JEW ISH FED ER A T IO N OF THE DESER T 69
Transcription
JEW ISH FED ER A T IO N OF THE DESER T 69
JEWISH FEDERATION OF the desert 69-710 Highway 111 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 (760) 324-4737 Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit #113 Santa Ana, CA Israel Under Seige On the cover.... JEWISH FEDERATION OF THE DESERT 69-710 Highway 111 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 (760) 324-4737 Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit #113 Santa Ana, CA Israel Under Seige jewish federation BOARD OF DIRECTORS A Message from the Editor Dear friends, Israel is under siege as we are putting this issue of the Jewish Community News to bed. The situation is changing hour by hour. As a monthly paper, we realize we cannot offer you the up-to-themoment news that the television, daily papers and the internet can bring you. What we can do, as our Jewish community’s newspaper, is give you perspective, background and, most important, what all of us can do to help. Even if, G-d willing, the fighting has stopped by the time you get your paper, Israel will need critical support to recover from the trauma of these Officers and Executive Committee Celia Norian, Chairman of the Board Sondi Green, Co-chair, Campaign Libby Hoffman, Co-chair, Campaign Vernon Kozlen, Treasurer Bernard Reiter, Secretary Howard Levy, Immediate Past President Roberta Nyman, Immediate Past President Board Joseph Bernstein William Chunowitz Elliott Cohen Nancy Ditlove Ellen Glass Phil Glass Marjorie Kulp Ron Langus Allan Lehmann Allan Nyman Dr. Paul Ross Stephanie Ross Elisa Schwartz Sandy Seplow Andrew Teitel Lainie Weil Bruce Landgarten, Chief Executive Officer Table of Contents Vol. 40 • No. 1 Calendar 12-13 Federation 2, 3, 4, 6, 17 Legacy 20 Young Adults Division 7 Jewish Family Service 11 Schools 21 Simchas & Classifieds 22, 23 Temples 12 Tolerance Education Center 11 Tributes 14-15 2 • JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org past weeks of assault. The article of Bruce Landgarten, Jewish Federation of the Desert CEO, on the facing page plus supplemental information throughout the paper, will give you the important facts and information you will want to know and have at your fingertips when you hear Israel’s actions being condemned by people you encounter in your day to day lives. Most important, his article asks us to step up and help by giving funds to the Emergency Campaign. We’ve made it easy. You can go online to a secure site (see bottom of page 3) and contribute 24/7. The reality is that only Jews help Jews and now is a time to step up. There is a second “theme” to this month’s JCN. There are five health related articles on phenomenal advances by Israeli scientists in the areas of Alzheimer’s, breast cancer, cervical cancer, blindness and radiation therapy. We felt it was important to counterbalance the stories about Israel Under Fire with a reminder of Israel’s contributions to the world. These projects will fascinate and amaze you. Miriam H. Bent, Editor of a ceasefire continue es op H l. ae Isr at s, ed nd Dear Fire lt, s have been fir Israel remains difficu ore than 2,200 rocket in m n s, tio es ua pr sit to e go th e w As s 000A m the er the attacks. rockets and terror fro lis continue to weath ly ae ad Isr de So of . s ed ar sh ye da to to be lp the put an end ttles with Hamas to emergency funds to he ba ise y ra m to ar li ng ae ui in Isr nt e th co and g so as Federation is , please consider doin ed aza Strip, our Jewish ut G d rib lle nt tro co t on no -c ve as ha am H ues. If you li soldiers r time of need contin n under fire and Israe ei ai th m as re l ae ns Isr lia vi of ci le , w op no pe time is itical time. e needs are real, the contribution at this cr a e ak m se ea pl d quickly as possible. Th an of rest and recreation yone to step forward ds er rio ev pe to r al fo s pe ea ap ar e ed W t are dying. ave the affect d support for the mos children and teens le an li es ae ic Isr rv lp se he al to ci so ed e us g g to ed to enhanc Money raised is bein Funding also is goin nds also are being us s. fu nt e ra Th ig . m try im un w co ne e d th apped an sing in other, safer parts of as the elderly, handic services for an increa a ch su um n, tra tio nd la pa pu ex po to e Local attacks and vulnerable parts of th rdest by the conflict. damaged by rocket ha t en hi be es s iti ha un ty m er m op co pr tance” for 13 assistance assist those whose eted for “flexible assis tacks. Targeted local rg at ta to so s al se is on ey sp re on d M . an services es. number of Israelis managing community individual communiti of of e nt nc fro ie re sil fo re e e th th at g e in s, enhanc out to hit an municipalities ar rnment aid and need cket from Gaza is ab ve ro a go e n ee tim y tw er be ev p ga en e sir helps bridge th d Alert has interrupted ert,” which sounds a Re Al s, ed et “R ck d ro lle of ca ds p re ap fired hund There is a free iPhone lis have had to run to has indiscriminately ae as Isr am of H ns as io ys ill da M . w ily fe m last t 15 with my fa Israeli city. Over the They have only abou e shower, at work or . th ng di in , ed ep w r le as he at am e I id le rten to a br me constantly—whi playing in a kinderga n re ild ch m fro r, te el labeled the nearest bomb sh if I had to. If Hamas, do to t ha w ow ty. kn fe t tell you ly, I wouldn’ seconds to reach sa Mirage I couldn’t even ove an inch and, frank ho m nc to d Ra ha in r s ve et ck ne I ro , launching Unlike them tandable and e US and the EU, was king then are unders th ta is th t bo en m by rn n ve tio go za li ni a terrorist orga The steps the Israe . population centers. u? .S U yo d le ul ab er Co ln is. r vu te on el mb sh d were falling where our nearest bo conflict is a negotiate vernment if missiles e go bl r rri ou te m is th fro e ss lv le so re no to pect e only way aceAmericans would ex to empower those pe nt to remember that th er rta th po ge im to so k al or is w l it al e t e. We mus At this challenging tim ssity. stinians to live in peac le Pa d an lis e Red Alert a sad nece ae ak Isr m th at bo th s w as lo al am H at to you e th lik solution ow have not, I appeal condemning groups kn u le hi yo w le , op es pe sid or th t, bo u have no seeking parties on grateful to you. If yo am I , ed ut rib in Israel to give now. nt ily co m y fa ad d re an al ds ve en ha fri u r yo If ncerns for ou you know who has co ne yo an ay sw to d an Bruce Landgarten, r Chief Executive Office ld like to ing needs. If you wou nt ou m e es th s es dr ey will go to ad 0 percent of the mon 10 d an le tib uc ed x-d nors ta All contributions are nual campaign, and do Jim.trew@jfedps.org. An or r ou 37 to 47 4ns io 32 ut 0rib 76 Trew at d beyond cont gift stock, contact Jim being sought above an e ar l ae Isr r fo ns io ut campaign.) ntrib rticipate in the 2015 (These emergency co pa to d ke as be ill w y Fund still to the Israel Emergenc Contributing online at jfedps.org The quickest way to contribute to the “Stop the Sirens” Emergency Campaign is to go to the Jewish Federation’s secure online link at jfedps.org and click on the “DONATE” bar. Or mail your checks to the Jewish Federation of the Desert, 69-710 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 3 Jewish Federation Annual Meeting May 8, 2014 The Jewish Federation of the Desert Annual Meeting, held at the Federation offices, was a celebration of the achievements of the prior year and a presentation by Chief Executive Officer Bruce Landgarten on challenges for the future. The board continues to be headed by Celia Norian for the third year. The other officers are also continuing in their positions from last year. Leaving the board after nine years of service is Fran Kaufman, who had served as Board Secretary and Women’s Philanthropy President during those years. New members to the board include Bill Chunowitz, Ron Langus and Andrew Teitel. Attending this year’s Annual Meeting were five prior Federation Presidents, Jim Greenbaum, Barbara Platt, Allan Nyman, Vernon Kozlen and Roberta Nyman. State Assemblyman Manuel Perez presented Bruce Landgarten with a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the Jewish Federation. JEWISH COMMUNITY NEWS A Publication of the Jewish Federation of the Desert VOL. 40, No. 1 Celia Norian, Board Chair Allan Nyman, Roberta Nyman and Barbara Platt Above: Bruce Landgarten with proclamation Left:Assemblyman Manuel Perez and Bruce Landgarten EDITORIAL Bruce Landgarten, Chief Executive Officer Miriam H. Bent, Editor Bailey & Co., Layout & Design JCN STATEMENT The Jewish Community News seeks to provide news and feature material of special interest to its readership, and to create a heightened sense of Jewish identity through the dissemination of information about people, events and issues at home and abroad. The JCN seeks to serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions in the Jewish community. The JCN is published monthly, ten months a year by the Jewish Federation of the Desert, 69-710 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, 760-324-4737, fax 760-324-3154. Bill Chunowitz Andrew Teitel Ron Langus Jim Greenbaum Fran Kaufman Vernon Kozlen Articles & Advertising, Miriam H. Bent, Editor 760-323-0255, fax 760-320-6085, e-mail-mhbentjcn@earthlink.net ADVERTISING The JCN does not endorse the goods or services advertised in its pages and makes no representation as to the kashrut of food products and services in such advertising. The publisher shall not be liable for damages if, for any reason whatsoever, it fails to publish an advertisement or for any error in an advertisement. Acceptance of advertisers and of advertising copy is subject to the publisher’s approval. The JCN is not responsible if ads violate applicable laws and the advertiser will indemnify, hold harmless and defend the JCN from all claims made by government agencies and consumers for any reason based on ads carried in the JCN. 4 • JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org Forget PINs and Passwords, NICE brings Voice Authentication to the Call Center The Israeli technology helps organizations to easily and securely authenticate callers to reduce handle time, improve customer experience and reduce fraud. By Viva Sara Press, Israel 21C Forget your mother’s maiden name or the name of your first pet, Israel’s NICE System has raised the curtain on a new technology that will make contacting a call center easier and safer. The NICE Real-Time Authentication solution can validate customers as they conduct a conversation with an agent, using their voice as a unique identifier, all without PINs, passwords, or key phrases to remember. “Customers today are tired of having to jump through hoops when contacting their service providers,” said Dan Miller, Senior Analyst at Opus Research. “Multi-layered, knowledge-based authentication processes have become increasingly complex, leading to many legitimate customers failing authentication on their own accounts.” NICE Real-Time Authentication is already being used by several large financial institutions across the globe. The new solution authenticates legitimate customers and can identify known fraudsters. NICE’s patent-pending Seamless Passive Enrollment process uses a customer’s previous call recordings to create a voice print that then automatically confirms the caller’s identity. “Most voice-based projects have failed because they put a burden on the customer to set up their voiceenabled profiles in advance – an additional time-consuming task,” said Yochai Rozenblat, President of the NICE Enterprise Group. “With NICE’s Seamless Passive Enrollment, if a customer has called before, they can be automatically authenticated using their voice the very next time they call.” According to analyst firm Contact Babel, most call centers currently take up to 60 seconds to verify the identity of a customer. The NICE solution automatically authenticates the caller in less than 15 seconds. “A 45-second reduction in call handle time can mean millions of dollars in annual savings for a large call center,” said Rozenblat. NICE solutions are used by over 25,000 organizations in more than 150 countries, including over 80 of the Fortune 100 companies. JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 5 Log on to www.jfedps.org Sharing Their Simcha with a Mitzvah Dr. Stewart Fleishman and Dr. Bruce Radler were married on January 19th, and while every wedding is special, what Stewart and Bruce asked of their guests was a generous and thoughtful mitzvah. Their invitation asked that in lieu of personal gifts, contributions be made to the Tzedakah Fund of the Jewish Federation. Stewart and Bruce are two of the four steering committee members the Jewish Federation’s new LGBT Alliance, committing their time and energies to our Jewish community. Mazel tov and todah rabbah … congratulations and thank you to two very special people! Yom Ha’Atzmaut Celebration Several hundred desert residents celebrated Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s 66th birthday, at a concert on May 4, 2014, hosted by the Jewish Federation, featuring Gilat Rapaport and her In-Joy Orchestra. 6 • JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org Israeli Discovery Could Reverse Alzheimer’s Damage By David Shamah, The Times of Israel Research by a Tel Aviv University team may point the way to protecting cells from the damage wrought by Alzheimer’s disease, and even reverse damage that the disease caused before treatment. The method involves a protein similar to one which protects the brain from damage, but which is lacking in Alzheimer’s patients. What causes Alzheimer’s is still a mystery, but the direct physical conditions leading to the dementia associated with the disease are very clear to scientists. Plaque accumulations and tangles in neurons kill brain cells in Alzheimer’s sufferers, leading to the degeneration of cognitive function and the loss of memory associated with the disease. One of the most important objectives of Alzheimer’s research has been to figure out ways to protect brain cells from these senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. In a study published in the May edition of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Tel Aviv University Prof. Illana Gozes describes how NAP, a snippet of a protein essential for brain formation, has been proven in previous studies to protect cognitive functioning. Loss of NAP exposes cells to physical damage that eventually destroys them, but applying proteins with NAP-like properties makes them healthy again. It’s just such a protein that Gozes and her team have discovered. The research, she said, could eventually lead to development of drugs to treat Alzheimer’s. Gozes holds the Lily and Avraham Gildor Chair for the Investigation of Growth Factors and is director of the Adams Super Center for Brain Studies at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine and a member of Tel Aviv University’s Sagol School of Neuroscience. “Several years ago we discovered that NAP showed Prof. Illana Gozes efficacy in Phase 2 clinical trials in mild cognitive impairment patients, a precursor to Alzheimer’s,” she said. “Now, we’re investigating whether there are other novel NAPlike sequences in other proteins.” NAP, also known as davunetide, is an eight-amino acid peptide that has been shown to provide potent neuroprotection in several human trials. NAP is derived from activitydependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP), a molecule that is essential for brain formation. “NAP operates through the stabilization of microtubules – tubes within the cell which maintain cellular shape. They serve as ‘train tracks’ for movement of biological material,”saidGozes.“InAlzheimer’s disease, these microtubules break down. The newly discovered protein fragments, just like NAP before them, work to protect microtubules, thereby protecting the cell.” In the study, Gozes and her team examined the tubulin (a subunit of the microtubule) and the proteinTAU (tubulin-associated unit), important for assembly and maintenance of the microtubule. Abnormal TAU proteins form the tangles that contribute to Alzheimer’s. The larger the tangles, the more cognitive function is damaged. In tests on mice suffering from dementia-like characteristics which found the abnormal TAU proteins, a tubulin fragment with NAP-like sequences was applied to cells with very promising results, Gozes said. As NAP “evaporated,” the brain cells were less protected and deteriorated. The tubulin treatment reversed the damage. “We looked at the mouse ‘dementia’afflicted brain and saw there was a reduction in the NAP parent protein, but upon treatment with the tubulin fragment, the protein was restored to normal levels,” she said. In addition, the treatment restored the size of mice brains, which had shrunk due to the disease. Further tests are set to be conducted on more animal cohorts. Eventually, an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases could come of this research, Gozes believes. “We clearly see here the protective effect of the treatment,” she said. “We witnessed the restorative and protective effects of totally new protein fragments, derived from proteins critical to cell function, in tissue cultures and on animal models.” Further work is needed, she said, but the team’s research could one day turn into a treatment to alleviate, or even reverse, Alzheimer’s disease. JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 7 Mobile Phones to Detect Cervical Cancer MobileOCT: The Incredible Social Startup That Uses In Third-World Women By Michael Lefkoe, NoCamels In 95 percent of cases, cervical cancer is an entirely treatable disease and can be treated for $28 in less than 40 minutes. Yet, due to lack of access to physicians and reliable medical equipment, hundreds of thousands of women in low-resource settings are dying unnecessarily every year simply because they are not getting diagnosed in time. However, one Israeli startup seems to be well on its way to changing that. Meet MobileOCT— a social startup which is using mobile phones to accurately detect cancer in people who live in the developing world. Five billion people have a phone, but no access to medical care Recently featured on ‘Forbes’ list of 25 Hot Israeli Tech Startups To Watch, MobileOCT is trying to address the fact that while five billion people around the world have access to mobile phones, many of them do not have access to a physician. The company’s first project is to take on cervical cancer, the number one cause of cancer deaths for women in low-resource countries. To do so, they are producing a mobile colposcope that can be used with any mobile phone, anywhere in the world. “Technologically we’ve gotten to a place where we have very advanced sensors in everyday objects. And what MobileOCT is seeking to do is to help save lives with those sensors,” explained Ariel Beery, MobileOCT‘s CEO and Co-Founder. Typical colposcopes used by Western physicians cost between $5,000 and $14,000, a price range that is undoubtedly out of reach for the 3.2 billion people who live on less than $3 of income per day. Clinically tested mobile colposcopies of comparable imaging quality produced by MobileOCT, on the other hand, will likely sell at the $400 price point, according to Beery. But diminishing the cost is only one of the ways that MobileOCT is impacting the future of cancer screening. In the developed world, women between the ages of 21 and 65 are regularly screened for cervical cancer using what is known as the Pap test, and if any sort of abnormalities are found, the Pap test may be followed by a colposcopy (a medical diagnostic procedure to examine an illuminated, magnified view of the cervix) as well as a biopsy to determine whether or not she has cervical cancer. However, in low-resource settings these expensive diagnostic procedures are nowhere to be found. “The problem is that for over two billion women around the world the only way they’re able to diagnose cervical cancer is with the naked eye,” Beery explained, which has very low accuracy, only 17 percent.” Representing Buyers and Sellers throughout the desert for more than 27 years When you think of real estate, "Just Ring a Bell" 760.902.9206 rng.bell@aol.com/www.beverlybell.com 8 • JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org Mobile Colposcope Despite this dismal success rate, naked eye inspection continues to be used widely in the developing world because it is the only affordable option. In addition, “Five out of six women who are diagnosed positive are misdiagnosed.” Once fully developed, the devices will be sold to community health workers in developing countries currently screening for cervical cancer using VIA. All they need to do is attach the device to their mobile phone, follow the instructions given in MobileOCT’s app, and upload the captured data and images to a secured server. That information is then made available to a screening physician who can provide close and continued instruction to the clinician as well as create a patient file to track progress. Building an affordable, high-quality colposcopy for the mobile phone The “brains” behind the operation, co-founder Dr. David Levitz, PhD, is the CTO of MobileOCT and deserves much of the credit for the device’s early research and development. While at Tel Aviv University for his postdoctoral fellowship, Levitz sought to develop a multimodal imaging probe that combines infrared thermography and optical coherence tomography (OCT), hence where MobileOCT got its name. The first version of the mobile colposcopy, which MobileOCT claims will be ready to sell in the coming months, would nearly triple the accuracy of cervical cancer detection from 17 percent (with VIA) to 45 percent. However, as Beery points out, “a woman in the developed world goes back for a biopsy (the removal of tissue to determine the presence or extent of the cancer), and that enables a gynecologist to know whether or not to operate, but a woman in the developing world does not have that opportunity.” Since biopsies are too expensive for most women in low-resource settings, MobileOCT has plans to offer another more sophisticated mobile colposcope in the future that is multimodal, meaning that the device would have several imaging modalities for looking at tissue. Thus, in addition to the Bright-Field Imaging used in all colposcopes, MobileOCT intends to add two additional layers of imaging modalities: Potential Difference Imaging and Spectral Imaging. This more advanced version of the device would further increase diagnostic accuracy to 70 percent, and will be available in the next couple of years pending the successful completion of multiple clinical trials. MobileOCT currently has five pilot programs in five countries to examine the usability of the device. As of May, they have partnerships with several leading global health organizations such as Partners in Health, UPenn’s Botswana Group, Scripps Medical Center, and the Montefiore Medical Center. In January, the device was validated by Dr. Bruce Kahn at Scripps, and was shown to provide magnification and resolution of skin tissue that is comparable to typical colposcopes. Holocaust Contest Essay Winner Moves Audience at Yom HaShoah Observance Almost 500 people attended the community observance of Yom HaShoah on April 27, 2014 at the Galen Auditorium, Annenberg Center a t E i s e n h ow e r Medical Center, presented by the Jewish Federation of the Desert and chaired by Ellen Glass. Community leaders and survivors participated in the candle lighting ceremony remembering all who were lost and all who helped to save those who survived. Keynote speaker was Claire Goldstein Simmons, a nationally noted Jewish educator, who is driven by a passion to empower the next Claire Goldstein Simmons generation of Jews to embrace their history and commit to Jewish survival, a message she shared that afternoon. In conjunction with the annual Yom HaShoah Observance, our community holds an essay and art contest for local middle schools and high schools, coordinated by our Tolerance Education Center. The Jewish Federation awarded cash prizes to the first, second and third place winners in the high school and middle school divisions. This year’s topic was “Discuss some of the American responses during the Holocaust and how do they compare to what is happening in the world today.” The most moving moments of the afternoon came when Vashti Adams, a senior at Desert Hot Springs High School, read her winning essay, reproduced below. Holocaust Season By Vashti Adams There comes a time every year when old, tearing boxes of The Diary of Anne Frank are hauled out, dusted off, and dutifully read; when black and white copies of Schindler’s List are rented from libraries and screened for rooms full of weepy students; when field trips are taken and fresh crops of naive students are shocked and horrified by the Holocaust's many. There comes a time when the honor and pride of the stars and stripes are wiped away, revealing for the young students the ugly, scarred, and blemished reality hidden beneath. This time is Holocaust Season. Students, scarred by the knowledge of gas chambers, firing squads, and concentration camps, are left to wonder how an event such as this could occur. But as surely as the questions begin, they end; lessons plans move forward and the books, movies, and heart wrenching stories are tucked back into the cabinets, cupboards, and libraries to await the arrival of next year’s Holocaust Season. While the gory facts and figures of the Holocaust have been well learned, the lesson has unfortunately been lost. It has been lost because while we spend so much time on the “what” we neglect to study the “why”. More specifically, why the Holocaust was allowed to happen, why this odious reign of terror was allowed to ravage the globe without so much as a Vashti Adams yellow flag from the self-proclaimed forces of justice; why the pleas of orphaned children and the tears of childless mothers fell to deaf ears; why the screams of tortured innocents hit the solid wall of indifference. We know what happened, but to stop it from happening again, we must study the why. Open an American History book and from the pages will spring words of stunning patriotism. Dig below the surface and the true American Spirit becomes evident: a spirit of failure. No historical event can better reveal this disheartening reality than the Holocaust. The media is tasked with providing an unbiased recount of events; to alert the public of occurrences, and on this count the American media failed. Out of twenty-four thousand front page headlines, The New York Times featured the Holocaust only twenty six times. When the Holocaust did make headlines, it was only in its most watered down format. The victims were referred to as “refugees” or “persecuted minorities”. The media certainly did not stand alone in failure-the State Department and Congress played an equal role in the decision to be inactive. Despite the calls and messages from Jews aboard the St. Louis, there was no response. Immigration quotas were strictly enforced and even orphaned children were turned away. It is in these actions that The Statue of Liberty’s welcoming message proved to be nothing more than empty words. The lesson we seemed to learn from the Holocaust was not that every life has worth or how to face adversary, but how and when to cower. How to make earplugs out of rules, visas, and affidavits; how to make blinders out of media coverage; how to forge shields out of public opinion. We took these “lessons” to heart and applied them in earnest when African refugees cried out to us in Sudan, Darfur, and Rwanda. We hid behind these “lessons” as machetes hacked away at an entire population. We used these “lessons” to justify sitting idly as dogs feasted upon the rotting remains of human flesh. The stars and stripes we held in such high esteem were representative not of selfless bravery and honor, but of cowardice, of the lives we did nothing to protect. Our flag flew red for the innocent blood shed on our watch, white for our chilled indifference, and blue for the tears we did nothing to prevent. Our flag flew the colors of cowards. The real lesson we must learn from the Holocaust is to be brave. A nation is only as great as its youth are strong; not strong in might or force, but strong in spirit. Today’s youth will inevitably become tomorrow’s leaders, and as such, we must be strong enough to take a stand. America’s future does not end with this generation; the lessons of the Holocaust must be taught to new generations so that our future can be one of courage, compassion, and justice. We must challenge unjust authority and take responsibility for our own problems and failures. We must question our peers, leaders, and even ourselves. If we do not, we are doomed to be mere puppets of public opinion. We must learn and interpret the lessons of the Holocaust for ourselves so as to not be pulled by the strings of our ancestors. History will not be repeated if we learn from our mistakes. Our future is yet to be written; if we learn the lesson of the Holocaust and other atrocities, we can write into its pages “Never Again”. We can fly our flag knowing the red stripes represent the love we have for not only Americans, but for the human race, that the white represents the sanctity of a human life, and that blue is a reminder to be an anchor of morality amidst tumultuous seas of human nature. We can truly open our arms to the tired, poor, and huddled masses. We can be the America we once sought out to be. JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 9 Israelis Develop First Blood Test for Breast Cancer Israel 21c After eight years of painstaking research, Israeli life-sciences company Eventus Diagnostics (EventusDx) has produced a blood test for the early detection of breast cancer. The Octava Pink test is now available in Israel and Italy, and is undergoing clinical trials to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. This is the first blood test ever that can reveal cancer, not merely markers that might indicate cancer or something else. Its innovation also lies in its examination of antibodies in the blood to pinpoint this specific cancer. Molecular biologist Galit Yahalom, a 43 year old mother of two from Modi’in, who heads the research team at the EventusDx offices and lab, located in Moshav Ora outside of Jerusalem, explains the breakthrough. “For the last decade, we have known that there is a connection between cancer and the immune system. We know that it recognizes cancer as an external enemy that must be destroyed. It is possible that each of us has had instances of cancer we were unaware of, because our immune systems killed it when it was still very small. For whatever reason, the immune system of people with cancer is not functioning properly.” It was from this angle that Yahalom’s 15-strong team of biologists (and a Molecular biologist Galit Yahalom at EventusDx. computer expert) attempted to tackle the problem. After collecting data from hundreds of healthy women and as many diagnosed with breast cancer, Yahalom’s team looked for the proteins of the immune system responsible for detecting both. They also examined immune-system activity in women with ovarian cancer and men and women with intestinal cancer, to see the distinction from those with breast cancer. Yahalom says that comparing the panels of elements characteristic of the women with breast cancer to those of healthy women created “pictures” of each group. “Imagine that one is a picture of a flower and the other of a heart,” she says. “Yours might be a flower with four petals instead of five, and another woman’s might be a heart with a bulge, but you both fall into one of the two categories.” These categories are arrived at through a mathematical algorithm developed by EventusDx, a private company funded by American investors. The precision of the algorithm is high, with only a five percent margin of error. “And even this small amount might not actually constitute error,” says Yahalom, “but rather the possibility that someone’s immune system detected a cancer that is either no longer there — because antibodies destroyed it — or that has not erupted yet.” Since the release of Octava Pink in Israel in September 2013, Yahalom’s lab has performed 400 such blood tests. The test is already available in Israel and Italy. Another innovation is the nanotechnology developed at EventusDx, which enables testing 96 blood samples simultaneously. This process takes no more than three hours, allowing a woman’s doctor to rule out or confirm breast cancer very quickly. Speed, of course, is as important in breast-cancer detection as accuracy – not only for those whose results confirm their physicians’ suspicions or diagnoses of breast cancer, but also for those found to be cancer-free. This is because false positives and false negatives are frequent. According to Yahalom, “Only 20 to 30 of every 100 biopsies performed as a result of growths detected in mammograms reveal cancer; the rest are benign. Meanwhile, 50% of young women with breast cancer, and 30% of older women with breast cancer, are diagnosed as healthy.” The Octava Pink test has had astounding results, correctly diagnosing 95% of the healthy women and 75% of those with breast cancer. Though one in nine women will contract breast cancer at some point in their lifetime, only three in 1,000 have it at any given moment. This is why it is important for women to get regular checkups and to be provided this extra tool to assuage their fears. This particular tool costs NIS 700 (about $200), not including the fee charged by the doctor who purchases the Octava kit and sends it to Yahalom’s lab. The product’s name was chosen in reference to a metaphor used to describe the immune system: “A song sung in a low octave or a high one is still the same song,” says Yahalom. “But if one or more of the notes is off key, it is a different song. The same goes for the immune system. One person’s may work slowly and another person’s may work quickly; what we detect are the off notes.” Her team is now working to improve the test, while exploring other cancers to target in the future. For more information, see www. eventusdx.com Support the Emergency Campaign 10 • JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org Jewish Family Service of the Desert “Count on us… for life” 801 East Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 202 Palm Springs, CA 92262 73750 Catalina Way, Ste. A, Palm Desert, CA 92260 (760) 325-4088 www.jfsdesert.org We show free movies Wednesdays at 10 am and 1:30 pm. AUGUST 6 – ANNIE HALL (1977) 94 min., PG. Comedian Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) examines the rise and fall of his relationship with struggling nightclub singer Annie Hall (Diane Keaton. AUGUST 13 – IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) 105 min., NR Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert team up for laughs as mismatched lovers in this 1934 screwball comedy classic. It Happened One Night was the first movie to be honored with all five major Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. AUGUST 20 – DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (2013) 117 min., R Matthew McConaughey headlines director Jean-Marc Vallée’s biographical drama centering on the story of Ron Woodroof, a Texas electrician who was diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1986, and who subsequently devoted his life to providing fellow HIV patients with non-FDAapproved drugs and supplements during an era when doctors were still struggling to understand the devastating disease AUGUST 27 – FROST/NIXON (2008) 122 min., R Film of the 1977 television interviews between journalist David Frost (Michael Sheen) and former president Richard Nixon (Frank Langella). Three years after being forced out of office and with the Watergate scandal was still fresh in everyone’s minds, Nixon had remained notoriously tight-lipped until he agreed to sit down with Frost. The Tolerance Education Center proudly presents VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Help us help seniors by providing companionship to the home bound as a Friendly Visitor. Help us help seniors with transportation needs as a Volunteer Driver. Make a Difference. Contact us now: 760-779-9400 Ext. 204. PROGRAMS & SERVICES For further information about these services and others, please call the JFS office, 760-325-4088. COUNSELING & FAMILY SUPPORT: Experienced therapists help individuals, couples, and families address life's challenges. DESERT HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL SOLUTIONS FOR SENIORS: Serves older adults to maintain independence and help them enjoy a higher quality of life. BEREAVEMENT GROUP: Free to the local community. This group meets every Wednesday at the JFS Palm Springs office, 3.30-5.00 p.m. OL’ DOC RICKENBECK FRIENDLYVISITORS: JFS volunteers visit home bound seniors to provide companionship and support. For more information please call 760-779-9400 Ext. 204. SHABBAT- IN- A- BAG: JFS volunteers provide companionship and celebration during the Shabbat observance to home bound seniors. For more information please call 760-7799400 Ext. 204. Friday, August 29, 2014 – 5:00 pm Admission - $20 Ol’ Doc Rickenbeck (Dvid Hertsgaard – Ol’ Doc; Rick Eisenhart – Rick; and Rebecca Hertsgaard – Bec), two classically trained old hippies and a Princetonian, will regale us with the music of John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Dan Fogleberg, James Taylor, The Kingston Trio, The Chad Mitchell Trio, the Eagles and Peter, Paul and Mary, and many others of the genre. Come sing along or just listen and enjoy a heartwarming trip down Memory Lane. A wine and cheese reception will follow. Reserve your seat now by calling 760-328-8252. SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM: JFS counselors serve elementary school children in Palm Springs Unified School District with on-site counseling and now with a new 5th grade curriculum to teach drug refusal and interpersonal skills to prepare them for success in middle school. CAFÉ EUROPA GROUP: Social programming for holocaust survivors. Transportation available, for dates, times & more information please call 760-779-9400 Ext. 204. The Desert Holocaust Memorial is located in the Palm Desert Civic Center Park at San Pablo Avenue & Fred Waring Drive. Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit this moving memorial, a place of remembrance and monument of hope. LUNCH IN & OUT PROGRAM: Bimonthly activity program for homebound or isolated seniors. Participants take part in social activities; transportation and lunch are provided. Some restrictions apply. Please call Lisa Schmid for further information and to register 760-779-9400 Ext. 205. JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 11 Shabbat and Weekday Service Information Check the websites or call for times of services. BETH SHALOM (Member, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism) Ken Hailpern, Spiritual Leader 79-733 Country Club Drive, Bermuda Dunes, CA 92203 bethshalom18.wordpress.com 760-200-3636 Friday/Saturday Shabbat Services. Morning Minyan on hiatus. Resumes in November. CENTRO CULTURAL HEBREO DE MEXICALI (Conservative) Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico Contact: Ron Cohen www.judiosdemexicali.com 760-960-3392 US (686) 216-7152 Mexico CHABAD OF PALM SPRINGS & DESERT COMMUNITIES Rabbi Yonason Denebeim 425 Ortega, Palm Springs, CA 92264 www.chabadpalmsprings.com 760-325-0774 Shabbat services Friday/Saturday; daily morning and evening minyan. CHABAD OF PALM DESERT A project of Chabad of Palm Springs & Desert Communities Rabbi Mendy Friedman www.chabadpd.com 760-969-2153 / 760-969-2158 CHABAD OF RANCHO MIRAGE A project of Chabad of Palm Springs & Desert Communities Rabbi Shimon Posner 72295 Via Marta, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 www.chabadrm.com 760-770-7785 Shabbat services Friday/Saturday; daily morning and evening minyan. CONGREGATION HAR-EL (Member, Union for Reform Judaism) Rabbi Richard Zionts 47-535 Hwy 74, Palm Desert, CA 92260 harelurj@aol.com 760-779-1691 5 pm Friday evening Kabbalat Service, followed by speaker or discussion, Rosh Hashanah through end of May. CONGREGATION SHALOM BAYIT (Reform) Rabbis Larry and Linda Seidman 1320 Williams Ave., Banning 951-769-3678/769-7514 Shabbat Service 3rd Friday/ Havdallah 1st Saturday evening. BIKUR CHOLIM A project of Chabad of Palm Springs & Desert Communities (Community Outreach) Rabbi Yankel Kreiman www.BikurCholimPS.com 760-325-8076. Desert Hot Springs Monthly Friday Shabbat Service Rosh Hashanah through May. Contact 760-324-4737 for service information. TEMPLE ISAIAH (Conservative) Rabbi Sally Olins 332 West Alejo Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262 www.templeisaiahps.com 760-325-2281 Friday/Saturday Shabbat Services; morning minyan Mondays & Thursdays. TEMPLE SINAI (Reform) 73-251 Hovley Lane West, Palm Desert www.templesinaipd.org 760-568-9699 Friday/Saturday Shabbat Services August Community Calendar Sunday, August 3 12:30 pm Beth Shalom Decision Day 2014 Informal Open House for current and potential members. Complimentary Lite Lunch. Call 760-200-3636 for information. Monday, August 4, 11, 18, 25 6:30 pm Chabad of Rancho Mirage Men’s Talmud Class given by Rabbi Benny at Chabad of Rancho Mirage. For more information call 760-636-2897 or rabbibenny@chabadrm.com. Wednesdays, August 6, 13, 20, 27 10:00 am and 1:30 pm Tolerance Education Center free movies. See page 11 for August movies. Wednesday, August 6 & 13 4:00-5:15 pm Har-El Summer Study Course “The Secret Jews Among Us.” Presenter: Rabbi Richard Zionts. Guests are welcome. No fee but registration required. Call 760-779-1691 or email to harelurj@gmail.com. See ad page 4. 12 • JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org Wednesday, August 6, 13, 20, 27 5:00 pm Temple Isaiah Introduction to Judaism course led by Rabbi Sally Olins. Call 760-844-7302 for more information. Wednesday, August 6 7:00-8:00 pm Chabad of Rancho Mirage Torah and Tea. Topic: “No Pain, No Gain, Making Sense of Suffering.” Everyone welcome. For more information call 760-7707785 or www.chabadrm.com. Wednesday, August 7 3:00 pm Hadassah presents screening of The Rape of Europa” at the Tolerance Education Center, Rancho Mirage. $5. Seating limited. Prepayment required. For more information call Jan Popkoff, 760-360-1616. Friday, August 8 5:30 pm Har-El Panel discussion on “Anti-Semitism Around the World, what led to the presentday conflict in Gaza, what are the solutions and how do we respond August Community Calendar Continued to friends and family,” moderated by Rabbi Zionts with Beverly Irom, Len Kapner, Joel Kocen, Steve Moyer and Rick Stein. Panel follows 5:00 pm Shabbat service. Shabbat dinner available by prepaid couvert. Call or email Har-El at 760-779-1691 or harelurj@aol.com. Wednesday, August 13 7:00-8:00 pm Chabad of Rancho Mirage Torah and Tea. Topic: “The Twilight Zone: How to jump-start the afternoons of life.” Everyone welcome. For more information call 760-770-7785 or www.chabadrm.com. Wednesday, August 207:00-8:00 pm Chabad of Rancho Mirage Torah and Tea. Topic: “Something’s Fishy: The animal kingdom’s lessons in character development.” Everyone welcome. For more information call 760-770-7785 or www.chabadrm.com. Sunday, August 24 2:00 pm Temple Isaiah Music for a Summer Afternoon. Recital of classical music. See classified ad page 22 for details. . Wednesday, August 27 7:00-8:00 pm Chabad of Rancho Mirage Torah and Tea. Topic: “Dancing with the Stars: The Jewish view of astrology, soothsaying and omens.” Everyone welcome. For more information call 760-7707785 or www.chabadrm.com Thursday, August 28 4:00 pm Beth Shalom Book Club Discussion “People of the Book” led by Bill Amplo. Friday, August 29 5:00 pm Tolerance Education Center presents Ol’ Doc Rickenbeck Trio playing the music of John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, Kingston Trio and much more. $20. Wine and Cheese reception follows. Reserve your seat by calling 760-328-8252. See page 11 for details. IDF Creates Field Hospital for Injured Palestinians by Maayana Miskin, Arutz Sheva The IDF will create a field hospital outside Gaza in order to treat injured Palestinians, army sources announced. Chief of Staff Benny Gantz has approved the measure. The hospital will be located near the Erez crossing in northern Gaza, near the site of recent heavy battles. It is expected to be active by 8 p.m. July 20th. It will be available to treat ill as well as injured patients, and will include a delivery room. On Sunday morning, a soldier reported that he and other IDF medical staff had saved the life of a Gaza terrorist. Soldier Daniel Albo told Yediot Aharonot, “My team and I saved the life of a terrorist who tried to kill us because we are IDF soldiers and citizens of Israel. We saved him because we are human." “I’m proud to serve in the IDF,” he concluded. Israel has attempted to limit civilian casualties in Gaza by warning civilians to leave areas where fighting is expected. The IDF halted fire for several hours on July 17th to give Gaza residents time to evacuate safely. However, Hamas called on civilians to stay where they were, and praised "martyrs" who died as human shields. Order your Holiday Greetings today! Deadline August 10. See Back Page. JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 13 Tribute Card Donations Sending tributes and memorials is a meaningful way to honor loved ones. Honorarium Tributes – In Appreciation For: • Sally and Miles Berger, Thanks for a great evening, from Judith and Elliott Cohen, Nancy and Dennis Ditlove. • Sera and Gary Brill, Thank you for a lovely evening, from Myrna and George Green, and Pat Levy. • Mort Cohen, Happy 90th birthday, from Edith and Arnold Familian, Philip and Ellen Glass, Lainie and Tom Weil. • Richard Cohen, In honor of your special birthday, from Nancy and Dennis Ditlove. • Jane Effress and Harvey Lambert, Thanks for a great evening, from Judith and Elliott Cohen. • Barbara and Bernie Fromm, Thank you, from Wilma and Bert Finmark, Arlene and Ernie Mazur, Evey and David Simon. • Sandy Goldman, We miss you. Hurry back! Pat and Howard Levy. • Micki and Jack Goldner, Thank you for sharing the heartwarming movie, from Pat Levy. • Micki and Jack Goldner, Thank you for a fun afternoon, from Mimi and Harold Paley. • Helene Galen and Jamie Kabler, Thank you for a lovely evening, from Marvin and Phyllis Eisenberg. • Helene Galen and Jamie Kabler, Thank you for your generosity, from Phyllis and Gary Schahet. • Bobbe Gendel, Thank you for the lovely dinner party, from Sanford and Rosemary Hertz. • Morris Glesby, Best wishes for a wonderful birthday, from Cora and Ted Ginsberg. 14 • JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org All contributions received by the Jewish Federation for Tribute Cards are placed in our special Tzedakah Fund, which provides direct monetary intervention for needy Jews living in the Coachella Valley. • Rosie and Sandy Hertz, Thank you for the most wonderful Passover, from Wendy and Bill De Woskin. • Terry and Paul Lubar, Thank you for a wonderful evening, from Judith and Elliott Cohen. • Mr. and Mrs. Michael Jacobs, in honor of your upcoming marriage, from Paul and Stephanie Ross. • Mr. And Mrs. Don Maltzman, Thank you for a wonderful evening, from Judith and Elliott Cohen, Gail and Bob Scadron. • Herb Jacobson, Best wishes for a wonderful birthday, from Cora and Ted Ginsberg, Barbara and Ronnie Kahn, Barbara Platt and Norm Lewis. • Cheryl McArthur, Thank you for the lovely party, from Sanford and Rosemary Hertz. • Mal Kaufman, Happy 85th birthday, from Ellen and Phil Glass; Nancy and Al Gorman. • Eunice Meister, A very happy special birthday, from Libby and Buddy Hoffman. • Harriet Mestel, Thank you for a lovely afternoon, from Phyllis Eisenberg. • Mal and Ruth Kaufman, In honor of your grandson’s wedding, from Libby and Buddy Hoffman. • Jody Minsky, Happy birthday, from Edith and Arnold Familian. • Nora Kaufman, On your special birthday, from Marvin and Phyllis Eisenberg. • Lewis and Jane Morgan, Happy 50th Anniversary, from Ann and Paul Fishman. • Carol and Bill Kaplan, In honor of your daughter’s wedding, from Susie and Bob Diamond. • Linda and Gary Nathanson, In honor of the birth of your grandson, from Susie and Bob Diamond. • Leanie Kaplan Thank you for friendship and lunch, from Barbara Feldman. • Norma Nelson, Thank you for a lovely afternoon, from Phyllis Eisenberg. • Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Konheim, Congratulations on your 50th anniversary, from Libby and Buddy Hoffman. • Myrna Odwak and George Green, Thank you for a fun evening, from Judith and Elliott Cohen, Gail and Bob Scadron. • Ian and Joy Kravitz, Thanks for including us, from Ann and Paul Fishman. • Ann and Bob Osterman, Congratulations on your 60th anniversary, from Judy and Marty Cohn. • Rabbi Yankel and Rochel Kreiman, Mazel Tov on the marriage of Mendy and Chaya, from Barbara Platt. • Seymour and Sonia Levinthal, Happy 65th anniversary, from Judy and Marty Cohn. • Bertel Lewis, Happy birthday wishes, from Cora and Ted Ginsberg. • Mr. and Mrs. Jim Lewis, Wishing you happiness in your new home, from Myrna and George Green. • Gail and Stan Richards, Thank you. We love being with you, from Judith and Elliott Cohen. • Barbara Richter, Thank you for friendship and lunch, from Barbara Feldman. • Rella and Monte Rifkin, Thank you for the lovely dinner party, from Sanford and Rosemary Hertz. • Alan Salzman, In honor of your birthday, from Myrna and Jerry Kessler. Tribute Card Continued • Linda Schiff, Thank you for friendship and lunch, from Barbara Feldman. • Beverly and Ken Schoenfeld, Best wishes for a wonderful anniversary, from Cora and Ted Ginsberg. • Gloria and Michael Scoby, Thank you for a lovely evening, from Marvin and Phyllis Eisenberg. • Carolyn and Don Shagrin, Thank you for a lovely evening, from Marvin and Phyllis Eisenberg. • Rena and Bernie Shapiro, Thank you for the great party, from Edith and Arnold Familian. • Iris and Thom Smotrich, Mazel tov and thank you from Judy and Marty Cohn. • Debra and Mickey Star, Thank you for a wonderful evening, from Judy Torodor. • Rabbi Faith Tessler, In honor of a great teacher we miss, from Robert Clark and Lee Larsen. • Helen Varon, Thank you for a lovely evening, from Marvin and Phyllis Eisenberg. • Barbara and Shelly Weisberg, Thank you. We love being with you, from Judith and Elliott Cohen. • Barbara and Shelly Weisberg, Happy anniversary, from Edith and Arnold Familian Refuah Shleimah – Get Well Wishes To: • Sandy Goldman, Wishing you good health, from Audrey and Joe Bernstein, Nancy and Dennis Ditlove. • Carol Luber, Best wishes for a speedy recovery, from Gail Scadron. • Larry Novack, Wishing a speedy and complete recovery, from Barbara and Bernie Fromm. • Ruben Poplawski, Get well wishes from Audrey and Joe Bernstein, Judith and Elliott Cohen, Susie and Joel Cohen, Nancy and Dennis Ditlove, Philip and Ellen Glass, Margot and Jerry Halperin, Sanford and Rosemary Hertz, Libby and Buddy Hoffman. • Norm Lewis, In memory of your son, from Marvin and Phyllis Eisenberg. • Sherry Salzman, Wishing you a speedy recovery, from Judith Cohen, Phyllis and Marvin Eisenberg, Myrna and Jerry Kessler, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Philip. • Marc Richards, in memory of your mother, from Melinda and Stanley Goodman. • Albert Silverman, Wishing you a speedy recovery, from Susie and Bob Diamond, Libby and Buddy Hoffman. • Sandy Lichtenstein, In memory of Jewel Paley and Linda Franklin, from Barbara and Bernie Fromm. • Family of Gladys Rubenstein, In memory of Gladys, from Sanford and Rosemary Hertz. • Mr. and Mrs. Mural Josephson and Family, In memory of your beloved father, Albert, from Gail and Bob Scadron. • Sheila Sloan, In memory of Richard, from Ellen Bakst, Fran and Sam Belzberg, Audrey and Joe Bernstein, Susie and Joel Cohen, Lilo and Leslie Cooper, Edwina Davis, Wendy and Bill De Woskin, Edith and Arnold Familian, Barbara Feldman, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Fellman, Diane and Hal Gershowitz, Darlene and Larry Gilford, Ellen and Phil Glass, Muriel and Ron Goldberg, Myrna and George Green, Sanford and Rosemary Hertz, Jeanne and David Himy, Frances Horwich, Pat and Gordon Hubbard, Lily Kanter, Harriet and Ernie Karmin, Margie and Stephen Kulp, Barbara Schrayer and Cal Levin, Pat and Howard Levy, Paul and Terry Lubar, Fred and Renee Mayer, Cydney and Bill Osterman, Dottie and Gil Palay, Richard Rosenfeld, Gail and Bob Scadron, Sandy Schwartz, Gloria and Michael Scoby, Annette and Leonard Shapiro, Richard and Joan Sharfstein, Ginger and David Smerling, Chickie and Claude Steinberger, and Ruthie and Harold Tivol. • Esther Korn, In memory of your beloved husband, Carl, from Marvin and Phyllis Eisenberg. • Dr. Adam and Sheila Spitz, in memory of your mother, from Melinda and Stanley Goodman. • Ana Landau, in memory of your beloved husband, Samuel, from Dr. Mark and Fran Kaufman. • Claude Steinberger, in memory of your mother, Alice, from Marvin and Phyllis Eisenberg. • Helene Lesnick, In memory of your beloved husband, Joel, from Cora and Ted Ginsberg. • Family of Joyce Yorba, in memory of Joyce, from Marvin and Phyllis Eisenberg. Memoriam Tributes – Condolences Sent To: • Family of Alvin Benatovich, In memory of Alvin, from Richard and Marsha Bernhard. • Toby Berman, In memory of your beloved mother, from Philip and Ellen Glass. • Marlene Brager, In memory of your beloved husband, Stuart, from Cora and Ted Ginsberg. • Marjorie Eissler, The Eissler and Komm Families, Thinking of you all from Martin Komm and Edward Thomas. • Jeanne Himy, In memory of your mother, from Philip and Ellen Glass. JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 15 The Top Ten Israeli Inventions That Allow the Blind To ‘See’ By Shiri Wasserman, NoCamels Reading someone’s facial expressions; looking at the night sky, or browsing the internet – these are mundane tasks that hardly require our attention. But not everyone can call them routine; for the 285 million people worldwide who are visually impaired, these simple tasks are nearly impossible. Known as the Startup Nation, Israeli startups have now taken their expertise in innovation and technology to create revolutionary tools for the blind and visually impaired. Here are ten Israeli companies whose vision is brightening the lives of those who cannot see. EyeMusic: Seeing is Hearing Do you know what a square sounds like? You may argue that shapes don’t have sounds, but the Israelideveloped EyeMusic application was designed in order to help the blind “see” these common visual perceptions through sound. EyeMusic conveys the sounds of common shapes and colors by using soundscapes – assigning different musical notes and pitches to shapes and colors. A diagonal line, for instance, sounds like a chord of rising music notes. The EyeMusic application, available for iOS and Android, is based on the 2013 research by Prof. Amir Amedi and uses a simple algorithm to convert images from the device’s camera into a complicated array of sounds. Over time, users learn to differentiate between sounds and associate them with particular shapes, colors, and eventually objects. OrCam: The Google Glass Competitor Artificial vision technology called OrCam is a tiny camera that clips onto your glasses, similar to Google Glass. When users direct their glass’ vision at newspaper articles, labels, or a street sign, OrCam verbally identifies what they’re looking at and translates it into spoken words. The OrCam device is connected to a small pocket-size computer that stores the verbally interpreted information and is able to remember different objects, places, and people that the device has seen before, with the help of special algorithms. Orcam can also connect with hearing aids and cochlear implants, so that it not only serves the blind and visually impaired, but also the deaf-blind and mute. Earlier this year, Orcam Technologies received a $20 million investment from Intel for the development of its technology, which is based on research conducted by Prof. Amnon Shashua of the Hebrew University, also the founder of the successful Israeli startup Mobileye. Nano Retina: The Dream of Restoring Sight to the Blind, Realized Restoring sight to the blind is for many a dream that may soon become a scientific reality with Nano Retina's retinal implant technology. Macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness for individuals 60 years and older, is caused when a specific section of the eye’s retina dealing with object recognition begins to deteriorate. In order to combat the visual decline, Nano Retina’s founder Yossi Gross designed a miniature chip to replace the tiny but critical retinal part with an electric one. The implanted chip converts light into electric signals, which are then transmitted to the brain, with every image broken down into 600-pixel images and 100 different shades of grey, enabling sight in basic digital camera quality. Nano Retina completed its first clinical trial in 2010, in which 11 blind people were able to recognize surrounding objects, and hopes to be on the market in Europe by 2016 with the help of its investors Sony and Medtronic. 16 • JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org Bionic Contact Lens: Seeing is Feeling Scientists at Bar Ilan University developed a unique bionic contact lens based on the classical method of touch-based Braille reading. According to Prof. Zeev Zalevsky who headed the research team, there are 600 times more sensors in the cornea of one’s eye than in one’s fingertips, which are used for reading Braille. Therefore, the contact lens that Zalevsky and his team created allows the blind to see by transmitting visual information collected using a tiny camera to the bionic contact lens, which then sends signals to the cornea and sensory brain areas. The lens figuratively ‘presses’ images onto the eye’s surface through electrical signals, at which point the brain deciphers what the wearer is looking at, enabling them to see the full picture. Zalevsky believes that this contact will primarily help those who are blind from birth, giving them the ability to really ‘”feel” images without the need for invasive procedures. Project RAY: Taking the ‘Eye’ Out of IPhone The invention of the smartphone has made life much easier, and thanks to Project RAY's revolutionary technology, this sight-driven gadget will make the lives of the blind easier too. Project RAY’s visionfree smartphone was designed around touch and speech, letting the user select which application or message they want to open using a sliding motion, instead of the usual tapping, together with a voice and vibration function. In addition, the device orients itself around the user’s fingers, making it easy to search for applications, send text messages and even post on Facebook. Project RAY is also equipped with sensors, text-to-speech, and audio feedback features, as well as a public transportation navigation system, an emergency orientation system and a library for the blind that features audio magazines and books. Holography: Restoring Sight Using ‘Google Glass’ for the Blind An inherited degenerative condition called retinitis pigmentosa (RP) causes the gradual degeneration of light sensing cells and ultimately leads to vision impairment or blindness later in life. Now researchers at the Technion Institute of Technology have found a futuristic way of restoring light sensitivity to vision cells by using a computer-driven technology called holography. In what the researchers call optogenetics, a light-sensitive protein is taken from another organism and inserted into a target cell to photosensitize that cell, making it capable of sight. A bright light source is then projected on the cell, like a laser or holograph, activating the cell and enabling the RP patient to see. The team hopes to develop a headset similar to Google Glass that will be able to convert visual images into light that would allow the hundreds of thousands of people with RP to finally see past the shadows. BlindAid: Letting the Blind Feel Out Their Surroundings When exploring new places, the blind rely almost entirely on the people around them to get to know their surroundings. However, Dr. Orly Lavan of Tel Aviv University has created a software tool to help the blind navigate through new and unfamiliar places with ease. The BlindAid 3D haptic device, connected to an existing joystick, digitizes spatial information and virtually maps it out. As the user approaches a wall, sidewalk curb, or other obstacles, the joystick connected to the device stiffens, letting the users know the boundaries of their surroundings. The program Continued on next page can also be designed to emit sounds, like a telephone ring, when the user approaches a reception desk, or a car speeding off as they near a vehicle. Implanted Telescope for Macular Degeneration A tiny telescope designed by Dr. Isaac Lipshitz is on its way to dramatically improve the most common cause of blindness in the elderly: age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The miniature telescope is implanted into one eye and works by enlarging central images over the damaged retina, while the other eye supplies the peripheral vision for mobility. This breakthrough technology is already helping the elderly in the United States not only see better but recognize facial expressions and nuances they would otherwise miss. Inpris’s UpSense Keyboard: Creating a Language of Movement Bulky external Braille keyboards are a hassle for the tech-savy, but now Nissan Yaron and his father BenEtzion invented an efficient keyboard that enables the blind to freely type on tablets and smartphones. Designed by the father-son team, UpSense Keyboard allows users to create their own intuitive language of finger gestures that their device is able to interpret and remember. In addition, the UpSense Keyboard can be activated at any point on the device’s screen, eliminating the Solomon Society Event difficulty endured by the visually impaired with finding the right spot on the screen to start typing. Recently, Inpris was nominated for the CSS Design Awards. Notal Vision ForeseeHome AMD Monitor We’ve already mentioned that macular degeneration in the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, affecting nearly 10 million people in America alone, but one Israeli technology is already working towards minimizing this statistic. Founded in 2000, Notal Vision created the first home-based system to monitor patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) between eye exams, which has proven effective in detecting Best Quality! Best Price! Guaranteed! important visual changes at an earlier stage. The system posts the patient’s current data on a secure website where the physician can review it at any time to monitor their progress. In 2009, Notal received FDA approval for its Foresee Home AMD Monitor and it is currently being sold, with great success, out of its St. Louis headquarters. voted #1 in quality Since 1987 RELIABLE ROOFING "NO BULL!...Just 1st Class Roofing!" ALL TYPES • NEW ROOFS RE-ROOFS • REPAIRS Shingles - Foam Torch Down - Tile Lic#764608 (760) 568-1673 Jewish Federation of the Desert Solomon Society members visit Angel View, one of the Federation allocation recipients to learn about their program and how our funds are being used to support their programs. LGBT, Jewish, and Proud The Jewish Federation of the Desert’s ongoing work to build welcoming, diverse, inclusive and dynamic Jewish community in the Palm Springs and Desert Area continues apace. The growth is evolving and there is good news to report, including the announcement of a new steering committee of our LGBT Alliance, with Andrew Teitel, Stewart Fishman, Bruce Radler and Spencer Howard. For more information contact Bruce Landgarten, Federation’s CEO, at bruce.landgarten@jfedps.org. JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 17 Foreign Journalists Acknowledge Hamas’ Human Shields Tactics least two, disguised as women, were seen walking off with weapons partly concealed under their robes. Another had his weapon wrapped in a baby blanket and held on his chest as if it were an infant. From Honest Reporting, Defending Israel from Media Bias Buried in a number of foreign media reports from Gaza are acknowledgments that amid the images of Palestinian civilians, Hamas terrorists are operating amongst the population. Here are some examples: 1. Globe and Mail correspondent in Gaza, Patrick Martin, wrote in his July 20 article: The presence of militant fighters in Shejaia became clear Sunday afternoon when, under the cover of a humanitarian truce intended to allow both sides to remove the dead and wounded, several armed Palestinians scurried from the scene. Some bore their weapons openly, slung over their shoulder, but at 2. Canadian TV correspondent Janis Mocakey Frayer tweeted the following on 20 July: Inside Shejaiyya we also saw several #Hamas gunmen. One passed dressed in a woman’s headscarf... tip of a gun poked out from under cloak. 3. Washington Post correspondent Willian Booth reporting from Gaza, wrote in and article from 15 July: At the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, crowds gathered to throw shoes and eggs at the Palestinian Authority’s health minister, who represents the crumbling “unity government” in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The minister was turned away before he reached the hospital, which has become a de facto headquarters for Hamas leaders, who can be seen in the hallways and offices. 4. Another report by Washington Post correspondents from 17 July recounts: During the lull, a group of men at a mosque in northern Gaza said they had returned to clean up the green glass from windows shattered in the previous day’s bombardment. But they could be seen moving small rockets into the mosque. 5. Wall Street Journal Correspondent Nick Casey tweeted the following (since removed): 6. The Japanese daily Mainichi’s correspondent in Gaza reported on 21 July: Hamas criticizes that “Israel massacres civilians”. On the other hand, it tries to use evacuating civilians and journalists by stopping them and turning them into “human shields”, counteracting thoroughly with its guerrilla tactics… Hamas’s “Human Shield” strategy is also aimed at foreign journalists… During the current battle, Hamas’s checkpoint was bombarded, and there was temporary checkpoint at another location. To some 20 journalists who wished to leave, Hamas staff member suddenly told, “Israel closed the checkpoint… However, when I called IDF personnel at the checkpoint, he said that “We haven’t got attacked and we are open as usual…”. While were discussing what to do, the same Hamas staff member shouted, “in 5 minutes Israel seems to conduct an airstrike on here. Return immediately to Gaza!” All the journalists returned to Gaza by car. But we remembered that Hamas, during the conflict with Israel in November 2012, also closed checkpoints to block outflow. 7. Huffington Post’s Middle East reporter, Sophia Jones, tweeted on 15 July: “Journalists, including very sick Palestinian patients seeking treatment in Israel, are stuck in gaza now bc border closed by Hamas” Log on to www.jfedps.org To apply for Emergency Funds from the TZEDAKAH FUND Call the Jewish Federation 760-324-4737 18 • JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org Log on to www.jfedps.org JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 19 ‘The Voice’ Contestant Sings from Ashdod Bomb Shelter American singer Sara Merson covers Matisyahu song in pro-Israel video aimed at countering misinformation By Renee Ghert-Zand, The Times of Israel To deal with her Operation Protective Edge-induced anxiety and inform about what is happening in Israel, Merson put together a video of herself in a bomb shelter singing Matisyahu’s international hit song “One Day.” The video includes footage of her boyfriend Sagi Hassin’s family taking When Sara Merson came from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida to live and volunteer as an English teacher in Ashdod a year ago, she had no idea she would end up on the televised singing competition show “The Voice.” She also had not expected to be terrorized by Hamas rockets. CREATING a Jewish legacy empowers you to support the Jewish causes you care about. Because all of us, regardless of age, wealth, or affiliation, have the ability to secure our people’s traditions, promote Jewish values, and create a strong future for generations to come. To learn more about Legacy Giving, contact Bruce Landgarten, Jewish Federation Chief Executive Off icer, at 760-324-4737. 69-710 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 760-324-4737 20 • JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org The Strength of a People. The Power of Community. cover as the air raid siren sounds, as well as clips from news broadcasts showing the damage caused by rockets that landed in her city. “This video has nothing to do with my being on ‘The Voice,’ Merson, 22, told The Times of Israel. “I was seeing so many anti-Israel comments and so much misinformation on social media, and it made me want to do something. I was mad, so I made the video,” she explained. “This is the reality of what’s going on here… Over 1,000 rockets have been sent to Israel from Hamas in Gaza. Even after the ‘cease fire,’ Hamas continued to send rockets our way. We are fortunate here to have the Iron Dome anti-missile system to intercept some of them, but without it, these rockets would land in heavily populated civilian areas and many would be killed,” she wrote in the video’s description on YouTube. “The Israeli government and the IDF are doing all they can to protect its citizens from the barrage of rockets coming from Gaza. I have faith in this country, its military, and its people.” Merson chose “One Day” because she thought its lyrics about hoping for peace were fitting and reflected her own thoughts and emotions. “Sagi played guitar and we recorded the song in one take in our apartment. Then we went down to the bomb shelter beneath the house and filmed the video,” she said. Shalom Community Schools RELIGIOUS/HEBREW SCHOOLS Chabad Hebrew School A project of Chabad of Palm Springs & Desert Communities Director: Sussie Denebeim 73550 S. Rosa Way, Palm Desert, CA 92260 www.chabadpd.com 760-341-6501 Temple Sinai Director: Miri Ketayi 73-251 Hovley Lane West, Palm Desert, CA 92260 www.templesinaipd.org 760-568-9699 NURSERY SCHOOL Temple Sinai Tikvah Pre-School Shalom The finest in Jewish Living Director: Debbie Midcalf 24 mos - Pre-K 73-251 Hovley Lane West, Palm Desert, CA 92260 760-568-6779 JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 21 was the Bailin Family’s rabbi at Temple Isaiah, and previously the Traxler Family’s rabbi in Dallas ... Mazel tov Mazel tov to Joe Feldun and Irene t o To d d Spero on their May 4th wedding... Bailin, How exciting when mother and son of daughter get their dream jobs serving Sheila and the Jewish Chuck c o m m u n i t y. Bailin of Leslie Pepper Rancho began her Mirage, new position a n d Todd & Steffanie Bailin a s R e l i g i o u s Steffanie School Director Siegel-Traxler of Dallas, Texas, who at Temple Sinai were married June 29 in Rancho July 21 st and a Leslie Pepper Mirage. The marriage was held at few days later Mission daughter Elana H i l l s Pepper began Country her position as Club with Administrative R a b b i Assistant for Jordan the Southern Ofseyer Pacific Region officiating. of AIPAC. R a b b i Mazel tov! Elana Pepper O f s e y e r Joe Feldun and Irene Spero Simchas Classifieds KRISTINE A. KAUFFMAN - SENIOR CARE SPECIALIST. Driving for appointments, shopping, dining, etc; Errands (groceries, banking, etc); Bill paying and other miscellaneous tasks; Companionship. Dog sitting, walking. References available. 4-hour minimum 760-902-3490. Woman seeks person to SHARE 2 BEDROOM furnished garden APARTMENT in Palm Springs. Female preferred. $700/month, Includes utilities and amenities. Convenient parking. Home is kosher. Call 760-668-7890. CAREGIVER AVAILABLE. Let me give you a helping hand at a reasonable rate. Experienced in personal care. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Stroke cases. Cooking, errands and light housekeeping. Strong. Reliable. References and background check available. 760-668-6764. Save the Date: Sunday, November 9 for Hadassah’s SHOPPING E X T R AVAG A N Z A A N D LUNCHEON; 10:00 am to 2:00 pm; Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort; Details soon. TEMPLE SINAI GIFT SHOP: One of a kind and largest Judaica shop here in the desert. For all your traditional needs and unique gift items. Special orders available. For information call the Temple office at 760-568-9699. DAVID’S CONSTRUCTION Conscientious licensed, insured, bonded, general contractor. Catering to all your home repair needs. No job too small or big. Room additions, remodeling, patio covers, decks, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, masonry, drywall, cement, wood floors, tile, fences, painting, sprinklers, landscaping, swamp coolers, custom homes and more. License #506-370. davidsconstruction@ ymail.com 760-671-4476 . 22 • JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org Mazel tov! Incidently, Elana’s sister, Jordana, has made aliyah, lives in Tel Aviv, and has been living with the nightmare in Israel these past weeks. Jordana and Elana’s father and paternal grandmother are also desert residents, Lenny Pepper and Phyllis Pepper, as is maternal grandmother Crystal Mendelsohn ... Jeremy Ginsberg, son of Lynda and Trevor Bailey and grandson of Irving Ginsberg, has added another kudos to his list of achievements. He was just notified that he Jeremy Ginsberg has been invited, along with 24 college students from around the United States, to be a CAMERA Campus Fellow for the 2014-15 year. CAMERA - The Committee for Accuracy in Middle MUSIC FOR A SUMMER’S AFTERNOON Three young guest musicians will perform a recital of classical music on Sunday afternoon, August 24, 2014, at Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs. Solo pianist Danny Holt, professor of piano at College of the Desert, will perform keyboard works by Mozart and Mendelssohn, and by contemporary Los Angeles composer Mike Garson. After an intermission, cellist James Waldo and pianist Alyona Aksyonova—known as the A.W.Duo—will perform a program entitled “Tales of the Russian Soul,” featuring works by Rachmaninoff, M y a s k o v s k y, a n d o t h e r s . Danny Holt has appeared with musical ensembles throughout PERSONAL ASSISTANT/PERSONAL AFFAIRS MANAGER Excellent local references. Bill paying, reconcile bank statement, run errands, drive to appointment. Computer help: MS Office, QuickBooks, emails. N o t a r y. 2 h o u r s m i n i m u m . Trustworthy, discreet, dependable. 760-408-5260. East Reporting in America - is a watchdog organization working to set the record straight about distorted journalism about Israel ... It is a special pleasure for those of us who have lived in the Coachella Valley for 20+ years to see how the children we knew as infants have developed into committed, enthusiastic, contributing members of the Jewish communal world. Congratulations to Elana and Jeremy and their families ... In the middle of June, Judge Jackie Drucker emailed to say her family of 103 descendants was growing to 104 in July, only to learn that on June 30th the family grew to 105 descendants, with the arrival of twin great grandsons! Mazel tov to Jackie and the whole family .… Share your Simchas with us. Call or email Miriam Bent at 760-323-0255 or mhbentjcn@earthlink.net. the US and Europe, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the famous “Blue Man Group.” James Waldo and Alyona Aksyonova have most recently performed at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in New York, and the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival in North Carolina. The concert will begin at 2:00 p.m. in the Bochner Sanctuary of Temple Isaiah. There will be an intermission after the first half of the concert, during which soft drinks may be purchased. This will be followed by the second half of the concert. Tickets can be purchased at the door, or in advance online at PalmSpringsChamberMusic. BrownPaperTickets.com. The price is $20/person. DOOR PROS We specialize in repair of garage doors, sliding glass and screen doors. Reasonable pricing. Same day service. Fully insured and licensed #889442. 760-360-9300. Classifieds Continued CHECK OUT HAR-EL, Member, URJ, for interesting, stimulating and diverse programs being offered throughout the year. The 20142015 Galen Trimester Course brochure is available now. Call or email 760-779-1691 /haelurj@ gmail.com. Free course offered in August: Wednesday, August 6 and 13, 4-5:15 pm “The Secret Jews Among Us.” No fee but preregistration required. Also, persons interested in membership and attending High Holy Day Services at Har-El are invited to call. Candle Lighting Times JFS VOLUNTEERS WELCOME: JFS has rewarding volunteer opportunities available and is now accepting applications for the following positions: Lunch In & Out Driver, Lunch In & Out Program Volunteer, Friendly Visitor, JFS Express Senior Ride Transportation driver, Front Office Assistant. For more information contact 760-7799400 Ext. 204. Call 760-323-0255 to place your Classified ad today! Friday, August 1 Friday, August 8 Friday, August 15 Friday, August 22 Friday, August 29 Shabbat Devarim Shabbat Va-Etchanan Shabbat Ekev Shabbat Re’eh Shabbat Shoftim 7:04 pm 6:58 pm 6:50 pm 6:42 pm 6:33 pm We Mourn the Passing of... Frances Cohn, Thelma “Tiby” Eisen, Marvin Goldberg, Dr. Phillip Goldstein, Bill Gross, Shirley Kimmel, Carl Korn, Sorita “Mitzi” Mayer, Rabbi Yitchok Zalman Posner, Shirley Rothman, Herb Sanders, Nathan Selikson, Marcelle Silvin, Dick Sloan, and Dr. Kurt Wegner. Our deepest sympathies to their families and friends. May their memories endure for a blessing. Order Your Holiday Greetings Today! Deadline August 10. See Back Page. Laugh out Loud Stories in the news that bring a smile! HOUSEHOLD NAME U p u n t i l n ow t h e r u l e wa s ‘anything goes’ when it came to names people could choose for themselves or for their offspring. One Israeli even changed his name to Mark Zukerberg, a request that was approved, although the clerk asked the applicant, with a frown, whether his mommy approved. As a result, there is a girl named Grapefruit or Eshkolit… actually given in memory of the late president of the State of Israel Levi Eshkol. But a new bill before the Knesset wants to empower children as young as ten to turn to the courts to change their names, even against their parents’ wishes. (What if dozen of crazed teens will appeal to change their names to Justin Bieber?) The sponsor of the legislation said she submitted the bill after receiving an appeal from a girl whose family had decided to call her Avelut (Mourning). IF THE SHOE FITS… The owner of a shoe store chain was at a loss – literally and figuratively: Why in the world would someone repeatedly steal one pricy lady’s shoe out of the display window in his branches throughout the country? Putting two-and-two together, the businessman realized in every case the left shoe had been taken from one store, and the right matching shoe had disappeared from another branch in the area, with dozens of pairs of shoes having gone missing in the course of three months. A private detective planted a miniature GPS tracer in the heel of a hot flashy platform-heeled shoe as bait and sat down to wait. Sure enough, within days the ‘trap was tripped’ and the GPS signal led him to an Arab village adjacent to Karmiel where he cornered the creative shoplifter with the goods, and called in the cops. IS THERE A DIRECTOR IN THE HOUSE? Who wants to be a director in a government company? Who doesn’t! No less than 14,000 persons responded to an ad in the papers placed by the Ministry of Finance inviting qualified individuals in the public-at-large to submit their candidacy for a place on the board of one hundred government corporations: 8,800 of the applicants held a master’s degree and 1,250 had a PhD; 1,500 had served or were presently serving as directorgenerals of business entities; and 150 had already served as chairs of the board of director elsewhere. Four thousand three hundred of the candidates were women. The Government Corporation Authority commission mandated to choose 500 new directors has waded through and weeded out 10,000 applications – only three hundred rejected for lack of basic credentials. DISSOLVING MARRIAGES In May we wrote about Member of Knesset Professor Uzi Even and his partner Dr. Amit Kamah, who had tied the knot in a civil ceremony in Canada eight years ago, decided to part ways after successfully fighting to have their status recognized by the Israel Ministry of Interior (on orders from the Israeli Supreme Court). While a civil court recognized their separation, when the 72-year-old Israeli physicistturned-parliamentarian wanted to wed a different partner, Canadians demanded that Professor Even first prove he was legally divorced, not just legally separated. Ironically, because both men are Jewish, Ministry of Interior regulations required confirmation of their divorce by a rabbinical court … which never recognized their union in the first place! The issue has now been resolved, thanks to another gay couple whose New York marriage went on the rocks. An Israeli Family Court issued a declaratory order “dissolving the marriage as registered” on the mutual consent of the parties, while delicately skirting the issue whether their marriage was legally binding under Israel law in the first place. JCN • August 2014 • Av/Elul 5774 • www.jfedps.org • 23 wish everyone a Happy New Year! Order your greetings today! A wonderful opportunity to Order your wish everyone a greetings today! Happy New Year! Order your Order your greetings today! A wonderful opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year! O r d e r Yo u r G r e e t i n g s To d a y ! (A) $150 OrderA wonderful greetings today! Ayour wonderful greetings today! A wonderful opportunity opportunity to opportunity to A wonderful Order your wish wish aa toeveryone wish opportunity toeveryone Happy New Year! greetings today! wish Happy everyone a Order your New Year! everyone Happy New greetings Year! A wonderful today! a Happy opportunity A wonderfulto New Year! wish everyone opportunity to a Happy New Year! wish a Ordereveryone your Happy today! New Year! greetings ORDER FORM A wonderful opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Wishing You A Sweet Year (D) $45 Order your greetings today! A wonderful opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year! (C) $60 May you be blessed with a year of health & happiness (E) $45 Happy New Year (B) $100 (F) $30 Order your ad today! Deadline August 10. Call Miriam Bent 760-323-0255, for prices on custom and larger ads