Israel is a basket case right now. But global Israeli companies are less affected by domestic problems.

I've always been supportive of the right of Israel as a state, and I've always fought against anti-Semitism, even in my own community.

We live here in a jungle. I love the country of Israel. I know they have their own problems, but they need to pay attention to us.

We have only had small problems. A few teachers have had problems with their new phone numbers...things like that. The teachers and students have both said how much they like it here. We wouldn't have been able to open this building without a great effort from the managerial and custodial staff. They have done a wonderful job and I want to thank them for that. It has been a good process.

Things like the mayor's trips to Israel and Europe are very important for industrial cities in the Midwest to compete with those in other parts of the country with better weather or lower labor costs.

The biggest challenge right now is funding. Israel doesn't fund the team until we qualify for the Olympics, so we'll have to raise funds along the way.