NISSAN 5768 / APRIL 2008, VOL. 13 Green and Clean JCT Develops Solutions to Environmental Problems P.O.BOX 16031, JERUSALEM 91160 ISRAEL 91160 JERUSALEM 16031, P.O.BOX NISSAN 5768 / APRIL 2008, VOL. 13 Green and Clean JCT Develops Solutions to Environmental Problems P.O.BOX 16031, JERUSALEM 91160 ISRAEL 91160 JERUSALEM 16031, P.O.BOX COMMENTARY JERUSALEM COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY PRESIDENT Shalom! opportunity to receive an excellent education Prof. Joseph S. Bodenheimer allowing them to become highly-skilled, ROSH HAYESHIVA Rabbi Z. N. Goldberg Of the many things sought after professionals. More important ROSH BEIT HAMIDRASH we are proud at JCT, for our students is the opportunity available Rabbi Natan Bar Chaim nothing is more RECTOR at the College to receive an education Prof. Joseph M. Steiner prized than our focusing on Jewish values. It is this DIRECTOR-GENERAL students. In every education towards values that has always Dr. Shimon Weiss VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT issue of “Perspective” been the hallmark of JCT and it is this AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS we profile one of our students as a way of commitment to Jewish ethical values that Reuven Surkis showing who they are and of sharing their forms the foundation from which Israeli accomplishments with you. society will grow and flourish - and our EDITORS Our student body of 2,500 is a students and graduates take pride in being Rosalind Elbaum, Debbie Ross, Penina Pfeuffer microcosm of Israeli society: 21% are Olim committed to this process. DESIGN & PRODUCTION (immigrants) from the former Soviet Union, As we approach the Pesach holiday, the Studio Fisher Ethiopia, South America, North America, 60th anniversary of the State of Israel and JCT Perspective invites the submission of arti- Europe, Australia and South Africa, whilst the 40th anniversary of JCT, let us reaffirm cles and press releases from the public. It is 32% come from Israel’s development towns our commitment to the present and future important to note that the views of the writers and the claims of the advertisers do not nec- and peripheral areas. Over 30% of our generations of JCT students; may we essarily reflect the opinion of the College, graduates continue for M.Sc and MBA continue to be blessed with students and nor are they to be seen as an endorsement by the College. JCT Perspective reserves the degrees and 6% receive their PhDs - and of graduates who we believe represent the right to edit accepted manuscripts in any all of those serving in the Israel Defense finest ideals of Judaism and academic fashion seen fit. Forces, 35% become officers. professionalism. JERUSALEM COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY Perhaps the most striking fact is that Department for Development and our graduates do not leave Israel. Although I wish all our friends and supporters External Affairs courted by high-tech industries throughout throughout the world a Happy and Kosher P.O. Box 16031, Jerusalem 91160 they world, 95% of JCT graduates remain Pesach Tel: +972-2-6751269, Fax: +972-2-6751190 in Israel to help develop Israel’s industry. e-mail: [email protected] website:www.jct.ac.il Over 60 high-tech companies have been started by our graduates and faculty Copyright 2008, JCT Perspective. expanding the country’s economic base, Material in this publication may not be reprinted Reuven Surkis without the prior consent of JCT Perpsective. particularly in Jerusalem. Vice President for Development VOLUME 13 What attracts our students to the and External Affairs Printed in Israel Jerusalem College of Technology is the 2 JCT PERSPECTIVE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Friends, An ancient Midrash on Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) relates: “When the Almighty created Adam, he showed him all the trees of the Garden of Eden and told him: ‘Look at My handiwork, how fine everything is. All this is for your benefit! Take care not to destroy My world, for if you do so no one will be there to repair it.’” Whether or not the human race is to blame for the hole in the ozone, for global warming, for extinction of many species of wild life, or generally for the increasing pollution of our planet; whether or not Adam’s descendants have been careless in preventing a host of ecological disasters with which we are threatened daily - there is no doubt that we are obligated morally, as individuals, as Jews and as members of human CONTENTS society, to do all that we can to strengthen the sustainability of our fragile world and to protect it from further deterioration. It is only natural (no pun intended) that everyone is looking COMMENTARY ................................................. 2 expectantly toward the disciplines of science and technology for innovative solutions that will provide clean energy resources to replace fossil fuels. Development of environmentally friendly alternatives, which are PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ..................................3 economically viable, is not only a major ecological concern. The benefits for the global economy and for our national security are manifold. SEDER NIGHT — We are therefore excited that JCT scientists working on campus are actively involved in research that could have profound implications on A LESSON IN EDUCATION .......................... 4 the viability of solar and wind power sources. Some of this research is highlighted in the present issue of Perspective. STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW ...........................6 As we approach the fifth decade of JCT, it is evident that our growth is not only in the number of students - now beyond 2,500, in the number RICH VERSUS KING: of campus buildings at Machon Lev – now 16, and in the number of THE FOUNDER’S DILEMMA .......................10 academic programs at Machon Tal – now 12. The growth is also in excellence. JCT is now rated among the top six academic institutions in Israel, according to recent comparative studies of tertiary education. COVER STORY The State of Israel, as it celebrates its 60th anniversary, has learnt GREEN AND CLEAN .....................................12 that it can expect outstanding performance from our graduates, in terms of hi-tech innovation, responsible management, and Jewish leadership. JUDAISM AND THE ENVIRONMENT .....16 It is now learning that JCT researchers are helping to solve some of the world’s greatest environmental challenges. PROFILES ..............................................................17 You, our friends, can be proud of what your support has achieved. ON CAMPUS ....................................................18 Wishing you all a ÁӢ†¯˘Î†ÁÒÙ†‚Á GRADUATES NEWS ....................................... 19 Joseph Bodenheimer President of JCT GLOBAL NEWS.................................................. 22 JCT PERSPECTIVE 3 Seder Night A Lesson in Education By Rabbi Amnon Hedri he Rambam (Maimonides) in Hilchot Hametz educational process. Umatza (7:1) summarizes the mitzvah of reciting the The Tosefta in Yoma (Perek 4) relates the behavior of Rabbi Haggada on Seder night as follows: Akiva: It is a positive commandment from the Torah to speak “They said with regard to Rabbi Akiva that he would never about the miracles and wonders that were performed for our say ‘It’s time to cease studies’, except for the eve of Pesach and forefathers in Egypt on the fifteenth night of Nissan… and the eve of Yom Kippur: on the eve of Pesach so that the children even great scholars are obligated to retell the story of the wouldn’t fall asleep and on the eve of Yom Kippur to allow Exodus, and anyone who speaks at length about what was, them to feed their children.” is praiseworthy. Rashi explains that Rabbi Akiva would end the studies early The fundamental difference between the commandment on the eve of Pesach to allow his students to put their children to remember the Exodus (z’chira), which must be fulfilled to sleep during the day and thus enable them to be awake that daily, and the commandment to relate the story of the Exodus evening for the reciting of the Haggada. Rabbi Akiva’s model (sipur) is that remembering the Exodus is fulfilled with a short, highlights the importance of proper preparation and forethought. concise mention, whereas the commandment to relate the story Education is not a sporadic, situational event; rather, it demands through the Haggada demands of one to expound upon the prior preparation. In this particular situation, it was the simple story and internalize its meaning. In addition, the fact that tired people have difficulty focusing and learning that commandment to relate the story of the Exodus demands that drove Rabbi Akiva to ensure that the children would rest amply one share the story with others, and specifically that one share prior to the Seder. the experience with his children, as the Rambam himself writes An additional guidance is found in the Tosefta brought in in the following halacha (law): “A person is commanded to tell Tractate Pesahim (109A): “Rabbi Eliezer said: hotfin matzot on his sons, even if they did not ask, as it says, ‘and you shall tell the night of Pesach for the children so that they should not fall your children…” asleep.” The need for the involvement of the children in the In his second explanation of this piece, Rashi explains that fulfillment of the commandment “v’higadta l’vincha [And you “hotfin matzot” means that one should be quick to eat so that shall tell your children]” created a rich infrastructure of the children will be focused and alert during the recitation of guidelines and specific actions aimed at ensuring the success the Haggada. And thus codifies the Shulhan Aruch (Code of of this mission. Indeed, it seems as though these guidelines Jewish Law OH 472:1): were not intended exclusively for the fulfillment of ‘v’higadta One’s table should be set already from the previous day so l’vincha” but rather were intended to present a prototype for that the meal may begin immediately at nightfall, and even if Chazal’s (our sages of blessed memory) ideal approach to the one is studying in the Beit Midrash, one should conclude [early], 4 JCT PERSPECTIVE as it is a mitzvah to hasten the meal for the children so that table from before them, ‘snatching’ the matzah from each other they not sleep.