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Page 16 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 5, 1986 Arnold Goldman finds a place in the sun by Simon Griver World Zionist Press Service Arnold Goldman generates energy in more ways than one. He is the president and co-founder of Luz International Limited, the Jerusalem-based enterprise that has signed power-purchase agree ments with the Southern Cali fornia Edison Company for the installation of 19 large solar electric generating systems. When they are fully operational, these facilities will produce electricity tor 270,000 homes. Goldman. 43, is a man of de ceptive appearances. His soft- spoken. reserved and almost bashful manner make him differ ent than the usual type of aggres sive personality one associates with an entrepreneur whose com pany has annual sales of over SI00 million. Goldman's friends, colleagues and employees unanimously hail him as a genius. He was born in Rhode Island and graduated in engineering from the University of California. In the early 1970s he founded a company called Lexitron, which developed and marketed the first word proces sor, long before IBM developed theirs. Despite the lure of more fame and fortune, Goldman, his wife Karen and their three children packed their bags in 1977 and immigrated to Israel. "1 had been writing a book for 18 years,” recalls Goldman. “When we fin ished marketing the first genera tion word processor, my com pany asked me to make a four- year commitment for the next project, but I declined. 1 wanted to finish my book and Israel seemed the natural place to do it." The hook is a philosophical treatise tracing the connection between Jewish history and thought, mathematics and the ethical and social goals of indus trial production. While it never became a bestseller, several hun dred copies were printed and Goldman distributes them to friends who show an interest in the topic. In the book’s conclu sion, Goldman outlined several 111 """"" HERE IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA IT’S GOLF FOR ALL SEASONS V The ideal resort for a relaxed golf and tennis holiday, a family vacation, honeymoon or weekend of fun. Acres of lush fairways, flowers and woods. Waterfront - boating, fishing. Heated swimming pool. Evening entertainment, dancing. Health club. Come for any reason - any season. SPECIAL GOLF PACKAGE Nov. 1, 1986 to March 1,1987 enr Per person Pernignt Double occupancy PRICE INCLUDES: • One round of golf (Don Ross designed golf course) • Continental breakfast • Luxurious room Phone 912-897-1612 Sheraton Savannah Resort p) K Country Club 612 Wilmington Island Road Savannah, Georgia 31410 Temple Sinai PRE-SCHOOL will be y S : accepting new students for january 6, 1987 Must Register by Dec. 16, 1986 Ages - 18 mos. thru 3 yrs. Tues.-Thurs.-Fri. 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CALL THESE NUMBERS FOR MORE INFORMATION 252-3073; 396-5046; 422-0113 Registration for Feb. 1987 will begin in jan. 1987 Ages - 18 mos. thru 4 yrs. 1, 2, 3 or 5 days per week Temple Sinai Pre-school 5646 Dupree Drive at Arnold Goldman stands in front of a solar collector made by his company ideas which could make Israel wealthy. One of them is solar energy. After Arnold completed the book, the Goldmans decided to stay in Israel. “We found Israel to be a rewarding experience," says Goldman. “Despite the lan guage and cultural differences, we felt a connection to the com munity and the country. In Los Angeles we had essentially been anonymous, especially as Jews.” In 1979, Goldman started to put his theories into practice by establishing Luz together with Patrick Francois, an immigrant from France. The company is named after Luz, the place, ac cording to Genesis, w here Jacob dreamed of a ladder ascending to heaven. The combination of Goldman’s scientific wizardry and Francois' financial skills have made Luz the success it is today. The technology involves a ser ies of special mirrors w hich focus sunlight on a central pipe through which fluid is fed. The heat of this liquid, an oil-like heat transfer medium, is used to boil water. This creates steam, which drives power-generating turbines. The commercial know-how, which is equally important, in volves third party financing. Luz sells each solar electricity gener ating power plant to a group of private investors who then con tract with l.uz to manage it. These investors include First In terstate Bank of California and Great Western Savings. Goldman concedes that L.uz has succeeded despite rather than with the help of the Israeli gov ernment, but says, “People who say they cannot make it in busi ness in Israel because of the government are searching for ex cuses. The government doesn't help as much as it could, hut if you don’t ask for anything the bureaucrats won't interfere." Goldman bears no grudge against the Israeli government for not investing in a Luz project until seeing the technology succeed in California. The M inistry of Ener gy and the Israel Electric Corpo ration arc now negotiating with IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN TO FOLLOW IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS BE VERY CAREFUL WHERE YOU PLACE THEIR FEET. At The Hebrew Academy of Atlanta they’ll get started on the right foot! EXCELLENCE.. .TRADITION.. .CREATIVITY OPEN HOUSE Wednesday, December 3 10:00 A.M. -11:30 A.M. Wednesday, December 10 7:30 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. Meet Hebrew Academy Faculty and Parents At the home of Victor and Saba Silverman 185 Zeblin Drive, Northeast 257-0470 — 634-7388 JOIN US AND LEARN WHAT THE HEBREW ACADEMY CAN OFFER YOUR CHILDREN The Hebrew Academy of Atlanta Recognized by the U S Department of Education's Elementary School Recognition Program Luz for a power-purchase agree ment, for a 25mw system in the Negev. Many of L.uz’s investors are American Jews, but Goldman insists that they commit their money on the basis of good busi ness sense, not sentiment. He does, however, admit that during the difficult formative years, those investors had more patience than non-Jewish businessmen might have had. The only personal cloud in 1 uz’s success, for Goldman, is the fact that he must spend large amounts of time abroad, away from his family. “But in general, Israel has enabled me to spend more time with my family.” he says. “It has changed our lifestyle. We are now observant Jews, keeping Shabbat and kashrut. We have had two more children, something we would not have done if we had stayed in the States. I have become more of a conversationalist. In America, few people were interested in my ideas about Jewish philosophy. Now I have a circle of friends who share my interests.” Goldman recalls that when his family decided to move to Israel, his friends thought he was crazy and many members of his family were hostile. His business success has helped change these attitudes. l.uz’s 340 employees recently moved into a new headquarters building in Jerusalem. The com pany's great success clearly dis proves the old adage w hich says that to make a small fortune in Israel you have to start with a large one. ^$/ao*ris METRO WIDE DELIVERY MAJOR CREDIT CARDS BY PHONE r /V-) ALWAYS I howms 255-7127 5975 Roswell Rd Hammond Festival Center 565-2217 1401 Johnson Feiry Rd Merchants Festival Center