Media Advisory: OU Jerusalem Representative Available for On-the-Scene Interviews

27 Jul 2006

MEDIA ADVISORY: OU REPRESENTATIVE IN JERUSALEM IS AVAILABLE FOR ON-THE-SCENE INTERVIEWS ON ORGANIZATION’S HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS TO IMPROVE LIVES OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS CAUGHT IN WAR ZONE

To interview Rabbi Avi Berman, contact him at the OU Israel Center at 011.972.2.5667787, ext. 202, or aberman@israelcenter.co.il.

In the United States, you may also contact Stephen Steiner, OU Director of Public Relations, at 212-613-8318, or steiners@ou.org. (Cell phone: 646-321-6134).

You may also contact David Olivestone, OU Director of Communications and Marketing at 212-613-8221, or davido@ou.org. (Cell phone: 201-294-2641).

Upon the outbreak of the war against Hezbollah, the Orthodox Union’s Seymour J. Abrams OU Jerusalem World Center (the Israel Center) immediately geared up with a wide array of humanitarian programming to bring religious, emotional and financial sustenance to ease the anguish of children and adults who are in the range of Hezbollah missiles, and who must take refuge in bomb shelters.

Rabbi Avi Berman, newly appointed Director of the Israel Center, is available for interviews on these efforts and on his contacts with Israelis besieged by Hezbollah missiles and rockets. Rabbi Berman will have stories for you directly from the scene that will provide excellent feature and hard news material for your coverage of the war.

The Israel Center’s programs include:

• The running of day camps for children from Tzfat, Chazor and Kiryat Shmona, with more being set up all over the north to get the kids out of the bomb shelters and to provide a respite for their parents.

• The Kehilot Yisrael (Community of Israel) program, which has sent more than 400 volunteers from bomb shelter to bomb shelter all over the north, bringing food and toiletries and much-needed counseling for adults and children, while running day camps and other activities.

• The OU has collected and distributed thousands of dollars to fund various needs of soldiers and residents of the areas under fire. These contributions have been raised by the OU’s Israel Emergency Fund, which can be accessed at www.ou.org. Fundraising is also taking place at the Israel Center.

• The Center is serving as a clearing house for Jerusalemites who are offering home hospitality to refugees from the north. The Center is also a drop-off and pick-up point for donations of candies and snacks for soldiers at the front.

• The Makom Balev (Place in the Heart) program, which brings traditional Judaism to non-observant boys and girls across the country, is running specially designed Shabbatonim – Sabbath celebrations – this Friday evening and Saturday in selected hot spots around the country to enable the joy of Shabbat to relieve the anxiety of war.

• Another group of 80 participants in Tiberias will be attending a Solidarity and Chizuk (strength) Shabbaton in the northern community of Keshet.