will do this for us.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/2cbdxb

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

CLEAN THE WORLD DAY - IN TZFAT

This looks most positive.

http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=1&attid=0.1&disp=vah&view=att&th=115a896276df972c

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

RECOMMENDATION FOR URBAN K'VUTAH IN TZFAT

A quiet revolution is well underway in the Kibbutz Movement.

Literally hundreds of small Urban Kibbutzim, or K'vutzot as some call themselves due their small size, are springing up all over the country - most of them in development towns and in distressed neighborhoods.

They are models of mutual sufficiency based on cooperation.

You'll read a bit about the Urban Kibbutzim and K'vutzot on the following links. The second was written by a member of one of those k'vutzot.

http://tinyurl.com/24rtkv

http://tinyurl.com/2zj6yu

They are small groups of people who not only pool their resources, live their lives according to direct democratic principles that they carry out in their regular meetings; they devote their lives to helping others in distress.

A number of them have developed innovative programs of education for people of all ages.

Kibbutz Mehanchim (Educators) help youth at risk in the Hadar neighborhood of Chaifa. See: http://tinyurl.com/2tgr9h Note that the article states that "the city (of Chaifa) called on 70 young people from all over the country, members of the Noar Haoved Vehalomed (Working and Learning Youth) youth movement, to establish an urban kibbutz to work with the neighborhood's at-risk youth. That means that they provided housing and initial services for the program to get underway.

Kibbutz Tamuz in Beit Shemesh (a rapidly developing town near Jerusalem) is the oldest of the Urban Kibbutzim. We visited Kibbutz Tammuz when it was about five years old. We were very impressed with the warmth and dedication of those young people. They had received a building from Amidar that was pretty run down and renovated it themselves. It is a pleasure to present an idea to you of how far they've gotten since and how much they contribut to Beit Shemesh: http://tinyurl.com/ypxxg2

And now we get down to takhlis. K'vutzat Re'ut is located in the housing project Gilo Aleph in Jerusalem. It is one of two urban Kibbutzim in Jerusalem. One of the Urban Kibbutzim in Jerusalem is entirely religious. It is called Reishit (The First).

The population of Kvutzat Re'ut is mixed - more and less religiously observant. They run a number of projects of neighborhood aid. Additionally, they have a beit midrash and a pre-army leadership training program (a mekhina). My son visited K'vutzat Re'ut when he was doing his pre-army leadership training course at Meitzar. Meitzar took their students to K'vutzat Re'ut because their program is so very good. : Please see their web site: http://www.reut.org.il/

There are people that are considered "Friends of Urban Kibbutzim". While they are not members themselves, they support the programs and learn and work with the K'vutzot for the betterment of the environs.

I believe that the model of K'vutzat Re'ut would be perfect for Tzfat. K'vutzat Re'ut is all about Jewish learning and mutual tolerance. It is a model of cooperation. They go beyond mere toleration of varying viewpoints. They incorporate them into one beautiful, and very productive mosaic.

I find it odd that Tzfat with all of its problems has not extended a hand to the youth movements to set up an urban K'vutzah here. The City of Chaifa did. Why not Tzfat? We certainly have as many problems as does the city of Chaifa per capita and goodness knows there are neighborhoods in this town that would benefit greatly from the input of a bunch of idealistic, energetic, educated youngsters.

I urge you to consider the information on the links I've provided.

I have been in touch with the Kibbutz Movement about beginning an Urban K'vutzah here in Tzfat.

I was told that they are aware of the problems in Tzfat as they have received reports from the youth movements here.

They know very well that Tzfat is in dire need of one of those programs. They would very much like to begin a K'vutzah here.

The problems seems to be funding.

Perhaps if we, as a group of concerned citizens, turn to the City of Tzfat and to Amidar we can get the ball rolling.

Thank you for your consideration. The contribution that an Urban Kibbutz can make in the poor neighborhoods of Tzfat is inestimable. As they have found that the K'vutzot work best when they remain small, they tend to divide into two sister K'vutzot when they reach a certain size. We could have a K'vutzah in the Ofer Neighborhood, or thereabouts, and one in the poor areas of Cana'an.

The City of Tzfat can't be relied upon to initiate this. We have to nudge them.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

MUTUAL BANKING AND MUTUAL CREDIT

The descriptions of the Mutual Bank or Credit Union below are general.

They need to be tweaked to suit Jewish needs and this is a matter for Jews to sit down and discuss to decide how best this can be done.

As you can see, the idea is built upon the principle of free credit - and that is in line with Torah.
The system of banking that we have today in Israel is wholly corrupt. Every time we make use of a commercial bank in Israel we commit an avayrah. We are FORBIDDEN to earn interest on a loan to another Jews. PERIOD. No if. No ands. No buts. No "heterim". Gornisht.

To partake in and support institutions Jewish usury is not less an avayrah than any other. Any Rabbi who tells you otherwise is getting his salary to do so from the establishment. More about that establishment at the end of this post.

Today, most Jews in Israel outside of Me'ah She'arim have to do business with commercial banks. We can, we must, change that. ASAP.

It is incumbent upon us as Jews to establish Mutual Banks based on Mutual Credit. The residents of Me'ah She'arim have such a banking system. I am sure that they would be delighted to instruct us how to implement and run a bank like that.

The bank should be commonly run, should have wholly open books and there should be a Board of Governers who sit for a short period of time, who are elected by the community and are subject to immediate recall if they do not carry out their duties in accordance with Hilkhot Mamonot and common decency.

This system will eventually supplant gemachim. Although people who run gemachim can be very helpful in the establishment of such a Mutual Bank.

No one should have to borrow money from another person. We should all have what we need.

Let's get to the short overview then:

"Mutualists argue that free banking should be taken back by the people to establish systems of free credit. They contend that banks have a monopoly on credit, just as capitalists have a monopoly on land. Banks are essentially creating money by lending out deposits that do not actually belong to them, then charging interest on the difference. Mutualists argue that by establishing a democratically run mutual bank or credit union, it would be possible to issue free credit so that money could be created for the benefit of the participants rather than for the benefit of the bankers.

A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members. Credit unions differ from banks and other financial institutions in that the members who have accounts in the credit union are the owners of the credit union.
Credit union policies governing interest rates and other matters are set by a volunteer Board of Directors elected by and from the membership itself. Only a member of a credit union may deposit money with the credit union, or borrow money from it. As such, credit unions have historically marketed themselves as providing superior member service and being committed to helping members improve their financial health.
Credit unions may be viewed as non-profit organizations, or alternatively as for-profit enterprises charged with making a profit for their members (who receive any profits earned by the cooperative in the form of dividends paid on savings, which are taxed as ordinary income, or reduced interest rates on loans).
This debate reflects credit unions' unusual organizational structure, which attempts to solve the principal-agent problem by ensuring the owners and the users of the institution are the same people. In any case, credit unions generally cannot accept donations and must be able to prosper in a competitive market economy. "

My dear Brothers and Sisters: There is nothing more revolutionary than to be a true Jew. The heart and Soul of Judaism is revolt against corruption and the mechanisms that are generated from it.

From the day we were commanded to slaughter the sacred cows of Egypt, we were commanded to live a life of perpetual revolt against power of man over man and the idol worship that supports it.

When the State of Israel was declared the rich and politically powerful understood that if Judaism was given true expression that we would create a world-wide revolution.
They were right on correct about that.

So, all the forces of Hell were unleashed against us: they support the Arabs to keep us in a constant state of war; they fluoridate our water so that we will be debilitated; they bankroll an army of "Rabbis" to teach us that which is not Torah and keep us very busy with made-up things to do so that we will not remember the voice we heard in Egypt and at Har Sinai. They keep us in economic straits and worries, they keep us in thrall in a million different ways.
Why have they gone to all that trouble and expense. Because NO ONE is more dangerous to a corrupt system than a real Jew. Nothing works against a real Jew to get him or her to cooperate with corruption - not the carrot and not the stick.

And so, my dear Brothers and Sisters, despite all that has been set against us - real Jews we must be. A real Jewish society we must build. Real solidarity we must return to - the solidarity that we knew when we were a young people.

We have to return to a time when authority was invested in people only on the basis of the love and the wisdom they proved. We have to return to the time of the Judges - the time before a State and a government was set over us. The Judges were known by their communities intimately. Their every character trait was seen by all. If they were not immaculately honest and straight they would not have been respected. Their honor was their only source of power - and that is the only correct source of power.

Read the Book of Sh'mu'el. We were not meant to be ruled by flesh and blood!

Because our society is so sick our Judaism too is sick, paltry and in our hearts we know, sadly, largely contrived. We will only be able to find our way back to the true Torah as we institute mechanisms of righteousness.

Today we turn to HaShem in our poverty, in our fear, in our insecurity, with our broken hearts and broken spirits and broken bodies, after having been traumatized - and we fall victim to the "Rabbis" who are working for the rich and politically powerful to lead us astray.

Would that we would turn to HaShem in our strength and in our love and in our security! Would that we would turn to HaShem in celebration of the bounty we live in!

I saw on Kibbutz that when every material and social need is provided for still there is a feeling that something is lacking. I saw on totally secular Kibbutzim synagogues being built and b'tei midrash being put together and study groups forming.

When we have provided for one another's human needs, when we all live in abundance and in solidarity, when our consciences and our hands are clean and we all earn our livings in dignity and with honor THEN and only then will we be in a position to return to the true Torah.
It is so easy to begin. We form food co-ops and mutual aid projects. We form a mutual bank that provides mutual credit. Soon others will emulate us.

Tzfat is the perfect community to begin this in and the one that needs it the very most.

Let's begin NOW. For I tell you truly, it is we who must usher in the Messianic age.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

CO-OPS AND MUTUAL AID PROJECTS

Below you will find a link to a number of mutual aid projects that were undertaken in Ithaca, New York.

I am posting them here to give an idea of the kind of projects that a number of families in a community can undertake in order to make life more fun, more social, more economical, more efficient, to increase the number of services available in their communities and, most of all, to become more INDEPENDENT of elected officials by working together.

I cannot stress how detrimental the mentality of putting trust in politicians and government bodies to do for us that which we can do for ourselves is.

Politicians are parasites. They act at the behest of the rich, as is commonly known but also commonly accepted as a "fact of life". It need not be. They, like all parasites, weaken the host whose body they invade -in this case, the body of the citizenry. But the truth of the matter is, people abnegate their power and independence more than politicians arrogate them.

Where there are politicians there is no true democracy. There is only plutocracy. "Representative democracy" is not democracy at all. Only direct democracy, where people meet face-to-face and hammer out the issues that face all of us, eat out of a communal pot and whose destinies are tied one to the other is democracy that deserves the name. We are now living a farce – a very dangerous farce, a very dangerous self-delusion.

Of course, that abnegation is encouraged by politicians and people are made to feel weak and helpless. How many times and in how many ways, either directly or by implication, have you been called "weak" and "little" by politicians and by the press? Does the phrase "Joe Citizen" ring a bell and arouse a feeling of being put down? Those are psychological ploys designed to make you feel dependent and helpless. The message is ubiquitous and repetitive. But as Eleanor Roosevelt said: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." She also said: "If someone betrays you once, it's their fault; if they betray you twice, it's your fault." How many times have we been betrayed by politicians? Whose fault is it by this time?

There is power, and safety, in numbers. That is where co-ops and mutual aid programs come in.

People simply get together and, as a group on a rotating basis, supply one another with their everyday needs.

Vegetarian and health food co-ops are very popular, as I'm sure you know. People buy in bulk together, prepare the food together and dine together - all in a communal atmosphere of fun and conviviality.

But co-ops and mutual aid projects can do so much more than that.

A few ideas are to be found on the link below. They were undertaken in Itaca, New York; but with a little bit of tweaking they can be adapted to the needs of your community.

Most of all, co-ops and mutual aid programs will accustom people to working in solidarity one for all and all for one.

Those programmes confer a feeling of strength and mutual reliance without dependency.

They will wean the community from the unhealthy dependence upon politicians who, of every stripe and every party, have proven without exception that they cannot and will not improve matters.

We are responsible for one another. Only then can we flourish. Only then can we feel secure. Only then can we become fully adult and actualize our capacities. We become whole and independent individuals when we act with others in solidarity. We must be whole and strong in order to give and the giving makes us strong.

Please take a look at the programmes outlined on the link below.

One of them is not relevant to those who live in societies that have instituted socialized medicine. Most of the members on this list do not enjoy socialized medicine and the idea of a group working together to obtain insurance for all is a terrific one.

These programs should gradually supplant charities. In this way everyone is giving and everyone receiving. Living this way we all give and receive in dignity and in bounty.

Gradually, these programs will lead us in the direction of comprehensive mutual sufficiency that will phase out all need for politicians.

http://tinyurl.com/2xtwfj

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

SPECIAL POST

GROSS IRREGULARITIES IN THE TZFAT MUNICIPALITY DURING THE WAR WITH LEBANON

It's high time that this was made widely known outside Israel. I am ashamed of myself for having hesitated to broadcast this information earlier. My son was in the army and I was constrained to keep my silence.

Now that he has been released from the army, I searched for, and found, the message below, addressed to a cousin, in which I described the rip off on the part of the Municipal workers of Tzfat (Safed) during the Lebanon war last summer.

I'm making up for that mistake now and will make this known outside Israel because NO ONE HAS BEEN PROSECUTED OR EVEN CENSURED even though it is known exactly who the perpetrators are and a report, including the personal reports of those who suffered during the war as a result of what you will read below, was served to the State Ombudsman.

The workers at the Tzfat Municipality continue to work (usually until about 13:00 - that's supposed to be full-time) with the same sense of security, entitlement and lavishing "extras" on themselves that they did before the war in Lebanon - even as the City of Tzfat is on the verge of economic collapse and a programme of financial "recovery" so draconian is being discussed that we may not have lights in the streets at night or regular garbage removal.

Getting back to what happened during the war with Lebanon last summer:

1) 1000 of the 5000 meals that were donated by a charity went unaccounted for every day. The worker at the Municipality who was in charge of distribution told local reporters that he was told to put the 1000 meals aside daily and to leave no written record as to having received them.

2) A truck load full of air conditioners that were donated for the poorly-ventilated, sweltering bomb shelters vanished into, well, thin air.

3) Ditto for the TVs that were donated. In contradistinction, the workers of the Municipality (that is, the 17 out of 350 who didn't desert the city entirely) arranged deluxe, "VIP" shelters for themselves, replete with color TV, A/C and Internet.

4) The free days in hotels, including free meals, that were donated by the hotels themselves and were specifically designated for the infirm and elderly first and foremost were, instead, used by workers in the Municipality. As the result of not getting one of those rooms, one woman whose 8-year-old handicapped, wheelchair-bound daughter, who must be kept in sterile conditions, contracted an infection and had to be hospitalized. Some relative of some worker of the City got the room that little girl should have had. No matter, eventually she got a nice room - in the hospital.

5) A huge number of disposable diapers that was donated likewise disappeared. What the hell can someone do with tons of nappies???

As a result of most of the Municipality workers running for the own lives and leaving us here to die, the army sent in a regiment of reserve soldiers to run the city. They did an exemplary job of handling the exigencies, but the danger of the precedent of being deserted by the democratically-elected government of the city and being governed almost entirely by high-ranking officers in the army need not be elaborated upon.

I am LIVID. I am also mobilized and galvanized to speak up about this.


RECENT DEVELOPMENTS SINCE I FIRST DISSEMINATED THIS:

I received the e-mail message below from a member of the Tzfat Municipality. As the English is so poor, I thought it was spam and almost deleted it. Just as I was about to, I realized the name was vaguely familiar.

I opened it and found the following message, which, I have checked with a lawyer to make sure that I can repost it. I am fully within my legal rights to do so.

This is the content of the message:

Subject: "EVEN DO U R PROBABLY RIGHT

HI DOREEN I HAVE BEEN READING U R ARTICLE ABOUT THE THEFT DURING THE WAR AND EVEN DO U R PROBABLY RIGHT THAT THIS MAYOR AND WORKERS R CORRUPT U R EFFECTING OUR FUTURE REHABILITATION OF THE CITY I ASK U TO CONSIDER TAKING DOWN THE ARTICLE"

I fail to see entirely how keeping this information quiet will positively affect the "rehabilitation of the city".

I am of the opinion that the only thing that will rehabilitate the city is the prosecution of all those who were involved, and a complete revamping of the Municipality and how the city is run.

At this juncture, I will keep the name of the member of the Municipality to myself. However, during the course of the upcoming campaign; I may decide to publish the letter, with the name, including a translation.

If this person decides to run for Mayor of Tzfat, or openly supports a candidate; I will publish this letter with his name asking why this person is defending people who left residents of Tzfat for dead during the war.

Someone on the Tzfat Yahoo! list described me as "incorruptible". Evidently, the person who wrote that e-mail to me does not know the meaning of the word 'incorruptible' in English, or is so deep into politics that he has no concept what the meaning is at all.

But I am incorruptible and I'm going to keep on keeping on with this campaign to bring the events of last summer in Tzfat to international light.

Instead of taking his suggestion, I sent the text of "Dirty, Stinking, Tzfat Laundry" to every related charity organization, major Jewish newspaper in the US, Europe and elsewhere as well as to major news services internationally - mentioning the fact that I had been contacted by a member of the Tzfat Municipality who thinks that I should be quiet about having been left to die in order to rehabilitate the city.

If you can read Hebrew, read the synopsis of the recent State Comptroller's recent report here: http://tinyurl.com/2gzjll

If you cannot read it, it says that about a BILLION shekels in donations were received by the Northern part of Israel during the war with Lebanon last summer.

A large part of that did not go toward the intended purposes.

Let that sink in, a billion shekels is largely unaccounted for, while people were left TO DIE, abandoned by the Tzfat Municipality, except for 17 members (out of 350). My husband and I are two of those people.

Meanwhile, the city of Tzfat is in such economic straits that the education budget has been cut to the bone, our street lights will be turned off after 1:00; garbage collection will be reduced; social services have been drastically reduced; the cultural centers, which house the libraries, are closed...

I am making an international issue of this for the sake of justice and justice alone. Those who know me know I have no political or personal ambitions.

My only interest is that the perpetrators are brought to justice and that the money supply that keeps this corruption going is dried up.

I ask you to contribute to the betterment of Tzfat. I ask you to notify all of your loved ones and friends about what transpired here. Tell them to make the issue known in their local newspapers, other media, synagogues and communities.

As you can see from the response of this politician, politicians react to exposure. They don't like it. It is our most effective tool in the fight against corruption. Put the spotlight on them. Do not be afraid of them. Make them afraid of you. Politicians are very afraid of the truth coming to light. Let this ugly, ugly truth come to light.

There may be another war coming and it is expected, if it does occur, to be far worse than the last. If you do nothing to insure your safety, you can expect, without a shadow of a doubt, to be abandoned and stolen from again in the event of war.

If they get away with it once, they will be even more brazen next time.

We must make an international issue of this. By now, the report of the State Comptroller has most certainly been handed over to the Office of the Prime Minister. The State Comptroller can not do anything personally. All he or she can do is report the facts and known and recommend action. Nothing has been done inside Israel – and nothing will.

We must, MUST, take this story to the world - it is a story so shocking that it will make international waves if it is known.

Don't let the politicians fool you. This is the only way to rehabilitate the city.

Don't let there be a next time. Your life and the lives of your loved ones depend on the actions you take now. Believe it. The Municipality of Tzfat and the complicity of the national government have already proven that. We can only depend upon ourselves. No one else cares.

I have contacted many Jewish organizations, charities, synagogues and newspapers. I would appreciate the names of any that you think may have donated to Israel during the war or that may need to know this story.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

If you can read Hebrew, read this:

דו"ח המבקר: לאן הלכו התרומות לצפון

כמיליארד שקל הועברו כתרומות ליישובי הצפון במהלך מלחמת לבנון השנייה - אך מדו"ח המבקר עולה כי לעתים התרומות לא שימשו כלל למטרות הקשורות למערכה. למה כן

Source: http://tinyurl.com/yvceqd

About a billion, a BILLION, shekels in donations went to the North during the war, much of it was not used for what it was intended for WHILE THEY LEFT US TO DIE.

Where is it???

Why is the city in such desperate economic straits???

WAKE UP, TZFAT, WAKE UP!!!

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

DIRTY, FILTHY, STINKING TZFAT, ISRAEL LAUNDRY

It's high time that this was made widely known outside Israel. I am ashamed of myself for having hesitated to broadcast this information earlier. My son was in the army and I was constrained to keep my silence.

Now that he has been released from the army, I searched for, and found, the message below, addressed to a cousin, in which I described the rip off on the part of the Municipal workers of Tzfat (Safed) during the Lebanon war last summer.

I'm making up for that mistake now and will make this known outside Israel because NO ONE HAS BEEN PROSECUTED OR EVEN CENSURED even though it is known exactly who the perpetrators are and a report, including the personal reports of those who suffered during the war as a result of what you will read below, was served to the State Ombudsman.

The workers at the Tzfat Municipality continue to work (usually until about 13:00 - that's supposed to be full-time) with the same sense of security, entitlement and lavishing "extras" on themselves that they did before the war in Lebanon - even as the City of Tzfat is on the verge of economic collapse and a programme of financial "recovery" so draconian is being discussed that we may not have lights in the streets at night or regular garbage removal.

Getting back to what happened during the war with Lebanon last summer:

1) 1000 of the 5000 meals that were donated by a charity went unaccounted for every day. The worker at the Municipality who was in charge of distribution told local reporters that he was told to put the 1000 meals aside daily and to leave no written record as to having received them.

2) A truck load full of air conditioners that were donated for the poorly-ventilated, sweltering bomb shelters vanished into, well, thin air.

3) Ditto for the TVs that were donated. In contradistinction, the workers of the Municipality (that is, the 17 out of 350 who didn't desert the city entirely) arranged deluxe, "VIP" shelters for themselves, replete with color TV, A/C and Internet.

4) The free days in hotels, including free meals, that were donated by the hotels themselves and were specifically designated for the infirm and elderly first and foremost were, instead, used by workers in the Municipality. As the result of not getting one of those rooms, one woman whose 8-year-old handicapped, wheelchair-bound daughter, who must be kept in sterile conditions, contracted an infection and had to be hospitalized. Some relative of some worker of the City got the room that little girl should have had. No matter, eventually she got a nice room - in the hospital.

5) A huge number of disposable diapers that was donated likewise disappeared. What the hell can someone do with tons of nappies???

As a result of most of the Municipality workers running for the own lives and leaving us here to die, the army sent in a regiment of reserve soldiers to run the city. They did an exemplary job of handling the exigencies, but the danger of the precedent of being deserted by the democratically-elected government of the city and being governed almost entirely by high-ranking officers in the army need not be elaborated upon.

I am LIVID. I am also mobilized and galvanized to speak up about this.


RECENT DEVELOPMENTS SINCE DISSEMINATING THIS:

I received the e-mail message below from a member of the Tzfat Municipality. As the English is so poor, I thought it was spam and almost deleted it. Just as I was about to, I realized the name was vaguely familiar.

I opened it and found the following message, which, I have checked with a lawyer to make sure that I can repost it. I am fully within my legal rights to do so.

This is the content of the message:

Subject: "EVEN DO U R PROBABLY RIGHT

HI DOREEN I HAVE BEEN READING U R ARTICLE ABOUT THE THEFT DURING THE WAR AND EVEN DO U R PROBABLY RIGHT THAT THIS MAYOR AND WORKERS R CORRUPT U R EFFECTING OUR FUTURE REHABILITATION OF THE CITY I ASK U TO CONSIDER TAKING DOWN THE ARTICLE"

I fail to see entirely how keeping this information quiet will positively affect the "rehabilitation of the city".

I am of the opinion that the only thing that will rehabilitate the city is the prosecution of all those who were involved, and a complete revamping of the Municipality and how the city is run.

At this juncture, I will keep the name of the member of the Municipality to myself. However, during the course of the upcoming campaign; I may decide to publish the letter, with the name, including a translation.

If this person decides to run for Mayor of Tzfat, or openly supports a candidate; I will publish this letter with his name asking why this person is defending people who left residents of Tzfat for dead during the war.

Someone on this list described me as "incorruptible". Evidently, the person who wrote that e-mail to me does not know the meaning of the word 'incorruptible' in English, or is so deep into politics that he has no concept what the meaning is at all.

But I am incorruptible and I'm going to keep on keeping on with this campaign to bring the events of last summer in Tzfat to international light.

Instead of taking his suggestion, I sent the text of "Dirty, Stinking, Tzfat Laundry" to every related charity organization, major Jewish newspaper in the US, Europe and elsewhere as well as to major news services internationally - mentioning the fact that I had been contacted by a member of the Tzfat Municipality who thinks that I should be quiet about having been left to die in order to rehabilitate the city.

You all know that I care nothing for politics and am not doing this in order to gain political capital for myself.

I am making an international issue of this for the sake of justice and justice alone.

I ask you to contribute to the betterment of Tzfat. I ask you to notify all of your loved ones and friends about what transpired here. Tell them to make the issue known in their local newspapers, other media, synagogues and communities.

As you can see from the response of this politician, politicians react to exposure. They don't like it. It is our most effective tool in the fight against corruption. Put the spotlight on them. Do not be afraid of them. Make them afraid of you. Politicians are very afraid of the truth coming to light. Let this ugly, ugly truth come to light.

There may be another war coming and it is expected, if it does occur, to be far worse than the last. If you do nothing to insure your safety, you can expect, without a shadow of a doubt, to be abandoned and stolen from again in the event of war.

If they get away with it once, they will be even more brazen next time.

We must make an international issue of this. By now, the report of the State Comptroller has most certainly been handed over to the Office of the Prime Minister. The State Comptroller can not do anything personally. All he or she can do is report the facts and known and recommend action. Nothing has been done inside Israel – and nothing will.

We must, MUST, take this story to the world - it is a story so shocking that it will make international waves if it is known.

Don't let the politicians fool you. This is the only way to rehabilitate the city.

Don't let there be a next time. Your life and the lives of your loved ones depend on the actions you take now. Believe it. The Municipality of Tzfat and the complicity of the national government have already proven that. We can only depend upon ourselves. No one else cares.

Mo'adim L'Simcha (Happy Holidays),

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

OMG! I'VE BEEN NOMINATED FOR MAYOR OF TZFAT!

I'm serious!

This was posted in Message #6093 on the Tzfat Yahoo! site:

"Doreen for Mayor of Safed!

Having seen young mayoral candidate Ilan Shochat at his public toast last week, he has to be an improvement on the incumbent.But, with no denigration intended, "a sefard is a sefard is a sefard!".What is needed is a non-sefardi mayor. And I don't necessarily mean "ashkenazi", as most ashkenazi sabras have also been "sefardified".It needs someone who was born outside of Israel, but who knows the foibles of the Israeli mentality, without succumbing to them.I nominate Doreen!She has the IQ, memory, zeal, keeness, Judaic knowledge, has a sense of history and destiny, good ideas, knows perfect Hebrew and English, genuinely cares for Safed and its inhabitants, is incorruptible, hasthe right presence, personality and physiognomy, would get the women's vote, and is the right age.I think she'd make a good mayor, or at least stand for the Moatza, inNovember 2008."
I declined the offer, of course, that for two reasons. First, I am a Sephardia Tehora (pure Sephardic, as opposed to Mizrahi, Jew). Second, and much more to the point; I am a decent person and no decent person ever succeeded at being a politican. The wise ones did not so much as try.

It is a nice vote of confidence and compliment, though.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

LUNCH AT THE MEIR PANIM RESTAURANT –
REALLY FINE DINING AND FUN TOO

"Am I dressed shabbily enough?", I thought to myself as I got ready to go out to lunch at the new restaurant called Me'ir Panim that was opened in the poorest area of Tzfat, the south, by Yaakov Avni, the newly religious brother of perhaps the most famous actor in Israel, Akni Avni.

"This is only the third time I'm wearing this caftan and my sandals are very new too", I thought, concerned that it would give me away, "but I'll take this old brown handbag. The thin leather is worn and the color patchy."

Adorned in these glad rags I set off.

How shall I explain the many layers of meaning of the name of the restaurant? Taken together they mean an endearing welcoming, but it is so much more than that. 'Me'ir means to 'enlighten' or to 'brighten' both physically and as a result of bringing joy. 'Panim' means 'face', but spelled exactly the same way yet punctuated differently it also means 'innards'; 'the internal part of'; innerness', inwardness; 'internal depths'.

I arrived at the Me'ir Panim Restaurant just at opening time. Uncharacteristically for Israelis, the people waiting outside in the heat for the door to open were patient, soft-spoken and mindful of one another's rightful place on line. I recalled the evening not long ago that I waited on a line with the well-heeled of Tzfat for the gates to open before a Margalit Tza'anani concert at which wine and cheese was served at every table. How rude they were, despite the fact that they greeted those who were important to them with "How are you dear?", a phony smile and a dry peck on the cheek. How galling was their sense of entitlement and self-importance as they vied with one another to get to the gate first in order to get the most desirable seats. Now, waiting for the Me'ir Panim Restaurant to open, there was no tussling, no disrespect, no arrogance. They spoke in a familiar and good-natured manner with one another. There was no posing.

The doors opened and we filed into the simply-appointed, but immaculate, dining area in an orderly manner.

I paid the two Israeli Shekels (48 cents American) that were asked of me for lunch and received a chit of paper with a number on it. True to what the write-up of the restaurant said, no questions were asked. No one inquired as to whether I was in real need of the soup kitchen that treats those who come to eat lunch there as though they were in a restaurant, or if I was hustling them. No one looked at my dress or sandals in a way that would make me feel that they looked just a bit too new. No one looked me up and down at all, as do the people I am sometimes obliged to associate with.

I went to where the food was being served. No less than six volunteers were working. There was a tray in front of me with a roll and corn with dill and pickled vegetables on it. I turned to the man behind me and said: "Excuse me. This is my first time here. I do not know what I have to do. May I take this tray?"

He said: "First pay at the door", not having noticed that I had done so. I told him that I did. Satisfied that I paid the establishment their due and due respect, he became very helpful and said: "Don't worry. They'll do everything for you." Suddenly a number of people were around me helping me and showing me what do to. One man said: "There is a first time for everything. I hope this won't be your last time here", in a manner that meant: "Consider yourself one of us."

One of the women volunteering serving the food is a long-time acquaintance of our family. Upon seeing me she greeted me warmly and served me my food carefully, lovingly: chicken noodle soup, two chicken wings, couscous, the cooked chick peas and vegetables in gravy that accompany couscous. This was in addition to the roll, corn and pickled vegetables on the tray. She did not so much as ask me to surrender the chit with the number on it that represented proof of payment. On the table was a bowl of apples as well.

I understand from what I read about the restaurant that they vary the menu quite a bit.

One of the volunteers called out: "Does anyone want macaroni?" She held up a 500-gram bag of macaroni, one of many in a large pile. I should mention that the cheapest those bags of macaroni sell for retail is four for eleven NIS.

She also came around with candy bars and gave each of us one. Those candy bars sell for two shekels a pop in candy stores.

Later the woman who served me the food, who has known my family for years and whose father is friends with my husband ,came over to me and discreetly asked: "How is your financial situation? Alright?" I answered that we are fine. She did not believe me. It is well that she did not. I did not want her to. She wished me a healthy and prosperous year.

I ate everything on the tray in order to know how satisfied the meal would leave me. It really was quite good and very filling. It is now some nine hours later and I am still not hungry. One could, if one had to, live on that one meal per day.

Looking around I liked the people I saw: men and women, young and old, a mother with a baby, a mother with a youth, Russians immigrants beside born Israelis. One of the volunteers, who looks as though he might be a convert, spoke only English.

Just as I was making my way out I saw Ya'akov Avni on his way out too. He had, despite being the owner and operator of the restaurant, been serving along with the volunteer staff. The door was positioned such that none of the diners still left there could see him going out. The moment I had anticipated came. I seized the opportunity that I had been waiting for. I walked over to him and said: "Reb" quietly so that the other diners would not hear. He looked at me kindly. I said: "The meal was very good, the service excellent and the ambiance unlike any other." He thanked me. I went on: "That meal was really worth more than two shekels and I put a hundred shekel bill in his hand. Our eyes met as he understood why I had come.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

TWO PEOPLES BLINDED BY HATRED AND HUBRIS

Israeli Gov't Officials: Islamic Jihad to Bear Brunt of IDF Response to Kassams

"Islamic Jihad will likely bear the brunt of Israel's military response to the Kassam rockets that hit the western Negev on the second day of the school year, including one that slammed into a day care center's courtyard, government officials said Monday night. Islamic Jihad was responsible for all nine of the Kassam attacks, the officials said. The rockets were timed to hit when parents were taking their children to school, defense officials said...."

Source: http://tinyurl.com/2s762y

Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that both the Jews and the Palestinians are being set up to for "culling" a few at a time here, a few at a time there, and are not being allowed to engage in any serious kind of deliberations or implement real plans for the benefit of all that will stop this madness, so that someone can make A LOT of money in the arms business?

Unfortunately, both sides are so filled with hate, hubris and absolute certainty in their own absolute righteousness and superiority that they can't see. They can't see that both Peoples are being set up and that this is the "legacy" that the British left before they folded up the Mandate.

Instead of being stupid and letting those who are setting our teeth against one another to play us for fools at the expense of our lives, we should be joining forces to get the Western dirty business interests out of this area.

Ego always makes for easy victimization.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

RATIONAL RELIGION

It is common nowadays to speak of religion and rationality as though they are mutually exclusive, as though never the twain will, or can, meet.

This premise should not be accepted as a foregone conclusion. It needs to be carefully examined. Upon doing so, we will see that it is in gross error.

The basic premises of religionists and atheists, the latter of whom claim that they are rationalists and hold sole claim to rationality, are equally non-rational. To say that we can reasonably posit the existence of a Being that is Ineffable, wholly non-corporeal, without qualities of any kind and so vastly beyond our comprehension that we cannot begin to fathom It, is a wholly irrational position. Such a position may be taken on an experiential claim, on the basis of hope that such a Being exists or on blind faith, but it is not a rational statement.

The position of the atheists is equally irrational. To say that we can, with any degree of certainty whatsoever, posit that there does not exist a Being that is Ineffable, wholly-incorporeal, without any qualities of any kind and so vastly beyond our comprehension that we cannot begin to fathom It, is a wholly irrational position as well. The only difference between this position and the former is that this position is one that smacks of hubris.

Having demonstrated that the starting points of both the religionists and the atheists are equally without rational basis, we can proceed to examining whether or not rationality can play any part in a religious take on the world.

The afflatus of this treatment of the subject is a new restaurant, the owner and founder of which, Ya'akov Avni (brother of the actor Aki Avni) insists that it not be called a soup kitchen, which opened in the most disadvantaged area of the city of Tzfat, the notorious South (where the author of this essay chooses to make her home).

The restaurant provides full-course meals to come whoever may, no questions asked, for the price of two NIS (about 47 cents American). Great pains have been, and are, taken to provide not only nutritious meals, but to having created a pleasant ambiance in the restaurant, having the meals served by a staff of dedicated volunteers with respect and a smile and giving those who patronize the restaurant the feeling that they are coming to dine (thus the nominal charge) and not having favors dished out to them by a charity.

One can find equally rational and pseudo-scientific reasons for feeding the poor, making them feel wanted and cared for and not. So, it is not therein that the rationality resides.

Having made the leap of faith and deciding to feed the poor and give them a feeling of honor and dignity, the rationality comes in in the planning and implementation of the programme.

It takes a great deal of rational, systematic and methodical thinking to plan such a project, implement it and keep it going.

One has, first and foremost, to rationally and correctly assess the socio-economic situation in which people are found. One must then determine correctly and rationally the needs of real people in real situations. Next, one has to rationally and correctly assess one's own abilities to help them. One has to be able to formulate a plan or programme of assistance in one's mind. Having done so, one has then to arrange for subsidization of the food costs and costs of operation. One has to systematically go about finding an umbrella organization that will assist the program if need be and find donors. One has to go about finding suppliers of the food, buying the necessary equipment, furnishings, arranging the permits from the city, paying the bills, finding the fitting staff for the operation and do on.

Rationality comes into religion in the application of its principles.

Rationality can not be said to be the basis either for a religious position or lack of it, as we demonstrated at the outset of the essay. It must reside in how we carry out the articles of our faith and what we believe to be right.

To date, because many Human societies are so very cruel and do not provide for Human needs rationally or with compassion, people have turned to religion for all the wrong reasons. People turn to God in desperation: for the love they do not get from others, for the security that society does not provide them with, for the fulfillment of their hopes and dreams that society does not allow or has dashed and so on. They come in desperation and, as an inevitable result, their religious practice is pathological.

A society that will foster healthy religion must be created. We cannot dismiss the possibilities of what religion can be and can offer in healthy societies based on the reasons that people turn to religion in sick societies.

I have witnessed in the secular Kibbutz Movement, on wealthy kibbutzim the residents of which have all of their socio-economic needs provided for, that a feeling of superficiality and meaningless begins to creep into the hearts and minds of a good percentage of the members. They begin to feel that, though they have everything they need and want materially, something profound is yet missing. Some of those who feel that way, and they are a goodly number, turn to religion.

They turn to religion not in desperation, not in fear, not in loneliness and not in insecurity or need. They turn to religion for a final fulfillment.

The religion that they consider is based on their traditional religion, but they are not afraid to experiment with new forms of ceremony or discard those which do not seem meaningful to them. They feel free to innovate, to question and to improvise. This to my mind is all very healthy and I believe that were we all living in a communalistic society, as are the members of the Kibbutz Movement, this seminal spiritual/moral enterprising would arise spontaneously and would prove to be fecund, producing new expressions of ancient religions and new religions that would provide the deepest fulfillment of the Human experience.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

A Really Good Reason to Live in Tzfat

LOOKOUT ON CHESSED: Tzfat's own indomitable Mikimi Steinberg blogs about Yad Sarah.

http://tinyurl.com/344mdc

What is Yad Sarah?

"Yad Sarah is an Israel-wide network of volunteers aiding disabled, elderly, housebound people aimed at making home care possible."

Please see: http://tinyurl.com/2rj68s for more details.

Way to go, Mikimi!

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com

THE CREATION OF A STATE

This is what is involved in the creation of a state:http://tinyurl.com/2kyw6l

We Israelis too were brutalized and reduced to the ignominy of committing acts that would have been unthinkable before we had a state to defend. It really does not matter if we are more than, less than or equally brutal to the Palestinian Arabs. We have both become far more brutal and violent than we were - all for the sake of achieving and defending a state with "secure borders".

And that is why when people ask me if I believe in a two-state solution, I tell them that I believe in a zero-state solution.

No state is a solution to violence, to intrigue, to nefarious undertakings, systematic povertization of target populations in order to keep the drug, prostitution and weapons markets humming. No state will not send its young to war for the sake of maintaining the power of the elite.

And although I do not see Israel as an imperialist state because none of the land that we seized was as a result of our initiative, but rather as a result of wars that we did not begin, but were victorious in - still I do not doubt that we would be imperialists and colonialists if we could, because that is the way of the realpolitik of statecraft. And the Palestinians, given the chance, would do exactly the same thing.

From what I understand from scions of families that have inhabited this area for many generations, Arab and Jewish alike; these problems did not exist before the British arrived and fomented discord to their own purposes. Historians say the same. There was also no concept of state in this area until it was imported.

I don't see any solution to the conflicts in this area until states and borders are abolished. Only when there are no borders can disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, occur. Only then can prosperity based on truly free trade agreements take place. Only then can there be free educational and cultural exchange. Only then can there be religious speculation that is not the concept by which we measure our pain, as John Lennon so aptly observed, but rather the measure of our joy.

Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat, Israel
DoreenDotan@gmail.com