Page 10-B The Jewish Floridian of Tampa/Friday, September 18, 1987
 
Computer Kids Of The Negev *"Q^Vj ^Jj^KS
s
The sleepy, remote develop-
ment town of Yeruham in the
Negev is not usually associated
with technological innovation
and scientific knowhow. But if
local resident, Dr. Miriam
Cohen, senior lecturer in the
Department of Mathematics
and Computer Sciences at Ben
Gurion University of the
Negev in Beer-Sheeva, has her
way, unemployment-plagued
Yeruham may become 'com-
puter town.' Her pet project, a
computer summer-camp for
eight-to-fourteen year olds,
was held this year for the fifth
time. It grew out of an after-
school computer club she
started, utilizing computers
purchased for the local school
system by the Jewish Agency's
Project Renewal. The two-
week camp is open to
youngsters from other parts of
Israel who stay with local
families, and the Yeruham
campers take pride in playing
host and in proving that their
town has something valuable
to offer.
The chief instructor at the
camp, U.S.-born Chaim
Goldberg, who is working for a
masters degree in industrial
engineering at Ben-Gurion
University, arrived in
Yeruham two years ago with a
BS from Yale. Like many
other members of the faculty
and student body of the
univesity, he was eager to
become involved in community
action in the Negev. He has set
up a small firm for producing
computer aids (with a partner)
and also teaches at the local
high school. In his classroom, a
group of enthusiastic boys and
girls sit around a small robot,
of a type commonly used on
sophisticated industrial pro-
duction lines. They have pro-
grammed it to pick up a salt
shaker, sprinkle salt, pick up a
cloth and wipe the table.
The other instructor, Meir
Elmishali, a graduate of
BGU's Mathematics Depart-
ment, was born in the Negev
development town of Dimona
and teaches mathematics at its
high school. The eight-year-
olds in his group, most from
disadvantaged backgrounds,
are busily programming the
computer to draw amusing
shapes. Meir takes pride in the
fact that in computer studies,
at least, these children are
starting out on an equal
footing with more privileged
youngsters.
Dr. Miriam Cohen sees the
computer industry as an ideal
project for Yeruham, since it
does not require a complicated
infrastructure nor
geographical proximity to the
center of the country. Miriam,
who was named 'Beautiful
Israeli of the Year' by a
leading Israeli women's
magazine for her community
work in Yeruham, is planning
ahead to a 'software center'
able to supply services to
clients all over the country.
Yeruham will provide the
talent and BGU's dedicated
faculty and students will show
the way.
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Computer summer camp keeps this Israeli youngster
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