30 Cheshvan, 5763
Jerusalem

Jewish Agency supplies emergency warning devices to hearing impaired

In the event of an attack on Israel these pagers('beepers') will transmit civil defense

Dateline: Tel Aviv. 5 November 2002

The Jewish Agency, the IDF Homefront Command ('Civil Defense'), together with the Association of the Deaf in Israel, started distributing today emergency warning beepers to the hearing impaired in a ceremony in Tel Aviv.

The Jewish Agency purchased the beepers thanks to the donations of the United Jewish Communities of North America (UJC) and Keren Hayesod, as part of these organizations' Israel Emergency Campaign. A total of 7,500 beepers will be distributed over the coming months (5,000 by the Jewish Agency and the remainder by the Homefront Command).

Should Israel come under attack, these devices will inform the hearing impaired with emergency information, such as "take cover" and "all clear" announcements, orders to put on and remove gas masks, as well as other directives.

In a ceremony today, to inaugurate the start of the nationwide distribution, GOC Homefront Command Maj. Gen. Yossef Mishlav and Jewish Agency Treasurer, Shai Hermesh launched the initial distribution. The ceremony took place at the Association of the Deaf in Israel's Hellen Keller Center in Tel Aviv.

Jewish Agency Treasurer, Shai Hermesh said, "The contribution of North American Jewry is living testimony to the profound ties bonding Jewish communities throughout the World and Israel."