Rank and File

In the upcoming academic year, young men and women from North America will have the chance to study for free at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, the non-denominational coed yeshiva announced this week. Intended to counterbalance the impact of the current economic crisis, the offer is open to students who qualify for a MASA grant, offered by the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency for Israel. Those who do not qualify for the grant will receive at tuition reduction of 40 percent, Pardes added, and can get additional funding. "We are living in unprecedented times and it is our responsibility to respond to the difficult financial situation which many young people face," said Rabbi Daniel Landes, the L.A.-born director of Pardes. "Not only have we significantly cut our tuition, but we are also launching new career development programs. We have taken these steps as a vote of hope and confidence in what the next generation can accomplish, even in the current economic climate." (Raphael Ahren) S BRICK BY BRICK: One year after donating toy sets to Palestinian children, the Danish building-brick giant Lego will give out sets to Israeli kids in Sderot. The firm, after it was contacted by Danish-born Werner Bachmann, a former member of Women's International Zionist Organization Denmark and current member of Friends of WIZO in Israel, sent to Israel 1,000 box sets from the factory in Billund, in the west of the country. Denmark's ambassador to Israel, Lisselotte Plesner, who will travel down south to help hand out the sets next week at WIZO's Sderot shelter, told Anglo File that the intention was to hand the toys out earlier, but was postponed because of Israel's operation in Gaza. The embassy, she said, helped Lego store the two container-loads from Billund until things calmed down. "I remember playing with Lego blocks myself as a child," Plesner said. "To me it means creativity - an element something which Israeli and Danish societies both share and depend on." (Cnaan Liphshiz) S A RAY OF HIGH-TECH HOPE: As the global economic crisis has deepened, so has the local high-tech industry felt increasing pressure. In the last weeks and months, hundreds of workers were fired, many dozens of them Anglos. Now the Third Annual Techshoret Technical Writers Conference, which will take place on February 26 in Jerusalem, is supposed to provide a glimpse of hope for at least one segment of the suffering industry. About 200 technical writers are expected to attend the event to network and to learn about new trends in the field. "One provocative session on Torah and technology is sure to challenge and inspire attendees," the organizers promise, "while a session on mind-mapping is likely to offer new perspectives on information organization." Registration to the conference is still open. For more details contact Paula Stern at (02) 571-6668. (Raphael Ahren) S AMERICAN JEWISH LEADERS: About 100 delegates of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations were in Israel this week for the group's annual leadership mission. During their four-day stay, they traveled to Be'er Sheva and were addressed by Israel's highest dignitaries, including President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu and many others. Philadelphia-born Malcolm Hoenlein, the vice-chairman will give an English-language talk on the impact of the recent Israeli elections at the Jerusalem Great Synagogue this Saturday night. (Raphael Ahren) Have an idea about an item for Rank and File? E-mail us at column@haaretz.co.il.