Rehovot Celebrates its 115th Anniversary

On March 25th, Official Rehovot representatives and many of its' residents, participated in the celebration of the 115th anniversary of the founding of Rehovot. The celebration took place at the square near Dondikov House (32 Ya'acov Street), and featured the reinstallation of the copy of the old Rehovot Bell (see photo).

The town of Rehovot was founded as a small settlement (Moshav) 115 years ago, during the Purim Holidays, on March 6th, 1890. A year later, when the Rehovot population numbered tens of families, Rehovot resident Ya'acov Broida presented a gift to the new settlement, a bell weighing 400 kg. The bell was installed at the highest point of Rehovot, near the house of Abraham Dondikov, who served as one of the first chairmen of the settlement council. The bell therefore long served as the town clock, announcing the beginning of a new business day, ringing for lunch time, Shabbat and holidays, announcing danger, and calling for and witnessing a number of important city happenings. The bell had different melodies for different occasions first mastered by Itzchak Rosenfeld, another Rehovot resident.

Forty years later this historic bell could not serve its' original mission as a town clock. As Rehovot grew, the bell ring could no longer be heard in distant areas of Rehovot. It was therefore removed from its' original location on Ya'acov Street and after many years in storeage, found its' new place at the Independence Square, the circle connecting Levi-Epstein, Gluskin and Ha'poalim Streets, near The Mofet (Beit-Gordon) Building. It was from where the original bell was later removed at the time the square was being reconstructed, and finally stolen, according to the Mayor of Rehovot.

The new Rehovot Bell is a smaller copy of the original. It was reinstalled at the original location and is thought to be an important reminder of the rich history of Rehovot and a testimony to the creative people who make it their lovely home.

This material was contributed by Berislav Ostapenko. Photos by MyRehovot.

Important: this publication is an original material by MyRehovot.Info. Citation and/or re-printing in any media is permitted in case it is properly cited and the hyperlink to http://www.myrehovot.info/ is provided.

MyRehovot Reader Responds to "Weizmann Institute Threatens Employee With a Dismissal for Bearing Magen David Patch"

Dear My Rehovot,

Thank you for the publication "Leading Israel Scientific Center - Weizmann Institute - threatens employee with a dismissal for bearing Magen David patch".

I think that Igor Pechersky's patch is a proper reminder of The Holocaust and the World War II against German Nazism, the sixtieth anniversary of which we commemorate this year.

Mr. Pechersky signifies for me (a former citizen of the Soviet Union, the nation lost in The Great Patriotic War with fascism more then 25 million lives, including close relatives), a reminder of fascist terror, genocide and a note to all that new fascism will not be allowed.

The reaction of the Weizmann Institute alarms me. What is this? Is this a historical blindness, a lack of respect or intolerance to the memorial culture of The Nation-Winner that made the State of Israel's independence possible, or a footsie with fascism, be it for a scientific or financial purpose? Otherwise how can one request to hide Jewish Catastrophe 1933-1945 symbol?

For me, a person from the former Soviet Union, such a request sounds like a call to extinguish The Eternal Light that is kept alight for the last sixty years next to the cenotaphs in nearly every town of Russia, Ukraine and the other Republics of the former USSR.

I would also like to add, that in my opinion, it would be more appropriate for Mr. Pechersky's patch not to bear an identification number, but a message:

1933-1945
We remember

Also see original Russian Text of this commentary. Please note that earlier publications in MyRehovot and Haaretz Daily wrongly spell Igor Pechersky family name as " Pecharsky ".

Important: this publication is an original material by MyRehovot.Info. Citation and/or re-printing in any media is permitted in case it is properly cited and the hyperlink to http://www.myrehovot.info/ is provided.

Purim in Rehovot Ended With an All-town Gala Celebration

Sunday, March 27, 2005 Rehovot celebrated the Purim Holidays. The Celebration took place at the Gan Ha'maginim opposite the Yad Le-Banim Hall. There was lots of fun, music and children and adults in fancy dress costumes.

As in recent years, the Rehovot Purim Gala had good security arrangements and featured a 3-hour free show by Rehovot studios and dance schools, a short welcoming speech given by Rehovot Mayor Shuki Forer, and the children's contest for the best Purim costume. On the entertainment program there were a variety of games for children (10 NIS per activity), pizza for 8 or 12 NIS for one or two slices, and candy floss for 5 NIS.

Similar celebrations took place in nearby Mazkeret Batia on Friday, March 25, where the major event, called Purimon, a Parade by Mazkeret Batia residents and their guests dressed in Purim costumes.

On March 25, Official representatives from Rehovot and many of its' residents, were busy with another important celebration, the reinstallation of the old Rehovot Bell on 32 Ya'acov Street, near Dondikov House, on the occasion of the 115th anniversary of the establishment of Rehovot. The report on this event will be presented in a forthcoming publication by MyRehovot.

Important: this publication is an original material by MyRehovot.Info. Citation and/or re-printing in any media is permitted in case it is properly cited and the hyperlink to www.MyRehovot.Info is provided.

Purim Costumes Go Over The Top, Implicate Historical Blindness

"Besides the familiar Queen Esther and Haman costumes worn for Purim, children have been seen around the country wearing more shocking outfits ? including Palestinian suicide bombers and even concentration camp inmates. A boy from the Gush Katif settlement of Neveh Dekalim was caught by photographers dressed head-to-toe as a suicide bomber, with everything down to a mock bomb belt and green Hamas headband. In response, a 25-year-old survivor of Jerusalem's Rehov Ben-Yehuda bombing in 1998, told The Jerusalem Post, "It doesn't hurt me, I am not personally offended, but I understand that people who have been through the same thing I did would feel differently, and be more sensitive about it." "People should take into consideration that they will be offending some people." he said, "Maybe the fact that they are able to dress up as suicide bombers and make light of the situation is not such a terrible thing." A yeshiva student who had spent time studying in Gush Katif saw this, however, as "a terrible thing." "By dressing up as a suicide bomber you are making it a joke, giving it legitimacy and turning it into fact that you have to accept," he said. "If we accept it... it will result in further attacks. By making a joke out of it... you are devaluing the lives taken by those same bombers." Other revelers obviously had learned nothing from the recent incident involving the UK's Prince Harry, who wore a Nazi uniform to a party.

Two teenagers were seen at a party in Jerusalem on Tuesday night, wearing concentration camp inmate uniforms, yellow armbands with the star of David and the word Jew, and yellow stars of David on their chest. "I think the kids didn't understand what they were doing," another youngster at the party said. "They obviously don't know much about the Holocaust, not like me, who did lose relatives; it was very sad." Fearing Palestinian terror organizations will launch attacks during the Purim holiday beginning on Thursday night, the police are maintaining a heightened state of alert until Sunday..."

Source: Eliana Schonwald and Yaakov Katz. Purim costumes go over the top. Jerusalem Post (23/24 March 2005) [FullText]

Major Israel Academic Institute Threatens To Fire Programmer For The Orange Patch of the Star of David

Remembering 9 May 1945: Sixty Years without Fascism

"The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot is threatening to dismiss Igor Pecharsky, a programmer in the molecular genetics department, because he wears a patch with an orange Star of David on his lapel. The administration sees this as provocation necessitating a response, even going so far as to dismiss him without compensation. A warning letter was delivered by messenger to Pecharsky and is to take effect today.

Pecharsky told Haaretz he has no intention of removing the patch, out of his devotion to the principle, and specifically because the request reminds him of "very dark days in the Soviet Union." Pecharsky, 36, emigrated from St. Petersburg 11 years ago, and has been working at the Weizmann Institute for just over a year. He started wearing the patch, which he attached to an ID tag like those worn at conferences, after he realized that it was a personal choice of individuals and not an organized plan of action of the Yesha Council of Settlements in Judea, Samaria and Gaza as part of its struggle against the disengagement. Since then he has been summoned for talks to clarify the situation, but he refused to take off the orange Star of David.

In a letter sent two days ago under the heading, "Severe disciplinary violation - final warning," Weizmann Institute vice president for administration and finance Gad Kober wrote: "For quite some time, Institute employees in the building where you work as well as beyond it have been complaining that the orange patch you wear disturbs their regular work. This behavior on the premises of the Institute, which is perceived as a desire to demonstrate a clear political position, is incompatible with the Institute's long history of not allowing political statements on its premises. In addition, this act is a provocation aimed at those who do not identify with your position, is offensive to them, and distracts them and thereby disrupts their work. It is not needless to say that every day dozens of guests from Israel and abroad visit the Institute, who are also exposed to this act." Later on the letter describes the talks with Pecharsky conducted in the past, and concludes with a threat of dismissal: "You are hereby given a final warning and are asked to remove the patch within 24 hours of receiving this letter. Should you fail to do so, the Institute will take action against you, including terminating your employment and canceling dismissal compensation and the need for advance notice."

Pecharsky told Haaretz that he had not heard from any Holocaust survivors about offense caused them, something that he would have taken into consideration. He claims the whole affair boils down to a debate over political views, with the Weizmann Institute administration expressing the view that there is only one legitimate political position in Israel. He rejects the prevailing taboo in Israeli society against using the Holocaust and its symbols. "I'm familiar with that, and it scares me," says Pecharsky. "There was in the Soviet Union at one time a similar taboo against using Jewish symbols."According to him, even though, for economic reasons, it would be better for him to remove the patch, he has no intention of doing so now. The ultimatum given to him takes effect today."

Source: Lily Galili. Weizmann Institute threatens to fire programmer for wearing orange patch. Haaretz Daily (24 March 2005) [FullText] [BBC Quote]

Military antennas blamed for high cancer rate at kibbutz near Rehovot

"Hundreds of residents of Kibbutz Na'an and surrounding moshavim called yesterday for the relocation of an Israel Defense Forces Communications Corps antenna installation that is situated close to their homes. At a protest rally, the demonstrators charged that the installation, comprising dozens of antennas, was to blame for the high rate of cancer among area residents.

Kibbutz Na'an, near Rehovot, is home to some 1,000 people, 56 of whom have contracted cancer in recent years. Toward the end of last year, area residents began to suspect that the reason for the high incidence of cancer was the antenna installation. They approached the Defense Ministry with questions about the level of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the antennas, and were told the site posed no danger to them.The residents, however, were not satisfied, and called in two experts to check radiation levels emitted from the site. The experts found that the radiation levels were 50 times higher than the accepted standard. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who visited the area last month and was questioned on the matter, said a radiation expert would conduct further tests at the site in conjunction with defense and local officials. "

Source: Yuval Azoulay. Military antennas blamed for high cancer rate at kibbutz. Haaretz.com (11 March 2005) [FullText]

Twelve Injured in Rechovot Bus Accident

"Twelve people were lightly injured in a bus accident in Rechovot Wednesday morning. According to Israel Radio, a bus slipped upon leaving the city?s central bus station. Those injured are being treated at Kaplan Hospital."

Source: Twelve Injured in Rechovot Bus Accident. IsraelNN.com (9:00AM, 9 March 2005) [FullText]