World ORT is standing ready to provide any support it can for the communities suffering from Israel’s worst ever forest fires.

Lower Galilee Mayor Moti Dotan and Kiryat Yam Mayor Shmuel Sisso, members of World ORT’s Board of Trustees and Board of Representatives respectively, have contacted the mayors of the affected municipalities near Haifa.

“They have expressed our condolences to the victims’ families, our solidarity with the communities and our readiness to do whatever we can, if called upon, to help,”? said World ORT Director General and CEO Robert Singer.

“This is an appalling tragedy and no Israeli, no Jew, no person of goodwill anywhere could possibly by unmoved by the devastation. We offer our thoughts and prayers to the bereaved and to the emergency services personnel who are risking their lives to contain the blaze.”?
Mr Singer has written personally to Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch and the Chief of Police expressing World ORT’s solidarity and reiterating the organisation’s desire to help if needed.
“We stand ready to do whatever we can to help the region recover from this disaster,”? he said.
At least 40 people have reportedly died in the fires, which has consumed thousands of acres around Mount Carmel. Some 13,000 people have reportedly been evacuated. Through Kadima Mada, its operational arm in Israel, World ORT has been investing millions of dollars in the modernization of educational technology and upgrading of teachers’ skills at scores of schools throughout the country. Among them is the Shifman High School in Tirat HaCarmel, which is close to the forest fires.
However, children have been evacuated from Tirat HaCarmel’s psychiatric hospital, which uses the distance learning service provided by Kadima Mada-Kav Or. The children will be able to continue using some of the service’s features through the Kadima Mada-Kav Or website.