Background

IsraelInk was approached by an Israeli kibbutz-affiliated enterprise with the following problem.  Their business is stalled due to a lack of supply of used inkjet cartridges.

To respond to this demand, IsraelInk runs an inkjet cartridge recycling program in North America.  In Canada, programs in the Montreal/Ottawa/Toronto area started in January, 2003.  In the U.S.A., programs have started later in 2003.  There is environmental and economic benefit to your synagogue or Hebrew school for all inkjet cartridges collected, at no expense and almost no effort.

Howard was active in the Jewish community as a youth.  Following his formal supplemental school education in St. Catharines, Ontario, he was involved in United Synagogue Youth (USY) and became chapter president and Eastern Regional chair from 1969-70.

The story of Israel Ink begins in August 1982 when Howard flew to Israel as a volunteer on the ÏVolunteers for IsraelÓ program during the war in Lebanon.  Help was needed on the Kibbutzim and Moshavim to bring in the crops.  He ended up on Kibbutz Afik on the southern Golan Heights overlooking Lake Kinneret, where he stayed for two months working in the kitchen and met many members.  While on the Kibbutz, Julia, another volunteer from Volunteers for Israel, arrived at Afik.  Howard and Julia returned to Canada together and were married less than a year later.

Over the next twenty years Howard and Julia remained close friends with Kosy and `Flash' Miller on Kibbutz Afik.  In 1988 Howard and Julia went back to Israel to live on a Kibbutz with their two little children, Aaron and Daniela.  They returned to the U.S. a year later (Julia is American) and Howard having earned his MBA, became a computer systems consultant, and their youngest child, Maya, came along.  For the next 12 years they moved from place to place, including three years in Ottawa, following major systems projects every couple of years.  In 1998, they returned to Israel to help design a major billing system for Bezeq (the Israeli telephone company).  They were able to spend a lot of time on Afik during that year with the Millers.  By this time Kosy and Flash's older two daughters had married and were living in Haifa and their youngest daughter was in high school.  With cancellation of that project, they returned to Canada and eventually returning to Ottawa.

In Ottawa, the Herzogs and Tarofs reunited as close friends.  In the fall of 2002 Flash told him about the problem that had beset the Kibbutz factory.

Larry's Story

Larry had both Reform and Conservative Jewish education in New Jersey, in supplemental programs.  His family moved to Canada when he was a teenager.  As an adult professional, Larry became a scientist and engineer, acquiring a Ph.D. and publishing 35 technical papers on optoelectronics while at Nortel, and later co-founding a high tech startup called Optovation.  When he was CEO he raised $23 million U.S. in venture capital.  Now that the technology bubble has burst, he is no longer with the company but still maintains ties within the high tech community.  In the early 90's, when it was time for Larry's and Cathy's children to go to supplemental Hebrew school, Larry was appalled at how little was being taught relative to his own education.  Due to being on the Education and Ritual committees at Temple Israel in Ottawa, he was quickly recruited to teach the music program and run the Bar/Bat Mitzvah class, all of which while juggling his high-tech career.  He was the initial leader for the corps of lay cantors at Temple Israel, which has been successfully running from 1996-present. He still tutors for Bar/Bat Mitzvah, does cantorial solo work, chants Torah, accompanies at Temple Israel directs the choir at Agudath Israel and composes, among other genres, Jewish sacred music. His family is quite active, too: his wife Cathy served time as Chair of the Education committee and was on the Temple Israel board from 2001-2003.  They are both proud that their son, Daniel, now graduated from high school, still chants Torah, and that their daughter, Jenny, confirmed 2003, teaches kindergarten at the Temple Israel Religious School. Both children were active Northeastern Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) members.

Between active synagogue involvement and the friendships that also developed between the Herzog and Tarof children (Daniel and Aaron were in the same Hebrew school class, and Jenny and Daniela were in the same confirmation class, the Herzogs and Tarofs became close friends and continue to share either first or second Passover seder together.

Kibbutz Afik's story

Kibbutz Afik was founded in 1972. The kibbutz currently has about 80 members and is engaged in operating Afic Printing Products, the Afik Country Inn, apple, peach and pear orchards, vegetable and animal feed crops, milking cows, and raising chickens.  The kibbutz is also a partner operating the Hamat Geder hot springs.  A business reality of our generation is that kibbutzim are having an increasingly difficult time making financial ends meet on the agricultural operations alone, and must look towards products or services which relate to modern economy.

In 1982, Afik started Afic Printing Products Ltd. to produce printer ribbons for computer printers. In 1992 they began to remanufacture used inkjet cartridges for resale in the local market.  Today Afic collects empty cartridges throughout Israel in schools and businesses. Attempts have been made to collect empty cartridges outside of Israel (namely in Cyprus), but these efforts have not been successful.  Afic now produces top quality, remanufactured inkjet and laser cartridges.  Any substandard cartridges that fall out of the process are sent for plastic recycling to insure minimal environmental impact.  Afic has sold the refilled cartridges in Israel and Europe. The business has experienced steady growth but the unavailability of empty cartridges (the raw material of the process) has prevented Afic from meeting existing demand.   In 2002, Afic had to discontinue sales to Europe due to insufficient production.

A program to collect empty cartridges in North America for Afic is critical for the development of this enterprise to fulfill the demand in Israel and Europe and allow new exports to North America.

...back to Israel Ink's story

When Flash told Howard about the need for inkjet cartridges at Afic, he decided to partner up with Larry and launch Israel Ink.  The idea is to get the Jewish communities in North America to save cartridges, which would otherwise be thrown out, to be remanufactured at Afic.  The collections program was launched in early 2003, initially targeting the local Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal corridor as a pilot program, and expanding to the Eastern seaboard later in 2003.  Howard and Larry appreciate how well the Israel Ink message is resonating with the Jewish community.

Making contact with all the Jewish institutions has been exciting for Howard and Larry.  Howard has renewed a number of old friendships from USY days.  Larry has renewed friendships as well, and particularly enjoys learning first hand how other synagogues operate (board, education, and especially music and trop).  We look forward to more ongoing contact.  If you have specific experiences or issues with Jewish education, music and trop, please share when we meet you in person or by e-mail at recycle@israel-ink.com.