Page 30 - Jewish News_February 2020

30A February 2020 ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD

ISRAEL21c...continued from previous page
year. It also sent aid to the Bahamas medical clowns went on a mission to Memorable moments
and California, to Venezuelan refugees the hurricane-devastated Bahamas; and Eurovision was a blast
in Columbia, and to Mozambique. Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services sent a Eurovision came to Is-
What particularly impressed me delegation to help extinguish the cata- rael this year for the first
about IsraAID’s work, after seeing it strophic fires in the Amazon rainforest. time since 1979, and it
in action in Puerto Rico, was how the In December, an Israeli medical was magnificent – even
NGO seems to encapsulate the best of team flew to Samoa to help with the if you weren’t a fan. The
Israel, and bring it all over the world. measles epidemic; and a team of rescue acts themselves may
The organization is lean, adaptable and experts from the Israel Defense Forces have been the usual so-
innovative. It thrives in situations of flew to Albania after the earthquake. so Eurovision fare, but
chaos, responds quickly to local needs And let’s not forget the work of SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum and employees celebrate at the the organization was
and is ready to find solutions even ZAKA, United Hatzalah and Magen company’s Iftar dinner on May 27, 2019 (photo by Sivan Faraj) spectacular.
when the situation seems impossible. David Adom. visitors for a celebratory Iftar dinner, Madonna came (though most wish
Aid all over Truly, a year of doing good. the largest ever held in Israel. she hadn’t), Netta was fabulous, and
IsraAID isn’t the only Israeli NGO A reunion in Ethiopia The carbonation-machine fac- Tel Aviv went into prime party mode –
providing aid all over the world. There In October, over 100 Ethiopians came tory in the Negev employs Christians, a setting it does well. But the real win-
are many other organizations that we together in Addis Abiba for a special Jews and Muslims, and the Iftar event ner of this competition? The Shalva
are equally proud of. Today, it seems, 25 anniversary reunion with the Is- marked the end of the month of Rama- Band.
th
Israeli NGOs are some of the first re- raeli doctors who saved their lives. dan, when Muslims fast during the day. Comprised of young people with
sponders that people look to in a crisis. The Ethiopians, of all differ- “The thousands of people who are disabilities, the Shalva Band was the
This fall alone, Israel Flying Aid ent ages, had all been operated on by eating here with us tonight are the light favorite to be Israel’s entry to the com-
sent aid to women and children in Chad; the Israeli NGO Save a Child’s Heart which defeats the darkness, both un- petition, but had to drop out when they
(SACH), and for many it was the first der missiles and during tense periods,” discovered the finals were on Shabbat.
time since the operation that they met SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum Instead, they sang at the second semi-
the surgeons. told the audience at the event. finals and had a worldwide audience
A bikejacking that ended well
At the joyful reunion, doctors
sniffling emotionally, recognizing that
PaiSanO’s met Yared, who now runs a school When Israeli Matan Yaffe was am- the contest’s motto, “Dare to Dream,”
for underprivileged children; Robel, a
bushed by four Bedouins while riding
was way more than just a slogan to this
IT ALIAN B AKER Y filmmaker; and Gifti, now a pediatric a motorbike in the Negev desert, they band.
941.926.8422 emergency room nurse. They were just threatened him with a metal bar, but In Israel, there’s no such thing
ran off when he pulled out a gun.
a few of the dozens of people at the
as failure, even when you crash
2732 Stickney Point Road 2019 event who wouldn’t have made it into This frightening experience could and burn
•Rugalach adulthood without SACH’s help. have left Yaffe with lasting animos- So near, and yet so far. After a great
•
ugalach
R
In its 25 years, SACH has carried ity, but instead he decided to create an deal of excitement, Israel’s Beresheet
• S tr udel out lifesaving heart operations for chil- award-winning leadership program for unmanned spacecraft did reach the
•Strudel WINNER
moon, but not quite in the way every-
dren from 61 countries, some of which
Bedouins in the Negev.
Desert Stars, the nonprofit orga-
• H aman taschen don’t even have diplomatic relations nization Yaffe founded with his own one expected. Instead, moments before
•Hamantaschen
it was expected to land, it crashed and
with Israel. This year, it also celebrated
its 5,000 young patient. money, today employs 80 people, and burned.
th
Breaking a fast runs four programs including a high Was it a disappointment? Yes. Was
BEST and breaking barriers school leadership program for 210 stu- it the end of the effort? No. In true Is-
LOCAL Coexistence was very much in evidence dents, an empowerment center and an raeli spirit, Beersheet’s failure was
BAKERY in May, when SodaStream brought to- entrepreneurship incubator. seen as a temporary setback on the
gether 3,000 Jews, Israeli Arabs, Pales- “By strengthening Bedouin soci- road to success. A new moon mission
PaisanosItalianBakery.com tinians and a sprinkling of international ety, I strengthen Israel,” Yaffe says. is planned, and there’s even talk of
aiming for Mars.
Save a life, save a soul
When Israeli bride Shachar Kugelmas
got married in July, a Muslim para-
medic named Muawiya Kabha stunned
the audience at the chuppah with a tale
that no one could forget.
Ten years earlier, as a volunteer
for emergency response organization
United Hatzalah, Kabha arrived at the
Discover the scene of a car crash near Petah Tikva
power of he and found a young Jewish girl trapped
Discover t
in a car and already declared dead.
power of give up. For 40 minutes he worked on
But Kabha wasn’t prepared to
Jewish women...
Jewish women...
Starting Shachar, and finally – against all the
odds – managed to get her heart beat-
Starting
ing.
United Hatzalah, the Israeli vol-
With You. untary emergency-response organiza-
tion that brought Kabha to the accident
With You.
scene, shared a video of the paramedic
telling the story. The bride’s father had
#ItStartsWithWomen invited Kabha to the wedding as a sur-
prise for his daughter.
At the ceremony, Kabha conclud-
#ItStartsWithWomen ed with a thank-you to the emotional
bride. “People ask me all the time,
‘How do you keep going after all the
death you see in your work?’ The an-
swer is here. Shachar, I am able to
Your year-long journey with continue my work because of you. Be-
Momentum Includes APPLY NOW Free Trip * cause I saved your body, but you saved
Your year-long journey with
my soul.”
MomentumUnlimited.org
8 Days in Israel APPLY NOW Free Trip * Baseball wins big
Momentum Includes
MomentumUnlimited.org
8 Days in Israel For more information, please contact: In September, Israel suddenly discov-
July 14 – 21, 2020
ered that it not only had a national
Gisele Pintchuck | gpintchuck@jfedsrq.org |
For more information, please contact: baseball team, but that the team had
941-706-0029
July 14 – 21, 2020 Gisele Pintchuck | gpintchuck@jfedsrq.org | just qualified – against all odds – for
941-706-0029
Join Enjoy Explore Discover the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.
This will be the first time an Israeli
Join Enjoy Explore Discover team has taken part in the Olympics
women from all over the
how to connect deeper
empowering Jewish
spiritual Tsfat, dynamic
world for a revitalizing
and your community.er
how to connect deep
women from all over the classes led by world- Tel Aviv, Masada’s with yourself, your family, baseball tournament. The team is a mix
class speakers and Israeli
empowering Jewish
spiritual Tsfat, dynamic
year of self-exploration,
desert magic, Shabbat
of homegrown talent from Israel with
unforgettable experiences
world for a revitalizing thought-leaders. Tel Aviv, Masada’s with yourself, your family,
in Jerusalem, and many
classes led by world-
year of self-exploration,
more unique experiences.
in Israel, and inspiring class speakers and Israeli desert magic, Shabbat and your community. Jewish-American college players and
unforgettable experiences
Jewish learning. thought-leaders. in Jerusalem, and many some pros, who have taken on Israeli
in Israel, and inspiring more unique experiences. citizenship.
* APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 10 The team may have emerged from
Jewish learning.
Momentum Trips are free for participants excluding airfare. Additional costs for participants include $25 for the Year Of Growth book, $75 for tips, a
$99 acceptance fee, and the cost of 1-2 meals per day. Participants pay a $500 deposit, which is fully refundable upon returning from the trip. This trip seemingly nowhere to most Israelis,
is designed for women with children at home under the age of 18. The Momentum Year-Long Journey continues with monthly gatherings and Jewish
* Momentum Trips are free for participants excluding airfare. Additional costs for participants include $25 for the Year Of Growth book, $75 for tips, a but it’s the fruition of a long-term vi-
learning.
$99 acceptance fee, and the cost of 1-2 meals per day. Participants pay a $500 deposit, which is fully refundable upon returning from the trip. This trip
is designed for women with children at home under the age of 18. The Momentum Year-Long Journey continues with monthly gatherings and Jewish sion by Israel Association of Baseball
learning.
President Peter Kurz, who has been
Working in partnership with: recruiting top Jewish American players
.
Ministry of Diaspora A airs
Creating a common Jewish future including former major leaguers.
Working in partnership with:
.
Ministry of Diaspora A airs continued on next page
Creating a common Jewish future