Côte Saint-Luc mayor and councillors launch fund in support of residents of its twin city, Ashkelon, Israel

Côte Saint-Luc, January 20, 2009 –Côte Saint-Luc Mayor Anthony Housefather and members of the city council last evening presented cheques totalling more than $1,100 to the Chief Financial Officer of Federation CJA, Susan Szalpeter in support of the people of Ashkelon, Israel, which is a twin city of Côte Saint-Luc.

“Our goal is to buy computers for the kids of Ashkelon who have been living in bomb shelters for the past three weeks,” Mayor Housefather said. “We also call on our residents to match our contribution or to make any contribution in support of our twin city.”

Residents can send cheques directly to Federation CJA made to the order of “Federation CJA Ashkelon-CSL Fund.”

Ashkelon is a sea-side city of 109,000 residents. As early as July 2006, rockets were fired by Hamas from the Gaza Strip which landed in Ashkelon. Seven residents of Ashkelon were injured on March 1, 2008. There was also property damage. Today, longer-range Hamas rockets are able to reliably hit the city.

“People in our twin-city have been under attack by indiscriminate rocket fire since 2006,” said Councillor Dida Berku, who traveled last year to Ashkelon and saw firsthand the physical and psychological damage caused by rocket fire into Israeli cities during the past eight years. “We need to act to help the people of Ashkelon get through this long crisis.”

Representatives from each city has visited its twin city for more than 30 years. Côte Saint-Luc councillors Dida Berku, Mitchell Brownstein, Glenn J. Nashen and Mike Cohen have all paid official visits to Ashkelon. On June 28, 1988, the Ashkelon Garden was inaugurated behind the Côte Saint-Luc city hall/library complex in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the independence of Israel.

“The people of southern Israel have been hit by 5,000 rockets and mortars since August 2005,” said Councillor Glenn J. Nashen, the former chair of the twin city committee. “We want to convey our unfettered support for the people of Ashkelon and our hope for peace in the Middle East.”

“Schools and students have been affected by the rocket fire over the past year and it has disrupted classes,” said Steven Erdelyi, the councillor responsible for twin-city relations. “The funds collected can be used to buy computers for children who are not able to go to school during the current crisis and in the future.”

Councillor Brownstein met with the deputy mayor of Ashkelon and a group of 10 city representatives in September 2008.

"We discussed the possibility of creating a Côte Saint-Luc park in Ashkelon and other joint projects," Councillor Brownstein said.

For more information: Darryl Levine, Director of Public Affairs and Communications, 514-485-8905, dlevine@cotesaintluc.org