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The Koren Youth Haggada: Much, Much More than the Four Questions

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The Koren Magerman Youth Haggada fills a unique space in this vibrant and populous market, being designed and written to speak directly to the child in appropriate and engaging language. Says the author, “I highly recommend the Magerman Edition of the Koren Youh Haggadah For Reflecting, Questioning, and Experiencing because that is exactly what it does. And it is so unusual and creative that you might unwittingly find yourself looking over the kids' shoulders to see what comes next. But don't worry – there is a page by page parent guide to accompany the reading.”

By: Rochel Sylvetsky

(This article is being republished with the permission of the Arutz Sheva editorial staff)

Am I actually recommending that you purchase yet another Haggadah (purchasing online at this point)? – well, yes I am, absolutely. Not for you because If you are like me, you already have your favorites, but because you need one that speaks to the young people in our midst. That means those who are being introduced to the Seder as well as those who have not yet become totally familiar with it, but even more those youngsters who are very familiar with the occasion and therefore need something to keep them on their toes, alert, thinking and identifying throughout the long ceremonial night.

  • After all, the entire Seder revolves about young people; it is a handbook for Jewish continuity and for expressing our trust and gratitude to G-d for watching over the Chosen People. That theme is a thread running from the Vehi She’amda (And it is that promise…) near the beginning to the Chad Gadya summation at the end.
  • After all, the Seder table, the Afiikoman, the laws, songs and choice of language are meant to arouse children’s curiosity, as the Four Questions symbolize.
  • And after all, no generation’s youngsters are quite the same as the previous ones’ in many of their experiences, interests and challenges.
  • And most crucial, the young people are the ones charged with ensuring that their generation and the next feel as though they have been freed from Egypt That means we have to invest time and preparation in getting them and ourselves into that mindset.

(Aside|: If, with G-d’s help, we are out of social distancing isolation by Pesach by some miracle, we will all really feel the Exodus. If not, our kids will sigh and pray for it as if they were the Jews enslaved in Egypt!!)

Every family needs a Haggada or several that will get the youngsters involved, contemplating, participating and interested in going on to the next page, not waiting for the food. And this has to be accomplished without the help of a smartphone and Google.

That is why I highly recommend the Magerman Edition of the Koren Youh Haggadah For Reflecting, Questioning, and Experiencing because that is exactly what it does. And it is so unusual and creative that you might unwittingly find yourself looking over the kids’ shoulders to see what comes next. But don’t worry – there is a page by page parent guide to accompany the reading.

Sometimes, perhaps too often, we, and not only our children, don’t think much about some of the repeated aspects of our religious observance. The Koren Youth Haggada, however, works to raise awareness in various creative ways, one of them by suggesting you ask your family to think of all the things that had to have occurred for them to be at this Seder Table (not the cleaning, shopping and cooking which for those who normally go away for Passover, is a big change this year). but the fact that they had to remember they were Jewish all through the ages and not give in to persecution, and that their own family had to be brought into being.

The reader reaches this conclusion experientially, and the discussion concludes with:

“Your existence is a miracle. Your loved ones’ existence is a miracle. So is the existence of the Jewish people.

“And God kept his promises to us, from the Exodus from Egypt to our return to Israel today. So we recite: Blessed is He Who has kept His promise to Israel. That is the meaning of saying the Shehecheyanu blessing.”

On the trip through the Koren Youth Haggada, a lot of other things happen, some which bring that idea home and others that offer the youngsters an experience that they will want to be part of. Nothing is by rote. There are questions, challenges, activities galore.

Here are several samples of different stimuli to be found there, just for starters:

-Feelings: Do you feel relaxed when you lean and drink?

-Relating to the customs: Close your eyes and remember the last time you cried so much that could taste your tears.

-With the Jews at the Red Sea: An unusual hassidic custom is suggested for them to try, showing the hassidim’s desire to feel that they were there

-Imparting knowledge: Why don’t we make a bracha when we wash our hands after Kiddush at the Seder?

-Understanding: What makes the second son wicked? The wicked son is called the rebellious son in this Haggada, and youngsters are asked to realize his problem by telling the story of the Exodus in two minutes in a cynical, disbelieving style. (For “Tam” they are told to tell the story in two minutes to a baby on his or her level.)

-Reflective Thinking: Why did G-d think Moses was the right person to lead? Why the ten plagues, why not just take out the Jews? On the other hand, why did it take Pharaoh so long to let them go?

-Encouraging proactive Judaism, feeling part of a collective: How many people around the table know the Shema prayer? What does that say about us? What does putting a mezuzah on your door say?

-Encouraging Jewish identity as a people: Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, foremost leader and icon of Religious Zionism, is quoted, saying famously that while Passover is the Spring of the entire world (because the Exodus gave the world the ideals of freedom and liberty) it was also the birth of the Jews as a People and “it is “through the Korban Pesach that the Jewish people became a nation”.

On another page, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, in that vein, is quoted saying:: “Tell the story while you are doing the deed, because values are caught, not taught.”

Another important point to stress is that this is a totally traditional Haggada, promoting the treasure to be found in keeping tradition unaltered. Even the layout was chosen with that message in mind. The text, with an excellent translation and instructions, is always on the left page when the book is opened, while the right hand page is for enrichment, including an inspiring au courant version of modern Jewish history’s Dayenu–not meant to replace the original.

The timelessness and universality of the ideas in the Haggada is portrayed by bringing intellectual stimuli to the young reader as well, with well chosen quotes from the Midrash, Rabbi Lord Sacks, Rabbi Avraham Kook, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, Rabbi Shlomo Teichtal Hy”d, etc. and appropriate pearls of universal wisdom from Charles Dickens, Anna Frank, and others.

You simply can’t be apathetic to the Seder night with this Haggada. A youngster will either find himself reading and contemplating what he is reading or sharing it with others– or even lose himself in the beautifully designed graphics by Tani Bayer and gorgeous illustrations by Rinat Gilboa.

Many of us have used favorite Haggadas with commentaries for decades – I have four battered beloved ones (no, I won’t tell you which ones they are out of our large selection) – but that is an indication of our comfortable familiarity and identifiication with the Seder, its words and traditions, and the fact that there are always interpretations we have not managed to read in previous years, written by our favorite commentaries.

That is not enough for our children and grandchildren today. Let us get them involved. It is our responsibility.

            (Israel National News)

Rochel Sylvetsky is Senior Consultant and op-ed and Judaism editor of Arutz Sheva’s English site. She is a former Chairperson of Emunah Israel,1991-96, was CEO/Director of Kfar Hanoar Hadati Youth Village, member of the Emek Zevulun Regional Council and the Religious Education Council of Israel’s Education Ministry as well as managing editor of Arutz Sheva (2008-2013). Her degrees are in Mathematics and Jewish Education.

Life in Israel in the Time of Corona

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A man prays in an enclosed area at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Like many places around the world, daily routines in Israel are undergoing massive changes. But despite the spread of COVID-19 not all is grim

By: Naama Barak

Recent days have seen Israel undergoing a massive transformation. As the dangers and repercussions of life in times of coronavirus are sinking in, and the Israeli government’s partial closure begins to bite, daily life has taken on strange new features.

Closed shops in the now-empty, usually buzzing Sarona Market in Tel Aviv. Photo by Miriam Alster/FLASH90

What until recently was seen by many as mini-vacation time is no longer so, with people abiding by regulations and staying home.

Not that they have much choice – restaurants, cafés, malls and cinemas have all been shuttered, as have workplaces, schools and daycares.

Major signs of life are only visible in supermarkets, drugstores and other essential hotspots, which are now looking like warzones swamped by people stocking up on as much toilet paper and canned goods as possible.

But despite COVID-19 quickly spreading across the country, not all is grim.

The Italian flag screened on the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. It might have been an idea to check with an editor before going ahead. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

These difficult times are putting things in perspective in Israel, leading many to be kinder, calmer and more generous with one another on the road, at the stores and in the little real-life interactions that still take place.

On social media, too, offers of help to those unwell or stuck at home have become de rigueur, as have heart warming messages of encouragement and hope.

These include local takes on the balcony singalongs made famous in quarantined Italy, with the feelgood, inspiring messages – and what seems to be a neighborhood rave – going viral.

Or there’s the birthday celebration for a 98-year-old grandfather, whose relatives don’t want to put him at risk of catching corona.

People line up outside a supermarket in Ashdod. Photo by Flash90

Also joining efforts to make staying home a little easier was President Reuven Rivlin, who took to Facebook today to help relieve the pressure off families cooped up together.

“Dear parents, I know that this isn’t an easy time,” he wrote on Facebook. “The children are at home, and while we all love being with the family, this is a challenging situation.”

He then followed up with an invitation to join him as he read out “A Flat for Rent,” a classic children’s book by Leah Goldberg. “Come read with me,” he wrote. “The whole family, or only the children. (You take the time for a quiet coffee, without your mobile phones).”

The unusually empty Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on March 16. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90

Another small comfort is in the knowledge that all this limited human activity might even be doing some good to the environment.

With fewer people flying, driving and doing wasteful activities, the globe is getting a bit of a break. And if the ducks now taking over Ben-Gurion Airport had their way, things would stay just this way.

Ben Gurion in a face mask. Spotted at Ben Gurion Airport by Anton Delin

 

Caesarea’s deserted train station on March 18. Photo by Liza Rosenberg, who works for Rambam Hospital in Haifa.

 

Where shall I sit? A deserted train on the Caesarea- Haifa line, March 18. Photo by Liza Rosenburg

 

Emergency personnel at Rambam Hospital pause for a moment to take a selfie. Photo by Liza Rosenberg

   (Israel 21C)

1 in 4 Americans Now Under ‘Shelter in Place’ Orders Due to Coronavirus

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Governors in a total of five states — California, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey and New York — have now advised residents to stay at home indefinitely as of Saturday, meaning that about one in every four Americans now lives under such "shelter in place" orders.

By: Robin Foster & E.J. Mundell

Governors in a total of five states — California, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey and New York — have now advised residents to stay at home indefinitely as of Saturday, meaning that about one in every four Americans now lives under such “shelter in place” orders.

“I don’t come to this decision easily,” Illinois governor J.B Pritzker told residents in a Friday news briefing. “I fully recognize that in some cases, I am choosing between saving people’s lives and saving people’s livelihoods. But ultimately you can’t have a livelihood if you don’t have your life.”

Meanwhile, the federal government warned Americans to avoid international travel and, if they are already abroad, to return home before flights into the United States become unavailable.

And as national coronavirus cases climbed past 18,000, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a White House briefing on Friday that the borders with Canada and Mexico will be closed to everyone but essential travelers, beginning at midnight on Saturday.

“We’re going to close the valve, because the rate of increase in the number of cases portends a total overwhelming of our hospital system,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said as cases in that state climbed to more than 8,300, The New York Times reported.

California, which issued its stay at home order Thursday night, will remain that way until “further notice,” the governor’s office said. Residents of San Francisco and Los Angeles were issued similar orders earlier this week. The state has had at least 1,000 coronavirus cases and 19 deaths, CNN reported.

“There’s a social contract here. People I think recognize the need to do more and to meet this moment,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a news conference streamed on social media. “People will self-regulate their behavior, they’ll begin to adjust and adapt as they have been quite significantly.”

Hours earlier, the State Department raised its global health advisory to the highest warning level and announced that Americans should not travel outside the country and citizens abroad should either return home or stay in place as the coronavirus pandemic grows, the Times reported.

“If you choose to travel internationally, your travel plans may be severely disrupted, and you may be forced to remain outside of the United States for an indefinite time frame,” the advisory warned.

 

Economic help

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed an $850 billion coronavirus relief package into law.

The package will provide sick leave, unemployment benefits and free coronavirus testing.

Even as the legislation became law, the drafting of a $1 trillion economic stabilization package is already underway. That package would send $500 billion in direct payments to taxpayers and provide loans to businesses, the Times reported.

Trump also invoked a wartime law on Wednesday that would allow the federal government to direct companies to produce medical supplies if needed.

As countries around the world wonder what is in store for their citizens in the coming months, one glimmer of hope emerged: For the second day since the coronavirus outbreak began, China on Friday reported no new local infections for the previous day, the Times reported.

The country of 1.4 billion is not out of the woods yet, since experts say there will have to be at least 14 consecutive days without new infections for the outbreak to be deemed over. Whether the virus will re-emerge once daily life returns to normal remains to be seen.

The good news in China stood in sharp relief to what is unfolding in Italy, as that European country passed China’s death total on Thursday, the Washington Post reported.

Italy reported a total of 3,405 deaths, the Post said, while the death toll in China is 3,245.

The virus has been especially deadly for the European country’s large older population. The health care system has also been stretched to a breaking point, especially in northern Italy.

 

State, local officials continue shutdowns

Meanwhile, state and local officials across the country continued to order the temporary closings of bars and nightclubs and the placement of seating restrictions on restaurants.

On Monday, the Trump administration ramped up its coronavirus “social distancing” advisory to now discourage gatherings of 10 or more people.

For now, the federal government has recommended less drastic measures for the rest of the country.

“This afternoon we’re announcing new guidelines for every American to follow over the next 15 days,” Trump said during a Monday media briefing.

In addition to advising against group gatherings of more than 10 people, Trump also discouraged eating and drinking at restaurants, bars and food courts, and any discretionary travel.

The prior advisory had discouraged gatherings of 50 or more people. However, Dr. Deborah Birx, a virologist and coronavirus task force coordinator, explained that newer models of the virus’ spread now implicate people who might not even show symptoms as a significant source of “silent” infections.

A computer modeling report from researchers at Imperial College London that predicted 2 million American deaths unless stringent social distancing measures were enacted may have convinced U.S health officials to take the extraordinary step, the Times reported.

 

Progress on testing

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, all Americans need to limit their contact with others to slow the rate of new infections.

“The worst is yet ahead for us,” Fauci warned, and the crisis could continue into the summer. “It’s how we respond [now] to that challenge that will determine what the ultimate endpoint is going to be.”

State officials across America had already begun to enact even tougher restrictions to try to slow the spread of coronavirus, as the country’s case count reached 18,000, with at least 200 deaths, CNN reported.

The president also said his administration is doubling down on testing for COVID-19. Experts, including Fauci, have already called the initial slow rollout of such tests a system failure.

Now, there’s “a new partnership with the private sector to vastly accelerate and test for the coronavirus,” Trump said last Friday.

Stores such as Walmart, CVS and Walgreens will set aside part of their parking lots for drive-through testing.

In a Friday news briefing, Birx said 170,000 Americans have already been tested for COVID-19. “I know that in general our positivity rate is between 9% and 11%,” Birx told CNN.

On Thursday, the U.S. Army prepared mobile military hospitals for deployment in major cities, and motorists waited in long lines for nurses to swab their nostrils at new U.S. drive-thru testing sites, the Associated Press reported.

 

Changing lives

In the meantime, the public lives of Americans have come to a halt, as the coronavirus pandemic has prompted officials across the country to close, cancel or postpone any event or activity that might foster the spread of COVID-19.

A majority of states have shuttered all public schools, Broadway has gone dark, Disney World and Disneyland were closed, March Madness was canceled, and most professional sports leagues postponed their seasons.

In New York state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has turned a New York City suburb into a “containment zone.” Schools and houses of worship in the city of New Rochelle will be closed for two weeks. A cluster of more than 538 cases there could be the largest in the nation, and National Guard troops have been ordered to help clean public spaces and deliver food during the containment period, the AP reported.

New York, Washington state and California now have the highest number of coronavirus cases in the United States, the Times reported. New York has 8,300, Washington state has 1,524 cases and California has 1,006.

Meanwhile, officials in Florida closed several popular beaches in the state on Thursday, as young spring breakers ignored social distancing guidelines and partied with abandon on the sand. That state now has 658 cases, with 12 deaths.

As of Saturday, the World Health Organization had reported 234,000 cases of coronavirus in 168 countries and territories, including over 9,840 deaths.

Internationally, hopes of containing the coronavirus are fading fast.

In Asia, South Korea and Iran are each battling major outbreaks of COVID-19. In Europe, Italy has ordered a lockdown of the entire country, some 60 million people, as it tries to contain a major outbreak of COVID-19. By Friday morning, the case count in that country had passed 41,000, CNBC News reported.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the country’s lockdown will have to be extended past April 3, CNBC reported.

            (HealthDayNews.com)

Could COVID-19 Survivors’ Blood Help Save Very Ill Patients?

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As more people recover from COVID-19, that means more people should have antibodies against the virus. And it's possible that blood donations from those survivors could help protect or treat other people, according to some infectious disease experts.

By: Amy Norton

As more people recover from COVID-19, that means more people should have antibodies against the virus. And it’s possible that blood donations from those survivors could help protect or treat other people, according to some infectious disease experts.

The general notion is far from new. In the first half of the 20th century, doctors used “convalescent serum” in an effort to treat people during outbreaks of viral infections like measles, mumps and influenza — including during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.

The principle is fairly simple: When a pathogen invades the body, the immune system produces antibodies that latch onto the enemy, marking it for destruction. After recovery, those antibodies remain circulating in a person’s blood, for anywhere from months to years

In theory, transferring some of those antibodies to other people with the same virus could help their bodies fight it off. Or, given to healthy people — like the health care workers on the front lines — the antibodies might offer some temporary protection from infection.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic — with no vaccine or antiviral drug coming soon — antibodies from recovering patients could provide a “stopgap” measure, according to Drs. Arturo Casadevall and Liise-anne Pirofski.

Casadevall, of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, and Pirofski, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, lay out their case in the March 16 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

For one, the authors pointed out, convalescent serum is not a thing of the past. It has been tried in limited numbers of patients during more-recent viral crises, including the 2003 SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic, the 2009 “swine flu” epidemic, and the 2012 outbreak of MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).

Reports on those attempts indicate the antibody treatment generally reduced the severity of patients’ illnesses and improved survival.

“In addition to public health containment and mitigation protocols, this may be our only near-term option for treating and preventing COVID-19,” Casadevall said in a statement from Johns Hopkins. “And it is something we can start putting into place in the next few weeks and months.”

The authors could not be reached for an interview. But other specialists in infectious disease and public health agreed the tactic is worth considering.

“It’s a good idea. It’s something that’s been used before, and we know how to do it,” said Dr. Gregory Poland, who heads the Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn.

Doctors’ experience with the general approach is not limited to viral pandemics, Poland pointed out. They routinely use injections of immune globulin — purified antibody preparations taken from donated human blood — to treat certain medical conditions.

In addition, modern blood-banking techniques, which screen for infectious agents, should ensure any such tactic against COVID-19 would be as safe as a standard blood transfusion, Poland said.

That’s not to say doctors can just start doing it. “You still have to go through the FDA,” Poland said, referring to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

It’s not clear what such an approval process would look like. The traditional clinical trial approach, where researchers randomly assign people to a treatment or a placebo (inactive substance), is too laborious and time-consuming to put the brakes on a pandemic.

But standard protocols will be needed, including logistic matters like coordination among local doctors, blood banks and hospitals, according to Casadevall.

“We’ll have to put protocols in place to make sure that the use of this sera is safe,” Casadevall said. But, he added, “we’re not talking about research and development — this is something that physicians, blood banks, and hospitals already know how to do and can do today.”

In fact, the commentary noted, there are reports that doctors in China have used convalescent serum in at least 245 COVID-19 patients. The details are sketchy, but available information suggests the approach has been safe and reduced the amount of virus in patients’ blood.

Dr. Bruce Y. Lee is a professor of health policy management at City University of New York. He said the convalescent serum idea is “certainly worth exploring.”

“We’re in a situation where the toolbox is pretty empty,” Lee said.

Both he and Poland pointed to some key unknowns, including: How long do antibodies against this novel virus last? What amount of antibody would be necessary to help treat the infection or offer some protection?

What is clear is that any protection would be temporary. “This would not replace a vaccine,” Lee stressed. Vaccines, he noted, work by training the immune system to launch its own response to an invader, which involves more than antibodies.

And what about people who’ve recovered from COVID-19? Are they immune to it, at least for a while? There have been reports from China and Japan of patients being declared infection-free then testing positive again.

However, Poland said those cases probably reflect an issue with the testing. “I don’t think they represent re-infections,” he said. “That would be highly unusual.”

(HealthDay News)

New Ventilator Mask Protects Entire Face from Coronavirus

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Prototype of the ViriMASK from Israel. Photo courtesy of HemaClear

Israeli ViriMASK could be a gamechanger for healthcare workers, airport workers and people in preventive quarantine

By: Abigail Klein Leichman

Many people are wearing facemasks to avoid breathing airborne coronavirus particles, and to keep from touching their noses and mouths.

Dr. Noam Gavriely, CEO of HemaClear. Photo: courtesy

However, even N95 masks can’t fully block tiny virus particles and can’t kill the virus (two masks under development in Israel aim to do that). Any blocked viral particles stay on the mask’s surface and pose a hazard when handled and thrown away.

Furthermore, facemasks don’t cover eyes. Although the nose is the main route for coronavirus into the lungs, some researchers believe the eye’s conjunctiva is another possible point of entry.

That’s why Israeli physician and serial medical-device inventor Dr. Noam Gavriely worked quickly to develop what he calls the ViriMASK Protective Oculo-Respirator.

ViriMASK is strapped around the head, covering the eyes with a see-through visor and the nose and mouth with a filtering mechanism. The device can be washed and reused. The filters must be replaced after 12 hours of use and disposed into a special envelope containing disinfectant.

The patent-pending ViriMASK should be ready for efficacy testing at an independent lab around mid-April.

The cost is expected to be about $50, including a pack of two filters and disposal envelopes. Additional filter-envelope packs will cost around $2 apiece.

 

Prototype 3D printed and tested on dummy

“We started working on this February 3, after I got multiple emails from our distributors in China asking us to find them face masks,” Gavriely tells ISRAEL21c.

“Everyone is wearing a paper mask under the illusion that it protects them. It doesn’t. So I said, okay, we need something to bridge the gap between gas masks and face masks.”

Gavriely did a post-doc at Harvard School of Public Health in the 1980s and a fellowship in pulmonology in Boston. He was a professor of physiology at the medical school of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. And he was involved in the development of gas masks with the IDF during the second Gulf War.

This combination of experience helped him envision what kind of device could help in the coronavirus pandemic — and the ability to develop it fast at his Tirat Carmel medical-device company, HemaClear.

His inhouse industrial designer, Dudi Ashkenazi, designed ViriMASK “to be not only functional but fairly comfortable and user friendly,” says Gavriely.

“There is a barrier frame separating the eyes, nose and mouth from the world around us. The innermost layer is made of a soft silicone-like material so it’s comfortable.”

To keep the seal tight, eyeglasses would have to be worn on top of the see-through visor, he says. Future versions may have soft netting as an alternative to straps for fastening around the head.

 

A way out of isolation?

Stratasys 3D printing company in Rehovot printed a prototype that Gavriely’s team tested using a ventilator and a dummy wearing the device.

Independent testing will need to confirm that ViriMASK provides a full seal around the eyes and nose and that its filter blocks all virus-sized particles.

“We have established a connection with an internationally known lab to verify that it does what it is supposed to do,” says Gavriely.

“Tests aren’t done on prototypes but on devices from the production line, so we’re in a major race to get the first batch manufactured. But I think we have all the pieces of the puzzle.”

The product could be a gamechanger for healthcare workers and people in intensive contact with unscreened populations, such airport workers.

ViriMASK could also free people from home isolation, says Gavriely.

“Our own COO is quarantined at home because he went to Germany,” Gavriely says. “He could safely come to work wearing this mask. You can drive wearing this mask. You can talk with it.”

However, “You cannot smoke with the mask and you cannot pick your nose — and that’s no joke because it’s very important to keep your hands off your face.”

 

Multiple sizes

Because fit is essential to effectiveness and comfort, Gavriely intends to make multiple sizes and introduce an online fitting widget for ViriMASK.

“A one-size-fits-all mask would be as bad as a one-size-fits-all brassiere,” he notes.

“We developed a method of making six measurements of the face; we’ll have a video explaining how to do it. Customers will input their measurements on the website and a little algorithm will tell them which size they need.”

To help the company gather fitting data from a variety of potential customers, pre-orders (without payment) will be accepted on the website beginning March 25. Click here for details.

People with facial deformations or significant asymmetry may be able to order a custom 3D-printed ViriMASK, Gavriely adds. “My friends in Stratasys tell me this is possible and we’re thinking about it.”

The ViriMASK would initially be manufactured by HemaClear’s US partner in China, while the filters may be produced in Israel, Europe and North America.

Gavriely wants production to start at 1,000 units per day and ramp up to 100,000 units per day within four months, possibly with the addition of more manufacturing sites in Israel.

He has factories and distributors in several countries waiting in the wings.

“Everyone has been very cooperative because they feel a sense of urgency to be part of the solution,” he says.

            (Israel 21C)

Technion & Rambam Scientists Present Novel Method for Testing More than 60 Patients for COVID-19 at the Same Time

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Edited by: TJVNews.com

Researchers at Technion–Israel Institute of Technology and Rambam Health Care Campus have successfully tested a method that will dramatically increase the current COVID-19 testing capacity using existing available resources. This method, known as pooling, enables simultaneous testing of dozens of samples.

Its implementation has the potential to greatly accelerate the rate of testing and detection of COVID-19 infected patients in the population. The trial was completed in a matter of days thanks to the support of the Ministry of Health and the close collaboration between Technion and Rambam. Testing for COVID-19 is currently being conducted in Israel with the focus on people with specific symptoms. The current rate of testing–about 1,200 a day – does not allow for monitoring of asymptomatic carriers in the population, which is vital to curb the epidemic. COVID-19 is diagnosed with PCR testing, which is common for virus monitoring.

This test examines the presence of a unique genetic sequence of viruses in a sample taken from the patient. The test takes several hours thus generating a bottleneck in identifying COVID-19 infected people in Israel and around the world. According to Dr. Yuval Gefen, director of the Rambam Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, “Today, we receive approximately 200 COVID-19 test samples a day, and each sample undergoes individual examination. According to the new pooling approach we have currently tested, molecular testing can be performed on a “combined sample,” taken from 32 or 64 patients. This way we can significantly accelerate the testing rate.

Only in those rare cases, where the joint sample is found to be positive, will we conduct an individual test for each of the specific samples.” According to Professor Roy Kishony, head of the research group in the Faculty of Biology at Technion, “This is not a scientific breakthrough, but a demonstration of the effectivity of using the existing method and even the existing equipment to significantly increase the volume of samples tested per day. This is done by pooling multiple samples in a single test tube. Even when we conducted a joint examination of 64 samples in which only one was a positive carrier, the system identified that there was a positive sample.

Although there are some logistical challenges in implementing the method, we expect that it will greatly increase the volume of samples tested per day so that we can identify the asymptomatic carriers. This approach should reduce the chance of infection and flatten the infection curve.” Director of the Rambam Virology Lab, Dr. Moran Szwarcwort-Cohen estimates that, “implementing pooling in the final stage of the PCR test will make it easier for us to shorten the entire process and significantly increase the test rate.”

President of the Technion Professor Uri Sivan said: “This experiment conducted by Technion and Rambam researchers is complex, and under normal circumstances would take months. This is a remarkable example of the mobilization of an outstanding team in a time of crisis. The initial experiment was completed in less than four days. This achievement emphasizes the importance of the close relationship between Technion and Rambam and between medicine and engineering. Technion researchers have been enlisted in the war against the Coronavirus and this is one of the many activities currently underway at Technion to combat the spread of the disease.” General Director of Rambam Health Care Campus Prof. Michael Halberthal said, “This collaboration between Technion and Rambam, for the benefit of all humanity, is just one example of many joint projects between the two institutions.

These collaborations are designed to harness the multidisciplinary capabilities of Technion researchers for the advancement of medicine.” The experiment was led jointly by Technion and Rambam researchers. At Technion by Dr. Idan Yelin together with Noga Aharony, Einat Tamar and Dina Berenbaum in Prof. Kishony’s laboratory and with Amir Argoetti from Prof. Yael Mandel-Gutfreund’s laboratory, both labs are in the Faculty of Biology. Prof. Roy Kishony holds the Marilyn and Henry Taub Chair in Life Sciences. Dr. Esti Messer, Head of the Technion Biological Safety Dept, set up the dedicated laboratory and accompanied the entire experiment. At Rambam Health Care Campus, the team was led by Dr. Yuval Gefen, Dr. Moran Szwarcwort-Cohen with support of Prof. Michael Halberthal, Rambam General Director and CEO.

For more than a century, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has pioneered in science and technology education and delivered world-changing impact. Proudly a global university, the Technion has long leveraged boundary-crossing collaborations to advance breakthrough research and technologies. Now with a presence in three countries, the Technion will prepare the next generation of global innovators. Technion people, ideas, and inventions make immeasurable contributions to the world, innovating in fields from cancer research and sustainable energy to quantum computing and computer science to do good around the world.

The American Technion Society supports visionary education and world-changing impact through the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Based in New York City, we represent thousands of US donors, alumni, and stakeholders who invest in the Technion’s growth and innovation to advance critical research and technologies that serve the State of Israel and the global good. Over more than 75 years, our nationwide supporter network has funded new Technion scholarships, research, labs, and facilities that have helped deliver world-changing contributions and extend Technion education to campuses in three countries.

Technion & Rambam Scientists Present Novel Method for Testing More than 60 Patients for COVID-19 at the Same Time

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Researchers at Technion–Israel Institute of Technology and Rambam Health Care Campus have successfully tested a method that will dramatically increase the current COVID-19 testing capacity using existing available resources. This method, known as pooling, enables simultaneous testing of dozens of samples. Photo Credit: technion.ac.il

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Researchers at Technion–Israel Institute of Technology and Rambam Health Care Campus have successfully tested a method that will dramatically increase the current COVID-19 testing capacity using existing available resources. This method, known as pooling, enables simultaneous testing of dozens of samples.

Its implementation has the potential to greatly accelerate the rate of testing and detection of COVID-19 infected patients in the population. The trial was completed in a matter of days thanks to the support of the Ministry of Health and the close collaboration between Technion and Rambam. Testing for COVID-19 is currently being conducted in Israel with the focus on people with specific symptoms. The current rate of testing–about 1,200 a day – does not allow for monitoring of asymptomatic carriers in the population, which is vital to curb the epidemic. COVID-19 is diagnosed with PCR testing, which is common for virus monitoring.

This test examines the presence of a unique genetic sequence of viruses in a sample taken from the patient. The test takes several hours thus generating a bottleneck in identifying COVID-19 infected people in Israel and around the world. According to Dr. Yuval Gefen, director of the Rambam Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, “Today, we receive approximately 200 COVID-19 test samples a day, and each sample undergoes individual examination. According to the new pooling approach we have currently tested, molecular testing can be performed on a “combined sample,” taken from 32 or 64 patients. This way we can significantly accelerate the testing rate.

Only in those rare cases, where the joint sample is found to be positive, will we conduct an individual test for each of the specific samples.” According to Professor Roy Kishony, head of the research group in the Faculty of Biology at Technion, “This is not a scientific breakthrough, but a demonstration of the effectivity of using the existing method and even the existing equipment to significantly increase the volume of samples tested per day. This is done by pooling multiple samples in a single test tube. Even when we conducted a joint examination of 64 samples in which only one was a positive carrier, the system identified that there was a positive sample.

Although there are some logistical challenges in implementing the method, we expect that it will greatly increase the volume of samples tested per day so that we can identify the asymptomatic carriers. This approach should reduce the chance of infection and flatten the infection curve.” Director of the Rambam Virology Lab, Dr. Moran Szwarcwort-Cohen estimates that, “implementing pooling in the final stage of the PCR test will make it easier for us to shorten the entire process and significantly increase the test rate.”

President of the Technion Professor Uri Sivan said: “This experiment conducted by Technion and Rambam researchers is complex, and under normal circumstances would take months. This is a remarkable example of the mobilization of an outstanding team in a time of crisis. The initial experiment was completed in less than four days. This achievement emphasizes the importance of the close relationship between Technion and Rambam and between medicine and engineering. Technion researchers have been enlisted in the war against the Coronavirus and this is one of the many activities currently underway at Technion to combat the spread of the disease.” General Director of Rambam Health Care Campus Prof. Michael Halberthal said, “This collaboration between Technion and Rambam, for the benefit of all humanity, is just one example of many joint projects between the two institutions.

These collaborations are designed to harness the multidisciplinary capabilities of Technion researchers for the advancement of medicine.” The experiment was led jointly by Technion and Rambam researchers. At Technion by Dr. Idan Yelin together with Noga Aharony, Einat Tamar and Dina Berenbaum in Prof. Kishony’s laboratory and with Amir Argoetti from Prof. Yael Mandel-Gutfreund’s laboratory, both labs are in the Faculty of Biology. Prof. Roy Kishony holds the Marilyn and Henry Taub Chair in Life Sciences. Dr. Esti Messer, Head of the Technion Biological Safety Dept, set up the dedicated laboratory and accompanied the entire experiment. At Rambam Health Care Campus, the team was led by Dr. Yuval Gefen, Dr. Moran Szwarcwort-Cohen with support of Prof. Michael Halberthal, Rambam General Director and CEO.

For more than a century, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has pioneered in science and technology education and delivered world-changing impact. Proudly a global university, the Technion has long leveraged boundary-crossing collaborations to advance breakthrough research and technologies. Now with a presence in three countries, the Technion will prepare the next generation of global innovators. Technion people, ideas, and inventions make immeasurable contributions to the world, innovating in fields from cancer research and sustainable energy to quantum computing and computer science to do good around the world.

The American Technion Society supports visionary education and world-changing impact through the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Based in New York City, we represent thousands of US donors, alumni, and stakeholders who invest in the Technion’s growth and innovation to advance critical research and technologies that serve the State of Israel and the global good. Over more than 75 years, our nationwide supporter network has funded new Technion scholarships, research, labs, and facilities that have helped deliver world-changing contributions and extend Technion education to campuses in three countries.

Daily Coronavirus Global Update in the Secular and Jewish Communities March 24th

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 by Lieba Nesis
1.  The United States reported a one-day 22.09% increase- the third largest amount of cases at 53,794 with a 25% increase of deaths at 712.  New York State continues to spike as cases reached 25,665, almost half the total cases in the US, with New York City reporting more than 14,904 cases with 131 dead.   The breakdown by borough is Queens (4,364), Brooklyn (4237), Manhattan (2,887), Bronx (2,328) and Staten Island (935).  Governor Cuomo said the rate of infections is doubling every three days predicting more than 140,000 beds will be needed when only 53,000 are available.  The Kentucky governor warned against “coronavirus parties”; where a sick patient developed the disease from attending a party flouting the social distancing guidelines.  De Blasio announced New York City will open up specific streets for exercise in each of the 5 boroughs to be enforced by the NYPD.  De Blasio keeps repeating New York is “the epicenter of the crisis” as he released 300 inmates from Rikers Island.
2.  In a Fox News Town Hall President Trump said he would love the country to open by Easter-April 12th.  Trump believes the country has to get back to work and compared this to the seasonal flu which has a far higher death rate-according to Trump 50,000 this year (the CDC reports 23,000 deaths).  The White House advised traveling New Yorkers to self quarantine for 14 days upon arrival as New York is considered a hotspot.
3.  The Dow had its best day since 1933 as Congress neared a deal on a $2 trillion economic stimulus package.  The Dow index rose 11.3% to 20,704.91, the Nasdaq increased 8.12% to 7,417.86 and the S&P 500 hit 2,447.33 for a 9.38% increase.
4.  Italy continued the grim news with its death toll rising by 743 in one day to 6,820 with 69,176 cases-the second highest number of deaths by the country.  The number of new cases has gone up by 7%, the third day in a row that the rise has slowed-indicating Italy’s trend may be downward.  A doctor from Milan attributed its large number of cases to a heavy Asian population because of the industrial nature of the economy,  the high amount of pollution and its containing the 2nd oldest population in the world.  What’s becoming clearer each day is China’s claim of 81,171 cases with 3,277 deaths is a lie.  The probability that the place of origin, the Wuhan wet market, has less fatalities than Italy is nearly zero.  Moreover, the population of more than 1.4 billion in China makes it extremely vulnerable to medical disasters.  China’s lack of transparency since the start of the pandemic in mid-November, has been extremely dangerous for the entire globe.  It is time to demand China reveal the truth about the extent and nature of the illness, or face punishment.
5.  Information about the World Heath Organization (WHO) continues to show it was sleeping at the wheel.  Yesterday, Director-General Tedros Adhanom claimed “the pandemic is accelerating.”  The WHO wrongfully declared on January 15th “there is no clear evidence of sustained human-to-human transmissions and there are no infections reported among health care workers.”  Was it not their duty to investigate whether China’s claims of containment were true.  Moreover, the WHO criticized Trump for closing travel from China on January 31st.  Their naming of the virus “Covid-19” was deliberately done to downplay its fatality so as not to blame the Chinese-knowing that if they called it by its correct name SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) the public would become alarmed.  Finally, the WHO outrageously waited until Wednesday March 11th to call the disease a pandemic despite knowing there were hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of cases worldwide.  If they were not aware of the true numbers that reveals their delinquency.  It is time to get a new Director General, or have someone overseeing the WHO as it has proved itself to be both incompetent and partial to China.  On February 23,2020 Dr. Bruce Aylward came back from a WHO trip to China and gave reporters a rosy report saying the disease was contained there and, “you don’t have to lock down cities is the big message from China, in fact.”  At a news conference in Geneva in February WHO Director General Tedros said, “Does this virus have pandemic potential?  Absolutely it has.  Are we there Yet? From our assessment not yet.”  WHAT!!!!  The WHO was quick to name obesity, which is comparatively within our control, a pandemic but waited three months to name a globally fatal outbreak a pandemic.  The term pandemic-meaning simultaneous global transmission of a disease to a high proportion of the population- while not determinative, would have helped now decimated countries realize the challenges they would soon face.
6.  Israel has reported 1,930 cases with two more deaths (a total of 3), and 34 patients in serious condition.  Prime Minister Netanyahu held a seven-hour meeting on Monday where he said 1 million could be infected with a possibility of over 10,000 deaths.  Meanwhile, public transportation was completely suspended in Israel with medical care limited to that which was urgent, and exercise only allowed within 100 meters of homes.  The IDF has designated battalions to enforce this 7-day national lockdown.  On Tuesday morning, a large police force stormed Mea Shearim in Israel to ensure non-essential businesses were closed.
7.  The Brooklyn Jewish Community is praying for the speedy recovery of Jewish luminaries Stanley Chera and Harry Adjmi who are pillars of the community, along with Eli Beer and Rabbi Sholom Lipskar who are ailing in Florida.
8.  The number of Coronavirus NYPD members surged to more than 200-with 3,000 cops out sick.  On Monday detectives were told to prepare to be assigned to patrol.
9.  Japan and the International Olympic Committee have agreed to postpone the Olympics to no later than summer 2021-unlike Comic Con which plans to hold its convention at the Javits Center in October.  States under lockdown have increased to Louisiana, New Mexico, Washington and West Virginia-who have all issued stay-at-home orders.
10.  The second-state run coronavirus testing site in New Jersey opened Monday morning at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel.  On Monday, it stopped letting cars into the line a half hour before it opened, after hitting capacity.   New York has run more than 80,000 tests  and is now testing more than 16,000 people per day.

Nobel Prize Winning Biophysicist on Coronavirus Pandemic: ” We are going to be Fine”

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image of the Corona Virus (Getty Images)

Michael Levitt, a Stanford biophysicist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2013, has made a bold statement that the end of COVID-Michael Levitt, a Stanford biophysicist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2013, has made a bold statement that the end of COVID-19 pandemic could be near and has cited China’s curve flattening to support his hypothesis, reported the Los Angeles Times.

“What we need is to control the panic,” he said. In the grand scheme, “we’re going to be fine. He firmly believes the social distancing measures are working.

Levitt accurately forecasted the deceleration in confirmed cases and deaths in early February in China. He said the initial infection rate in China’s Hubei province was 30% per day, but on February 7, something changed:

“The number of new infections started to drop linearly and did not stop,” Levitt said. “A week later, the same happened with the number of deaths. This dramatic change in the curve marked the median point and enabled better prediction of when the pandemic will end. Based on that, I concluded that the situation in all of China would improve within two weeks. And, indeed, now there are very few new infection cases.”

Levitt reviewed data from 78 countries that reported more than 50 new confirmed cases of the virus per day and said he notices deceleration in many of these countries. He said he’s not focused on overall cases or deaths but rather on growth rates

Levitt has gone on the record to say that the virus outbreak could disappear from China by the end of March.

He said most individuals are immune to COVID-19 and pointed out that only 20% of the passengers on the Diamond Princess contracted the infection.

He said in South Korea, confirmed cases are still being reported daily, though, in recent weeks, new cases per day have inched below 200, suggesting the outbreak is slowing.

Levitt said recent trends in confirmed cases in Iran point to a slowdown. He said it suggests the outbreak there “is past the halfway mark.”

 

NYC Druggists Miffed at Walgreens, CVS for Not Protecting Employees During Pandemic

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screenshot

Finger-pointing continues, with some chain store pharmacists complaining that companies like Walgreens and CVS haven’t done as much as they might have to protect the health of their employees.

 

One New York City pharmacist said in an interview with the New York Post that his chain has failed to give enough instruction on how to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic.

 

Deep cleaning for stores and hand sanitizer for employees top the list of things this pharmacist says are insufficient safeguards.

 

“Thousands of people are coming into the store and touching the pin-pads and there is nothing to clean them with,” the pharmacist told the New York Post in an interview. “I don’t understand why doctors and nurses are having their temperatures taken before they go to a hospital, but there are no precautions for us who have to deal with sick people all day long.”

 

The individual also told the Post, “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, I can honestly say that we have received ZERO guidance from the higher-ups and NOTHING has been done to help protect employees or our patients.” Should an employee test positive for the Coronavirus, “they will have to quarantine all of us and there will be no one left to work.”

 

A spokesperson for Walgreens told the Post that “As the situation evolves, we are actively reviewing our policies, procedures and operations to promote the safety and well being of our team members and customers.”

 

At the same time, a spokesperson for CVS Health told The Post that the company is “prioritizing” masks “for store and pharmacy employees in markets that have the highest incidences of COVID-19 diagnoses and we continue to work with suppliers to source additional masks in the face of never-before-seen disruptions to the medical supply chain.”

 

Walgreens has been proactive in protecting its people. As it notes on its web site, “As this situation evolves, the company continues to take further steps to promote the safety and wellbeing of team members and customers.

 

Recent measures include:

 

–      Temporary reduction of store operating hours. By operating with reduced hours, Walgreens stores are spending the necessary time, while closed, cleaning, sanitizing and stocking shelves each day. We’re also adjusting our hours to help team members and customers feel comfortable and safe to shop our store during this time.

 

–      Implementing social distancing guidelines to ensure a safer store experience for team members, customers and patients. All stores now have a “Social Distancing Line,” which begins six feet away from all checkout counters. Lines are clearly marked where customers may wait until the team member instructs them to step to the counter. Six foot increments are also marked to indicate where customers should stand in line to ensure they are keeping appropriate distance from others.

 

–      Walgreens is also introducing Sanvello, a new, free mobile app for all team members to use during this time of increased stress. Sanvello provides peer support and clinically validated coping tools to reduce stress and anxiety.

 

Anti-Semitic Tirade at Upstate NY Toyota Dealership; Hasidic Man Told He Was “Spreading Virus”

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Once again, as has happened throughout our history when there have been pandemic’s, Jews have been blamed for it. We knew it would only be a matter of time, but it happened, and thanks to this brave man, it was captured on video.
A Hasidic man had an appointment on Monday morning to service his vehicle at Toyota in Goshen, New York, but instead of being serviced like the rest of the customers, he was told to leave because he was “spreading the virus”.
The man says that he called Johnston’s Toyota if he can bring his vehicle in for maintenance. He was told it was not a problem, as they are open. He was given an appointment for 9:30 am. The Hasidic man arrived and pulled into the garage. A minute later, he was told by an employee to leave as they are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The man was suspicious and pulled away and watched as one vehicle after the next was allowed into the business for service.
He began video-recording the vehicles going in after being told they had closed. He called the Toyota dealership again and said “I missed my appointment, is there any time slot still available for today? Toyota told him “sure, come at 10:15 this morning”.
He pulled in again, and a female employee told him to leave. He got out of his car and approached a male employee – possibly a manager – and questioned him why he was not being serviced. The manager simply responded “you are spreading the virus”…you gotta go buddy” The man then saw he was being filmed, refused to answer any questions, and quickly walked away.
Say hello to anti-Semitism 2020. (Yeshiva World News)

Coronavirus Pandemic Spurs Mental Health Crisis

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With the entire world reeling from the effects of the devastating coronavirus outbreak, a nationwide group of mental health professionals is launching an Amudim anonymous support hotline to help the general public weather this unprecedented crisis.

 

Spearheaded by Amudim, the hotline will address the many facets of the current situation, including general anxiety, abuse, addiction and domestic violence.  Volunteers from Amudim, Child & Adult Psychological Services, Empower Health Center, Madraigos Midwest, Naaleh Cleveland, Nesivos, Relief, Shalom Task Force, The Living Room and others will be joining forces with mental health practitioners in private practice to staff the hotline, which will be manned from 8 AM to 11 PM EST.

 

“The general effect on the population has been very dramatic, with the mental health crisis potentially creating even more fallout than the coronavirus,” observes Amudim CEO and director Zvi Gluck.  “This is an amazing opportunity for all of us to band together and help each other as we navigate our way through the weeks and months ahead.”

 

With people everywhere staying home and going out only when absolutely necessary, many are experiencing feelings of isolation whose effects can range from mildly upsetting to devastating, notes Dr. David Pelcovitz, chair of Amudim’s clinical advisory board.

 

“It is so important when people are feeling alone and like they’re twisting in the wind to know that the community is here for them,” Dr. Pelcovitz expresses.  “It is beautiful to see so many organizations coming together at a time like this when connection is literally a matter of life and death.”

 

The public can reach out to the hotline at 888-7-AMUDIM or 718-972-3000 and caller ID is disabled to ensure complete confidentiality.  A call center will be staffed 24/7 so that those who reach out after hours or at a time when all volunteers are busy will have their calls returned as soon as possible.  Those who prefer to communicate in writing will also be able to get help by emailing [email protected].  All calls and emails will be received by licensed mental health professionals under the joint direction of Amudim’s clinical director, Myriam Lankry, and Dr. Pelcovitz.

 

Dr. Shloimie Zimmerman, vice chair of Amudim’s advisory board, says that having a communal resource offering extremely high level professional guidance will help alleviate some of the confusion and address the upheaval that has left many struggling to cope as the coronavirus continues its destructive march across the globe.

 

“What truly unites us as a community is not being in the same room or even in the same shul,” he adds.  “We are all brothers and sisters with one Father in heaven and a shared mission to be a light unto the world. At this time, while we need to be physically apart, it is our job to band together, practically, emotionally, and spiritually, joining forces in every way imaginable to face this challenge together.”

 

Those thoughts were echoed by Rabbi Binyomin Babad, director of Relief who explains that those already under the care of a mental health professional might be unable to keep their regular appointments under current circumstances, while people who have never sought treatment may finding themselves floundering and in need of guidance.

 

“People are feeling anxious about so many things including their health, their finances and even Pesach,” elaborates Rabbi Babad. “Just speaking to someone who can calm them down and refocus their feelings can be a tremendous help at a time like this.”

 

Menachem Poznanski, clinical director of The Living Room, notes that for those struggling with addiction, the coronavirus outbreak presents numerous difficulties while also wreaking havoc on their normal supportive networks.  Establishing a professionally staffed hotline will create an access point to those systems, filling a vacuum created by the pandemic.

 

Also facing major challenges are those who face abuse in their own homes, says Dr. Shoshana Frydman, executive director of Shalom Task Force. “Our volunteers are trained for safety during this time of sheltering in place and to help those in the dynamic of domestic violence so that they don’t feel frightened or alone. We are keeping our lines open and sticking to our regular schedule so that they don’t feel isolated and know that we are there for them.”

 

With Amudim’s phones ringing off the hook in recent days, Lankry emphasizes that the need for professional mental health guidance has never been greater. She adds that it is important for people to know that the difficulties they are facing right now are normal reactions to abnormal events.

 

“We need to get the message out,” asserts Lankry.  “There are people here you can speak to who are here for you and ready to lend a listening ear.  People need to remember that needing help doesn’t make you weak and that reaching out for help makes you stronger.  Even in a time when we have to be physically distant, our hearts can be connected and our words can connect us.”

 

Cuomo: Coronavirus Hitting NY Like a “Bullet Train” – Death Toll in Triple Digits

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As of Monday night, New York City’s death toll for the notorious coronavirus jumped into the triple digits, killing 125 people, as per city officials said.  The figure includes 26 NYC fatalities just since Sunday night.  As reported by the NY Post, the count of people infected with the novel virus in NYC leaped from 12,339 to 13,119, as of Monday, City Hall reported. The New York City region is now considered an epicenter of the pandemic, due to the figures which show that approximately 5 percent of the world’s confirmed cases are now in the Big Apple.  As of Monday, globally there are a total of 392,331 cases, and tragically 17,156 deaths.

In NYC, as of Monday night, Queens was leading all the boroughs with the most coronavirus cases, numbered at 3,848.  Following closely with the next highest infections was Brooklyn, with 3,742 cases. Manhattan was next with 2,646 cases.  Bronx reported 1,999 confirmed cases and Staten Island had 877.

On Tuesday Morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the rate of the coronavirus’ spread through the state of New York is accelerating like a “bullet train”.  In NYS, the confirmed number of cases is 25,665, and there have been 210 casualties, as of Tuesday Morning.   Over half of those cases, or 14,904, are in the five boroughs.  “We’re not slowing it, and it is accelerating on its own,” said Cuomo in a press briefing.  “The [disease] forecaster said to me, ‘We were looking at a freight train coming across the country.’”  Speaking at Manhattan’s Javits Center, which is now being converted to a 2,000-bed hospital complex, Coumo added, “We’re now looking at a bullet train.”

As per the Post, in NYS the spread of the disease is now doubling every three days.  The state only has roughly 53,000 permanent hospital beds.  Experts are now projecting a demand of 140,000 hospital beds at the peak, up from the previous estimate of 110,000 by Cuomo.  The speedy rate of the spread has led Cuomo to project that this peak may actualize in as little as two to three weeks from now.

“It accelerates the apex, to a point where it could be as close as 14 to 21 days,” the governor said. “The apex is higher than we thought, and the apex is sooner than we thought.  The inescapable conclusion is the rate of infection is going up.”

Among the casualties, a Brooklyn principal has died due to complications from the coronavirus.  As reported by the NY Post, Dezann Romain, principal of the Brooklyn Democracy Academy in Brownsville, died on Monday.   This was the first known casualty of a city public school staffer due to the pandemic.  “Our prayers are with her family and school community as we mourn alongside them. Please keep Principal Romain in your thoughts and continue to do everything possible to keep yourselves and your loved ones safe during this health crisis,” the union said in a statement.

The 36-year-old was promoted up from assistant principal between 2016 and 2017 at the transfer high school, as per public records.  “This is painful for all of us, and I extend my deepest condolences to the Brooklyn Democracy Academy community, and the family of Principal Romain,” said Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, in a statement.

 

Trump: “We Have to Go Back to Work;” Cuomo: “Virus Spreading Like Bullet Train”

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No Access to Coronavirus tests, no access to face masks, number of COVID-19 cases in NY hits triple digits

With lives and the economy hanging in the balance, President Trump said Tuesday he is hoping the country will be reopened by the upcoming Easter holiday as he weighs how to refine nationwide social-distancing guidelines to put some workers back on the job amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Thus far, the COVID-19 infection has claimed the lives of over 600 Americans and the number keeps climbing.

As many public health officials call for stricter, not looser restrictions on public interactions, Trump said he was already looking toward easing the advisories that have sidelined workers, shuttered schools and led to a widespread economic slowdown.

“I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter,” he said during a Fox News virtual town hall. Easter is just over two weeks away — Apr. 12.  “We have to go back to work, much sooner than people thought,” he added.

Trump expressed eagerness to nudge many people back to work in coming weeks and held out a prospect, based more on hope than science, that the country could be returning to normal in less than a month. Medical professionals say social distancing needs to be stepped up, not relaxed, to slow the spread of infections.

Only days ago, Trump told reporters at a Coronavirus Task Force press briefing that the virus which emanated from Wuhan China would continue to dominate our lives until at least August if not beyond that. Now, it appears, the commander in chief has changed mind about the trajectory of the virus. He has placed more emphasis on strengthening the economy, which is the key element that he is running on in his November re-election bid.

Health experts have made clear that unless Americans continue to dramatically limit social interaction — staying home from work and isolating themselves — the number of infections will overwhelm the health care system, as it has in parts of Italy, leading to many more deaths. While the worst outbreaks are concentrated in certain parts of the country, such as New York, experts warn that the highly infectious disease is certain to spread.

The U.S. is now more than a week into an unprecedented 15-day effort to encourage all Americans to drastically scale back their public activities. The guidelines, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are voluntary, but many state and local leaders have issued mandatory restrictions in line with, or even tighter than, those issued by the CDC.

Americans, in general, have voiced their frustrations about the abysmal lack of access to Coronavirus testing as well as the inability to purchase protective face masks to help in deterring the contagion. Surgical masks are almost impossible to come by in both medical supply stores and online web sites.

According to unnamed sources who spoke to the Jewish Voice on the condition of anonymity and who are very familiar with the situation involving the significant lack of essential medical services and supplies in the New York City area said, “If a person wants a mask right now to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, then they have to visit certain physicians (who shall remain nameless) and just give them $150.00 and they will receive 15 masks. In terms of trying to find a doctor who will administer a Coronavirus test, you can located one but it will cost you any where between $300-$600 if not more (depending on the physician) to get tested and to get the results back in a timely manner.”

On Monday, the U.S. saw its biggest jump yet in the death toll from the virus, with 609 America deaths attributed to COVID-19 since the outbreak began. Trump’s comments come after dire warnings by officials in hard-hit areas, including New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned Tuesday that his state’s hospital capacity will soon hit a breaking point, even with the restrictions already in place.

“I gave it two weeks,” Trump said during the virtual town hall from the Rose Garden. He argued that tens of thousands of Americans die from the seasonal flu or in automobile accidents and “we don’t turn the country off.”

“We’ll assess at that time and we’ll give it some more time if we need a little more time, but we need to open this country up,” he added. “We have to go back to work, much sooner than people thought.”

Trump’s Easter target was not immediately embraced by Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator for Trump’s task force, who indicated any move would have to be guided by data still being collected. She suggested that public health professionals could recommend a general easing, while pushing for local restrictions to remain in the hardest-hit areas.

Trump acknowledged that some want the guidance to continue, but claimed without providing evidence that it would lead to “deaths” from suicides and depression.

“I’m sure that we have doctors that would say ‘let’s keep it closed for two years,'” Trump said. “No, we got to get it open.”

He added: “This cure is worse than the problem.”

Trump also criticized Cuomo, who has grown critical of the slow pace of federal aid to his state, particularly to fill its urgent need for ventilators.

The reassessment comes as the White House is encouraging lawmakers on Capitol Hill to pass a roughly $2 trillion stimulus package to ease the financial pain for Americans and hard-hit industries.

Appearing before the president at the virtual town hall, Vice President Mike Pence said Trump has asked for recommendations from the White House coronavirus task force for how he can send people back to work while minimizing the public health risk. He said Trump wants to find a way “to open America back up.”

Trump’s enthusiasm for getting people back to work comes as he takes stock of the political toll the outbreak is taking. It sets up a potential conflict with medical professionals, including many within his government, who have called for more social restrictions to slow the spread of the virus, not fewer.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading expert on infectious diseases and a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, did not appear at the virtual town hall, but Trump denied there were any tensions between the two men.

Lawmakers have suggested that they’ll look to Fauci for guidance on when the restrictions should be lifted.

“I’m going to take my lead from Anthony Fauci.” Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., on CNN. “That’s the person I trust, that’s the person Americans trust.

Fauci told WMAL on Tuesday that Trump has always heeded his recommendations.

“The president has listened to what I have said and to what the other people on the task force have said, when I have made recommendations he has taken them. He’s never countered or overridden me, the idea of just pitting one against the other is just not helpful,” Fauci said.

Larry Kudlow, Trump’s top economic adviser, told reporters Tuesday that “public health includes economic health.”

“That’s the key point. And it’s not either-or. It’s not either-or, and that’s why we’re taking a fresh look at it,” he said.

During a private conference call with roughly 30 conservative leaders on Tuesday, Pence reinforced Trump’s eagerness to lift coronavirus-related work and travel restrictions “in a matter of weeks, not months.”

Pence said there would be no formal decisions made until the current 15-day period of social distancing was complete when pressed on a specific timeline for lifting restrictions, according to a conference call participant who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of the private discussion.

Pence told the group that accommodations would need to be made for the highest-risk populations if and when restrictions begin to be lifted.

Despite Trump’s rosy talk, other elements of the government were digging in for the long haul. Top defense and military leaders on Tuesday warned department personnel that the virus problems could extend for eight to ten weeks, or even into the summer.

Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a Defense Department town hall meeting that it could go into late May or June, and possibly even July. He said there are a variety of models from other countries, so the exact length of the virus and its restrictions are not yet clear.

Congressional and White House officials said Tuesday a deal appears to be at hand to provide sweeping aid to businesses and workers facing ruin from the coronavirus pandemic.

Both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the top Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer, said agreement appeared close on the nearly $2 trillion package. “I don’t see any issue that can’t be overcome within the next few hours,” Schumer said. “Last night I thought we were on the five-yard line. Now we’re on the two.”

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and congressional leaders engaged in final negotiations after a tumultuous but productive day on Monday. While the two sides have resolved many issues in the sweeping package, some sticking points remained. Also, the complex task of writing legislation can take time, aides warned. A Senate vote could come later in the day or on Wednesday.

“We’re trying to finalize all the documents, going through a lot of complicated issues, and we’re making a lot of progress,” Mnuchin said. “I hope it’s today, absolutely. Still think we can get there.”

Ravaged in recent days, stocks climbed as negotiators signaled a resolution was in sight.

At issue is an unprecedented economic rescue package that would give direct payments to most Americans, expanded unemployment benefits, and a $367 billion program for small businesses to keep making payroll while workers are forced to stay home. A point of contention has been $500 billion for guaranteed loans to larger industries.

A one-time payment of $1,200 per person, or $3,000 for a family of four, would go directly to the public.

Hospitals could get up to $200 billion for the expected influx of sick patients, said Mnuchin.

Democrats said the package would help replace the salary of furloughed workers for four months, rather than the three months first proposed. Furloughed workers would get however much a state usually provides for unemployment, plus a one-time $600 add-on.

Opening the Senate on Tuesday, McConnell combined optimism about the chances for a deal with frustration at the delays — and a sober view of the crisis at hand.

“The urgency and the gravity of this moment cannot be lost on anyone,” he said. On the negotiations, he said: “It’s taken a lot of noise and a lot of rhetoric to get us here.” Still, “we are very close. We are close to a bill that takes our bold Republican framework, integrates further ideas from both parties, and delivers huge progress.”

Earlier Tuesday, Trump urged swift action. “Congress must approve the deal, without all of the nonsense, today,” he tweeted. “The longer it takes, the harder it will be to start up our economy.”

Democrats pointed to gains for hospitals, additional oversight of the huge industry stabilization fund, and money for cash-strapped states. A companion appropriations package ballooned as well, growing from a $46 billion White House proposal to an unprecedented $300 billion, including a late $25 billion White House request for a flexible disaster response fund.

To provide transparency, the package is expected to create a new inspector general and oversight board for the corporate dollars, much as was done during the TARP bank rescue, officials said.

The sense of optimism extended to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who told CNBC: “I think there is real optimism that we could get something done in the next few hours.” Only Monday, Pelosi introduced a massive Democratic measure with liberal priorities, drawing scorn from Republicans.

The long evening of shuttle negotiations came after a long day trying to close the deal. The package is a far-reaching effort to prop up the U.S. economy, help American households and bolster the health care system in the growing crisis. Senate passage would send the legislation to the House.

President Trump is pictured here on the Rose Garden of the White House as he participates in a town hall discussion with Fox News host, Bill Hemmer. Photo Credit: AP

Trump in recent days has sounded a note of frustration about the unprecedented modern-day effort to halt the virus’ march by essentially shutting down public activities in ways that now threaten the U.S. economy.

Even though Trump’s administration recommended Americans curtail activities for 15 days, starting just over a week ago, the president says he may soon allow parts of the economy, in regions so far less badly hit by the virus, to begin reopening.

He continued on that theme Tuesday as he weighed a relaxation of social distancing guidelines after the 15-day period is up. His suggestion that the pandemic could ease and allow a return to normalcy in a mere few weeks is not supported by public health officials or many others in government.

On Tuesday, top defense and military leaders warned department personnel that the virus problems could extend for eight to 10 weeks, or longer. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a Defense Department town hall meeting that the crisis could even extend into July.

With a wary population watching and waiting, Washington labored under the size and scope of a rescue package — larger than the 2008 bank bailout and 2009 recovery act combined.

Trump has balked at using his authority under the recently invoked Defense Protection Act to compel the private sector to manufacture needed medical supplies like masks and ventilators, even as he encourages them to spur production. “We are a country not based on nationalizing our business,” said Trump, who has repeatedly railed against socialism overseas and among Democrats.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. (Associated Press)

(Jewish Voice feature writer, Fern Sidman contributed to this report)

India Goes Under Total Lock Down Over Coronavirus

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From all accounts India is on the verge of a major health crisis due to the dreaded coronavirus pandemic. Initially India looked like they had dodged a bullet with very low amounts of cases compared to the rest of the world.

Things have changed rapidly.  The Covid-19 tally has crossed the 500-mark with the first case coming to the fore from the North East on Tuesday, according to India today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a three-week lockdown for all of India. “To save India and every Indian, there will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes,” he said in a national address.

In his second national broadcast in a week on the pandemic raging across much of the world with the number of infections rising in India, Modi made a fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the ‘lakshman rekha’ of their homes in the next three weeks, Vox detailed.

India is a nation of 1.33 billion people, only second to china in population. America’s population is 325 million to put this humongous nation into perspective.  It is hard to fathom a nation that large under what is essentially martial law. Ctizens are not allowed even out of their homes, according to media accounts

The Centre and state governments have taken measures to ensure that the supply of all essential items continue smoothly, he said, seeking to allay apprehensions among people about availability of food and other essential provisions, India Today explained.

According to Health Ministry data on Tuesday, the total number of Covid-19 cases in India includes at least 41 foreign nationals. Thirty-six people have been cured/discharged/migrated, it added, Vox reported.

 

 

Homeland Security Memo: Terrorists May Exploit Pandemic

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THE DEPARTMENT OF Homeland Security has sent a letter to law enforcement officials warning that terrorists may try to seek advantage of the coronavirus pandemic by carrying out attacks on the U.S, according to US News and world report

“Violent extremists probably are seeking to exploit public fears associated with the spread of COVID-19 to incite violence, intimidate targets and promote their ideologies, and we assess these efforts will intensify in the coming months,” according to the intelligence bulletin, compiled by the agency’s Counterterrorism Mission Center and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.

ABC news uncovered this bulletin recently.

DHS said it has “no information indicating any active plotting is underway,” but that it has observed certain extremist groups, both foreign and domestic, looking to spread misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic

ABC reported: Among the activities by extremist organizations cited in the DHS bulletin is a clipping from a weekly ISIS newsletter, which called for supporters to carry out attacks against overburdened health care systems in various Western countries.

Another portion of the bulletin singles out activity by white supremacists online who the DHS says have “advocated for violence against a range of targets, including critical infrastructure and faith-based and minority communities — including Asian Americans in response to the COVID outbreak.”

On Monday The Jewish Voice reported:  Federal investigators were  said to have been monitoring communications among white supremacist organizations through Telegram, an encrypted messaging app that has become popular among underground extremist movements, according to dailymail.com. ‘Violent extremists continue to make bioterrorism a popular topic among themselves,’ according to an intelligence brief written by the Federal Protective Service.”

The FBI alert, which went out on Thursday, told local police agencies that extremists want their followers to try to use spray bottles to spread bodily fluids to cops on the street. The extremists are also directing followers to spread the disease to Jews by going “any place they may be congregated, to include markets, political offices, businesses and places of worship,” reported Yahoo News.