Last week, fueled by fears of the novel and notorious corona virus, the U.S. stock market fell roughly 13 percent. The painful market correction was a reminder that China’s probable mishandling of the outbreak will doubtlessly have repercussions around the globe. Photo Credit–Encyclopedia Brittanica
By Ilana Siyance
Last week, fueled by fears of the novel and notorious corona virus, the U.S. stock market fell roughly 13 percent. The painful market correction was a reminder that China’s probable mishandling of the outbreak will doubtlessly have repercussions around the globe. On Friday, Wall Street logged its largest weekly decline since the 2008 financial crisis. Fear has gripped doomsayers, as the epidemic has now claimed more than 3,000 lives and infected roughly 86,000 people across the globe. China, which is the world’s second largest economy, has seen factory activity plummet at the fastest pace ever recorded, leading to fears of recession.
Experts in Infectious diseases are saying that the COVID-19 virus is highly communicable, but that its mortality rate thankfully has been much lower than other diseases such as SARS, and bird flu. The people most at risk for corona are the elderly and those whose immune systems are already impaired.
The U.S. Federal Reserve as well as the central Bank of Japan have stepped up to reassure the public that they will do what they can to stimulate economic growth. As per Reuters, the Fed is expected to cut interest rates 50 basis points at its next meeting on March 17-18.
As a result, the U.S. stock market seems to be picking itself back up, with green across the boards, in a modest rebound. Before last week’s sell-off, the markets had been at a peak and overbought by most technical measures. As per a recent article in the NY Post, the good news is that bear markets rarely ever begin from all-time highs. Besides for that, this selling frenzy seems not to have lasted long. In fact, historically, usually global health crisis like this have proven to be brilliant buying opportunities in the end.
As per the Post, once the fear of SARS, bird flu, MRSA and Ebola ended, and after the havoc was over, each time the market jumped back up to reach new highs. Of course, any epidemic is always frightful and every caution should be taken to ensure proper health hygiene and travel cautions. But, when the dust clears, hopefully sooner rather than later, from a financial aspect, chances are the time will be looked back at by savvy investors as a big buying opportunity.
While most newspapers focus on instilling dread and anxiety on their readers, and driving market mayhem further, we’d like to hope for the best. Years from now, when the financial market’s history is written, the turbulence will likely be a short term opportunity for a hearty rebound.
On Friday, a court-appointed trustee said that Bernard Madoff’s former clients are about to see their total recovery reach almost $14 billion. Simultaneously, the shamed investment advisor is dying in prison and awaits a U.S. court’s judgment on whether or not he can leave prison early so that he doesn’t have to spend his last days in a cell. Photo Credit: britannica.com
By Hellen Zaboulani
On Friday, a court-appointed trustee said that Bernard Madoff’s former clients are about to see their total recovery reach almost $14 billion. Simultaneously, the shamed investment advisor is dying in prison and awaits a U.S. court’s judgment on whether or not he can leave prison early so that he doesn’t have to spend his last days in a cell.
Irving Picard, the trustee liquidating Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, says the payout, which includes money committed by the Securities Investor Protection Corp., represents 80 percent of the $17.5 billion that customers lost in what is being called the biggest Ponzi scheme in history. As per the NY Post, Picard said he already started distributing $369 million to 854 accounts, for a total payout of $13.93 billion to eligible customers. As of Friday, Picard already fully paid back 1,469 clients, or 64 percent of the 2,282 eligible customer accounts affected. Another $2.38 billion has been paid out from a Department of Justice compensation fund to clients and other Madoff victims, including schools, pension funds and charities.
At the same time, Madoff who pleaded guilty in 2009 to 11 criminal charges and has already served close to 11 years in jail, is dying in prison and awaits the decision on whether the court will allow him to be free. On February 5th, the 81-year-old’s lawyer requested a “compassionate release” on his 150-year sentence, being that he is confined to a wheelchair, suffering from kidney failure and other serious medical conditions, and is said to have less than 18 months left to live. “It is evident from a review of the [applicable] factors that Madoff presents no danger to any person or the community,” says the court filing of the request. “He has no history of violence, he has less than 18 months to live and the public nature of his crimes guarantee that he would be unable to participate in financial or investment-related activities ever again.”
Madoff’s victims were given a chance to weigh in on the decision by Friday. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan will need to reply to Madoff’s request by Wednesday March 4, with victims’ comments likely made public. The decision of whether or not to free Madoff rests with Circuit Judge Denny Chin, who as a federal district judge had said Madoff’s crimes were “extraordinarily evil”. Madoff, who is now housed in a medical facility at the federal prison complex in Butner, North Carolina, has also asked President Donald Trump for a pardon in a commuted sentence. That request is still pending.
A spokesman for Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman declined to comment, except to say that prosecutors would respond to the request in a court filing. The former lead prosecutor in Madoff’s case, Marc Litt, commented to say there’s “no evidence in the public record to justify compassionate release.”
Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb postulates that not only does a person’s clothing tell us a lot about him or her, but the clothing that we wear actually has an impact upon us. Our clothing helps make us who we are
By: Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
My interest in the relationship between a person and his or her clothing goes back to my early days in graduate school. I was taking a course on human personality, under the tutelage of a remarkably insightful and erudite woman, Dr. Mary Henle. I was so enthusiastic about the courses that I took with her that I asked her to supervise my master’s degree thesis.
I remember the morning I shared my proposed topic with her. I thought that one of the ways to assess personality was to take note of the kind of clothing that a person wore. I further postulated that not only does a person’s clothing tell us a lot about him or her, but the clothing that we wear actually has an impact upon us. Our clothing helps make us who we are.
Dr. Henle tactfully deflated my ego that morning. She said, “That’s just an old wives’ tale. Our personalities are very profound, subtle, and complex. At most, our clothing reflects just a superficial aspect of our identity. You give too much credit to the saying, ‘Clothes make the man.’ It is really only a wisecrack attributed to Mark Twain. There is nothing more to it than that.”
I subsequently chose another topic for my master’s degree thesis.
Many years have passed since that disappointing encounter, and Dr. Henle has long since passed away, although I remember her respectfully. During those years, I have learned that she was mistaken on many grounds. For one thing, the saying, “Clothes make the man,” did not originate with Mark Twain. Centuries before the American humorist, the 16th century Catholic theologian Desiderius Erasmus wrote: “Vestis virum facit,” which translates as, “Clothes make the man.” Not long afterwards, none other than William Shakespeare put these words into the mouth of the character Polonius in his famous play Hamlet: “The apparel oft proclaims the man.”
Truth to tell, statements about the relationship between a person and his clothing go back much further than a mere several centuries. Such statements originate in the Bible, and a passage in this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10), is a case in point. We read:
“You shall bring forward your brother, Aaron, with his sons, from among the Israelites, to serve Me as priests…Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and adornment. Next you shall instruct all who are wise of heart… to make Aaron’s vestments, for consecrating him to serve Me as priest.”
Maimonides, codifying the concepts which emerge from the Biblical text, writes: “A High Priest who serves in the Temple with less than his eight vestments, or an ordinary priest who serves with less than his four required vestments…invalidates the service performed and is subject to punishment by death at the hands of Heaven, as if he were an alien who served in the Temple… When their vestments are upon them, their priestly status is upon them, but without their vestments their priestly status is removed from them…” (Hilchot Klei HaMikdash, 10:4).
We are left with the clear impression that these vestments are external manifestations of the royalty and majesty of the priestly role. The clothing literally makes the man. Without the clothing, each priest is “ordinary”—one of God’s subjects for sure, but without any regal status. With the clothing, he is not only bedecked with “dignity and adornment”, but has become a prince, and can play a royal role.
Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, Ramban, makes this even more explicit. He writes, “These are royal garments. These cloaks and robes, tunics and turbans are even today (he lived in 13th century Spain) the apparel of nobility…and no one would dare to wear the crown…or the tekhelet (blue yarn) except for royalty.”
From this perspective, clothes make the man. With them, he is imbued with the spirit of royalty and can carry himself with regal bearing.
Others interpret the function of the sacred garments differently, but all agree that garments influence the wearer in some fashion. For example, Rashi, commenting on the verse, “Put these on your brother Aaron, and on his sons as well; anoint them, and fill their hands” (Exodus 28:41), points out that in the Old French language with which he was familiar, when a person received a new official position the nobleman would put gloves upon him, indicating that he now had the authority of a new position. Rashi uses the Old French word gant, which the reference books that I consulted translate as a “decorative glove.” This would indicate that the garments were a type of official uniform, not necessarily regal, but symbolic of a specialized responsibility. With the donning of the gant the person himself gained the self-assurance of authority and power.
The late 15th century commentator Rabbi Isaac Arama, in his classic Akedat Yitzchak, provides even stronger support for our contention that clothes make the man. He identifies a similarity between the Hebrew word for the Kohen’s uniform and the Hebrew word for ethical character. The Hebrew word for uniform is mad, plural madim, and the Hebrew word for a character trait is midah, plural midot.
Rabbi Arama notes that in Latin, too, the word habitus refers to both a special garment (e.g., a nun’s habit) and a character trait (e.g. a good habit). He persuasively argues that “just as it can be determined from a person’s external appearance as to whether he is a merchant or a soldier or a monk, so too, the discovery of our hidden inner personality begins with our external behaviors.”
For Rabbi Arama, that our clothing is metaphor for our moral standing is evident in this biblical verse: “Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments when he stood before the angel. The latter stood up and spoke to his attendants: ‘Take the filthy garments off him!’ And he said to him: ‘See, I have removed your guilt from you…’” (Zechariah 3:3-4).
Finally, there is another biblical verse which demonstrates the central role of clothing in “making the man.” And here we go back even further in history than this week’s parsha. Indeed, we go all the way back to the first parsha in the Torah, Bereishit: “And the Lord God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21).
Nechama Leibowitz comments: “Everything in the way of culture and civilization was given to man to discover and develop on his own, with his own capacities. Nothing in the way of repairing the world and settling it was given to him by God. Neither the discovery of fire nor farming nor building houses was revealed to man by God. Rather, he was required to invent all these procedures on his own. Only clothing was given to him from Above. “And the Lord…made garments.”
God made clothing for man. And clothing makes the man.
Ah, do I now wish that I had not abandoned my original idea for a master’s degree thesis. What a fascinating thesis it would have been!
Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is Executive Vice President, Emeritus of the Orthodox Union
This week`s parsha, Titsaveh, opens with the words, “V`Atoh titsaveh..,”–”And you shall command…” The words “and you” are puzzling.
Who is “you”, and why is “you” not identified?
You, of course, is a reference to Moshe Rabbenu, and for the very first time since his birth, his name does not appear in the parsha. Rather, HaShem refers to him by the anonymous “You.” But in this anonymity, Moshe speaks with great force and gives us a glimpse of his majesty.
Following the sin of the golden calf, Moshe pleaded “Forgive their sins, but if not, erase me from Your Book…”, and with those words, he put himself on the line and was prepared to sacrifice his own life for his beloved people.
But what sort of defense is this plea? How did Moshe hope that the erasure of his name from G-d`s Book would save his nation? One`s calling, one`s mission is to be found in one`s name. Therefore Moshe reasoned, “If they committed such evil, it must be my fault–I must have failed as a teacher. Hence, erase my name.” Just as a parent pleads on behalf of his wayward child, “He`s really a very good boy. It`s all my fault. I wasn`t the parent I should have been..”, so Moshe Rabbenu in his unflagging love, accepted responsibility for the sins of the nation. G-d forgave the people, but Moshe`s name was omitted from the parsha.
This omission is difficult to understand. After all, why should Moshe be penalized for his self sacrifice? In reality, he is not. In his absence, the greatness of his person is revealed more powerfully than ever before, for we are reminded that he was prepared to lay down his life for our sake. And more, it is always during this parsha that we commemorate Moshe Rabbenu`s yahrzeit which falls on Zayen Adar, the seventh day of Adar. It is on this day that Moshe was born and it is on this day that he died. Thus, forever and ever, when we come to this parsha and realize that Moshe`s name is missing, we also realize that it is the yahrzeit of our beloved Rebbe Moshe Rabbenu, the holy teacher of all Israel.
THE TEACHINGS OF THE MENORAH
Everything in the Tabernacle has a deeper meaning. For example, the menorah represents the sacred light of the Torah and therefore, everything about it is significant–the method of its kindling and the material to be used, as well as its placement. The Torah instructs us to place the menorah “outside of the Partition that is near the Testimonial Tablets” (Exodus 27:21), teaching us that the light of the menorah which reminds us of the eternal light of the Torah must guide us not only when we are in the confines of the sanctuary immersed in study and prayer, but even when we are “outside that Partition.” That light of the Torah must direct our lives, in our homes, in our workplace, or wherever life may take us.
The material -oil used for the lighting of the menorah must be pure olive oil, free of sediment, meaning that our Torah study must be accompanied by purity of heart and commitment. Furthermore, when lighting the menorah, we must be certain that the flame burns brightly, meaning that when we teach Torah, we must impart the lesson in such a way that the student fully understands its teachings.
We live in such menacing times–we have so much stress to contend with. Every day the world becomes more frightening. If ever we needed that pure light of Torah to energize us, give us hope and guide us, it is today. Let us make a commitment to illuminate our minds, hearts and souls with the eternal light of Sinai.
One of my favorite parts of the Purim holiday is preparing and serving dishes that I consider fun, creative and a bit different. For Purim, I often make themed menus, international foods, or just recipes that I might not serve on Shabbos. These recipes are delicious, perfect for Purim, and a bit unique. They also have a great presentation to keep it all extra-special for a Yom Tov.
ZESTY SPICED IMITATION CRAB CAKES
Serves 8–10
This make ahead appetizer is always a big hit. I make the batter the night before serving and fry them up before the guests arrive. They can be made a day ahead of time too and rewarmed. Some of the zestiness in this recipe comes from the Old Bay Seasoning which is a spice blend made by the national brand McCormick. It’s a blend that includes celery salt, red and black pepper, dry mustard, cloves, mace and a few others. It’s also great on chicken, meat and fish so it’s worth buying. If you live out of the country and cannot find it, make a homemade version below.
2 tablespoons unsalted margarine or butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
1½ cups diced celery
1 small red pepper, diced
1 small yellow pepper, diced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
½ teaspoon sriracha sauce or tabasco
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1½ teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning (available in National supermarkets)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ pound imitation crab meat
½ cup plain bread crumbs
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
For frying:
4 tablespoons unsalted margarine/butter
¼ cup olive oil
Serve with store-bought tartar sauce or cocktail sauce
Heat margarine and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, red and yellow peppers, parsley, capers, sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are soft, approximately 10–15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Chop imitation crab meat into ¼-½ inch pieces and place in a bowl. Add in the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard and eggs and mix well. Add the cooked vegetable mixture and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and up to overnight.
Using about 2 tablespoons, shape into 2 ½ inch circular crab cakes.
In a large saute pan, heat margarine/butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the crab cakes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until browned. Drain on paper towels; Serve warm with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce.
HOMEMADE OLD BAY SEASONING
Makes about 1 ½ tablespoons
1 tablespoon celery salt.
1/4 teaspoon paprika.
1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
1 pinch ground dry mustard.
1 pinch ground mace (may substitute a teensy pinch nutmeg)
1 pinch ground cinnamon.
In a small bowl mix all ingredients. Store covered in a dry pantry for up to three months.
TUSCAN WHITE BEAN SOUP
Serves 4-6
“This recipe is from our Culinary Boot Camp Series at the JCC in NYC, it’s perfect for practicing knife skills and perfecting seasoning with herbs and spices. It is one of the most flavorful and delicious Tuscan White Bean Soups I’ve ever had! ” Jennifer Goren, Director of Culinary Arts, recipe courtesy of Chef Instructor John Scoff
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 head garlic, roasted or 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 quart vegetarian chicken broth
2 (14-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (white beans)
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 small head green cabbage, chopped thin
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
In a large, heavy soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted garlic squeezed from its skin (or chopped garlic) and fennel, and cook until the fennel has softened, about 5 minutes more.
Stir in the tomatoes, broth, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, beans, herbs, cabbage, zucchini, and parsnips, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until all the vegetables and beans are tender, about 30 minute. Remove and discard bay leaf. Add salt and pepper.
Serve the soup warm or at room temperature with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
STUFFED ARTICHOKES
Serves 8
From GKC friend and fabulous chef Levana Kirschenbaum of Levanacooks.com
You can stuff artichoke bottoms with virtually anything you like: meat, fish, rice, vegetables, cheese, breadcrumbs. Simple add 1–2 cups chopped smoked fish, or cooked meat to this mixture to change it up. They are great for special occasions because they can be made a day ahead of serving.
1 large onion, quartered
4 large cloves garlic
2 ribs celery, peeled
1 bunch flat parsley
6-8 sprigs dill, fronds and stems
¼ cup olive oil
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons capers
3 cups fresh bread crumbs (gluten-free are fine here)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
14-16 large frozen artichoke bottoms, no need to thaw before using.
Cooking liquid:
2 cups water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 good pinches saffron
In a food processor, coarsely chop the onion, garlic, celery, parsley and dill. Heat the oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add vegetables and sauté the mixture until translucent. Add juice, zest, capers, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and mix thoroughly, adding a few drops water if necessary to form a thick paste.
Fill the artichokes with the mixture. In a medium saucepan, combine water, olive oil, turmeric, and saffron and to a boil. Place the artichoke bottoms stuffing side up in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Transfer the artichokes to a platter. Continue to cook the sauce, until reduced slightly and thickened, about 5 more minutes. Pour sauce over artichokes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
WINE BRAISED LAMB WITH DRIED FRUIT
Serves 6
WINE BRAISED LAMB WITH DRIED FRUIT
This showstopper main course is a Purim favorite. Make it ahead of time and rewarm before serving. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. lamb stew meat (cut 1 inch thick)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
8 garlic cloves, halved
10 thyme sprigs, plus more for garnish
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup dried cranberries (3 ounces)
1/2 cup dried apricots (3 ounces), quartered
1 ½ cups beef broth or chicken broth
In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Sprinkle the lamb with salt, pepper, and coriander. Add lamb, garlic, and thyme and cook over high heat, turning once, until the lamb pieces are browned and the garlic cloves are browned in spots, about 5 minutes.
Add the red wine, dried cherries and dried apricots to the skillet and bring to a boil. Cook over moderate heat until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat until the lamb is tender and the sauce is thick and glossy, about 35 minutes; turn the lamb once or twice during cooking. Discard the thyme sprigs.
This can be made a day ahead of time. Skim fat and rewarm before serving.
MIXED GREEN SALAD WITH AVOCADO, MANGO AND HONEY VINAIGRETTE
Serves 8
MIXED GREEN SALAD WITH AVOCADO, MANGO AND HONEY VINAIGRETTE
This classic salad is sweet and savory. Feel free to use any seasonal fruit in place of mango like papaya, apple, pear, or persimmon (in the fall).
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4–5 cups mixed greens
1 cup diced ripe mangos or peaches
1/2 avocado, diced
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
In a blender or an immersion blender, combine vinegar, honey, shallots, mustard and garlic. Purée until smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. While continuing to blend, slowly drizzle the olive oil until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Mix in salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
For the salad: In a bowl or on a platter combine the mixed greens, mango, avocado, and pine nuts. Drizzle about 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette into the bowl and season with salt and pepper. Toss the salad and serve. Add more dressing as needed.
BUTTERSCOTCH BLONDIES WITH PRETZELS AND PEANUTS
BUTTERSCOTCH BLONDIES WITH PRETZELS AND PEANUTS. photo: epicurious.com
Serves 12–16, makes about 35 pieces
In addition to hamantashen (see last year’s article or many varieties on www.gourmetkoshercooking.com) I serve lots of leftover treats from mishloach manot plus treats that I can make a serve in small pieces. People enjoy taking a bit of this and a bit of that instead of a full piece of cake or pie. These can be made a few days ahead of serving. They keep well in the refrigerator or in an airtight container. Recipe inspired by Bon Appetit, it’s been tested and edited.
Blondie
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 ½ sticks) margarine
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Peanut Pretzel Caramel Filling
4 cups roasted unsalted peanuts
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine
1/2 cup pareve whipping cream
1 ½ cups (1-1/2″-wide) thin twisted pretzels, coarsely crushed
Blondie
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on long sides of pan.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Stir margarine in a medium skillet over medium heat until browned bits form at bottom of pan, 7–8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat until well combined and mixture resembles wet sand, 2–3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy and well combined, about 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients; beat until smooth (batter will be thick). Using an offset or regular spatula, evenly spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake blondie until golden brown, edges pull away from sides of pan, and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 20–25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
Peanut Pretzel Caramel Filling
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread peanuts over sheet in an even layer. Bake, stirring frequently, until golden brown and fragrant, 5–7 minutes. Set aside.
Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, whisking to melt sugar. Increase heat; boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until caramel is deep amber, 12–15 minutes. Add honey; return to a boil, stirring often, about 1 minute longer. Add margarine; stir until blended. Add pareve cream (mixture will bubble vigorously); whisk until smooth. Stir in peanuts and pretzels. Pour over cooled blondie. Chill until cool, about 30 minutes.
Run a knife around short sides of pan to release blondie. Using parchment-paper overhang, lift from pan. Cut lengthwise into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into squares.
The International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) conference in Tel Aviv, presented by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism, featured representatives from more than 50 countries in the global tourism industry, Feb. 11-12, 2020. Photo by Chen Galili.
The event, featuring an exhibition of 11 startups, was attended by ministers and ambassadors from Nepal, the Republic of Srpska (Serb Republic), Greece, Honduras, Equatorial Guinea, Slovak Republic, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Georgia
By: Eliana Rudee
In the company of senior representatives from more than 50 countries in the global tourism industry, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism presented its developments and innovations for 2020 at the recent International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) conference in Tel Aviv.
The fair not only represents the flagship event of the Israeli tourism industry, but also the largest tourism fair in the greater Middle East.
Yaturu, an augmented-reality/virtual-reality company that produces walking tours of ancient Israel for tourists, was one of the featured startups at the International Mediterranean Tourism Market in Tel Aviv from Feb. 11-12, 2020. Photo by Eliana Rudee.
During the two-day fair from Feb. 11-12 in Tel Aviv, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism held a series of lectures and panels that presented several of the reforms and marketing-policy initiatives spearheaded that have led to record-breaking incoming tourism figures. Topics included, among many, accessibility in tourism and the development of the Negev as a tourism brand and leading tourism destination in Israel.
The 26th conference took place after a record-breaking year for incoming tourism with more than 4.5 million tourists in 2019—a 55 percent increase in just three years.
“Today, it is clear that tourism is a very significant economic growth engine for the State of Israel,” said Tourism Minister Yariv Levin. “We recently ended 2019 with an injection of more than NIS 22 billion (nearly $6.5 billion) into the Israeli economy from tourism. I am optimistic for 2020, and believe that the reforms and innovative steps we are spearheading will bear fruit this year as well, despite the budgetary challenges we are expecting to face.”
IMTM 2020’s opening event, held in Jerusalem, featured an exhibition of booths, food and 11 travel technology startups. Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion attended the gala, as did ministers and ambassadors from Nepal, the Republic of Srpska (Serb Republic), Greece, Honduras, Equatorial Guinea, Slovak Republic, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Georgia.
In his address, Lion referred to the IMTM event as a “fulfillment of the words of Micah, who prophesized that all the nations of the world will come to Jerusalem.” He said it correctly portrays Jerusalem as a city thousands of years old, which birthed the world’s oldest faith, and yet, it is “a modern capital city and center of commerce” with flourishing technology.
Nofar Nistani, director of Jerusalem Entrepreneurs Tourism Hub for the Jerusalem Development Authority, expressed her pride in exposing guests from around the world to Israeli innovation and the future of tourism. “Israel has much to show, and we want to do it with technology and startups,” she told JNS.
‘The power to connect the Diaspora to its roots’
Ariel Karen, an Israeli actor and the emcee at the International Mediterranean Tourism Market conference in Tel Aviv, presented by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism, Feb. 11-12, 2020. Photo by Eliana Rudee.
Yaturu, an augmented-reality/virtual-reality company that produces walking tours of ancient Israel for tourists, was one of the featured startups, co-founded by Jonathan Dyne, an immigrant to Jerusalem from Sydney, Australia.
“Our goal is that when a person puts on our glasses and [virtually] stands in the Temple of King David, we can recreate it to better understand what it was like and have a sense of the history, so when they take off the glasses, they’ll have a better appreciation for the place,” Dyne told JNS.
Dyne says Yaturu’s virtual augmented tours, which are based in biblical Jerusalem, have the power to connect the Diaspora to its roots. “The story we tell is about Jewish roots in Jerusalem—it is based in the Kotel [Western Wall], the City of David and the dramas of King Solomon, King Hezekiah and Prophet Jeremiah—the essence of Jewish history in Jerusalem and Israel as a whole,” he said.
Dyne’s company has benefited from the growth of tourism in Jerusalem, he maintained, allowing further development of educational tours in the United States, Singapore and Costa Rica.
Ella Stahl, vice president of sales for Jerusalem-based trip-planning startup Gamitee, similarly referred to how the growth of tourism in Israel positively impacts her company and vice versa—how her company aims to positively impact Israel in return.
“As an Israeli travel startup, we are strongly and positively affected by the rise of tourism to Israel. Over the past few years, there have been many initiatives aimed at increasing tourism to Israel, and we are proud to take part in some of them,” she told JNS.
Gamitee, she explained, offers consumers planning their vacations a more streamlined process. Like a “WhatsApp group plus a wish list,” individuals can invite their travel companions to the website, cutting down the time it takes to plan a vacation. In return, clients are more likely to consume travel products and services on their trip, thereby contributing to the receiving economy.
“We offer our clients a more convenient way to book their vacations,” said Stahl, “and are hoping to see our tool put to use by the many more tourists who are now visiting Israel.”
El Al CEO Gonen Usishkin has asked the company’s human resources department to prepare to let go 1,000 of the company’s 6,300 employees, citing financial losses due to the global coronavirus outbreak, according to Israeli media reports.
By: JNS
El Al CEO Gonen Usishkin has asked the company’s human resources department to prepare to let go 1,000 of the company’s 6,300 employees, citing financial losses due to the global coronavirus outbreak, according to Israeli media reports.
El Al had reported to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that the epidemic could result in $70 million in lost revenue from January to April, according to a report by the Israeli business daily Globes on Thursday. This estimate was made before El Al was forced on Friday to stop flights to Italy for two weeks. Flights to Bangkok are being canceled until the end of March starting on Monday, while the launch of the carrier’s new flight to Tokyo is being delayed until April, the report said.
The global travel industry is being hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, with German carrier Lufthansa announcing that it is cutting its short-haul flights by up to 25 percent as demand drops, according to a report in the Financial Times on Friday. British Airways parent company IAG said that the situation meant that it could not provide a profit outlook for 2020.
Many companies are deciding to cancel scheduled events, and the Swiss government has banned all events expected to be attended by over 1,000 people, including the Geneva Motor Show, the report said.
As was previously reported by the Jewish Voice several weeks ago, the Chief Executive Officer of El Al said that he sees “difficult days ahead.” But is it the Israeli airline that self that is making those days difficult?
Usishkin has also said that “It is possible that we will be required to take dramatic steps and make painful decisions.” Recent situations, he added have proven to be “a test for countries around the world, including Israel, the aviation sector and El Al.”
He added, “I assure you that we will do everything we can to successfully get through these days, and we will do so responsibly, transparently and without haste… We are in the midst of a global event, and it is too soon to predict the impact… Safety and security will always be our top priority.”
But many believe it is the airline itself that is failing its test.
Indeed, a large number of flights both to and from Beijing and Hong Kong had to be canceled, and flights to Bangkok have been cut back by 50% over the past couple of weeks. To make matters worse, large numbers of tourists and other travelers have canceled their plans out of fear of being exposed to the virus.
An Italian army soldier blocks off a road leading to the village of Vo'Euganeo, in Italy's northern Veneto region, on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Vo'Euganeo is the epicenter of the Veneto cluster of the new virus. (Claudio Fulan/LaPresse via AP)
By: AP
A new U.S. government advisory on Sunday urged Americans not to travel to two Italian regions hardest hit by a new virus, raising the level of warning for the Lombard and Veneto regions to the highest level.
The advisory cited quarantines set up in 10 Lombard towns and one in Veneto, with a combined population of 50,000 people, as well as the ‘’the level of community transmission of the virus.”
It follows an earlier warning late Friday to avoid non-essential travel to all of Italy, where more than 1,100 cases were confirmed through Saturday along with 29 deaths.
Tourism officials have cited the previous warning covering all of Italy as potentially calamitous to the industry, which represents 13% of gross domestic product in a country famed for its world-class museums, archaeological sites, art cities and natural beauty.
More than 5.6 million Americans visit Italy every year, representing 9% of foreign tourists and the second-largest national group behind Germans, according to the most recent statistics.
Lombardy, which includes Italy’s financial capital Milan, accounts for just over half of the cases while Veneto and Emilia-Romagna have 18% and 20%, respectively. All three regions have closed schools for the time being. In Veneto and Lombardy, closures also have hit museums, theaters, cinemas and most public offices, emptying urban centers like Milan, where many companies permitted office workers to telecommute.
Earlier Sunday, the French community church in Rome, St. Louis of the French, closed its doors to the public on after a priest was infected with a new virus.
The church in the historic center of Rome is famous for three paintings by the Baroque master Caravaggio, making it a destination for tourists and the faithful alike. A sign on the door Sunday noted in French that the church had been closed as a precaution by the French Embassy for both Masses and touristic visits until further notice.
The Religious Information Service news agency reported that the church was closed after a 43-year-old priest who had returned to Paris was hospitalized after being infected by coronavirus. The service carried a statement by the archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit, who said the priest, who had been living in Rome, returned to Paris by car in mid-February, and tested positive for the virus on Friday. The priest was in good condition, Aupetit said.
It was the first church in Rome closed by the virus. Churches in much of Veneto and Lombardy have closed their doors under widespread measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus. Televised Masses were available for the faithful.
Part of a group representing Koreatown restaurants sit and listen to community leaders voice their concerns during a news conference at Hanshin Poca restaurant in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
By: AP
In a Koreatown restaurant known for its beef bone broth soup, the lunchtime crowd Friday was half its normal size. The reason was a virulent rumor about a customer with coronavirus.
Han Bat Shul Lung Tang was one of five restaurants that lost business after being named in posts on a Korean messaging app that warned a Korean Air flight attendant with the virus had dined there during a layover in Los Angeles more than a week ago.
“It’s fake news,” owner John Kim said, and he had proof. His restaurant was closed at the time because of a water leak, a fact confirmed by the Department of Public Health.
The rumor about the flight attendant was dispelled Friday morning by the Republic of Korea consulate in Los Angeles. In a statement posted in Korean on Facebook, the consulate general said the attendant who visited Los Angeles on Feb. 19-20 had gone to two businesses but neither was in Koreatown. Later in the day, public health officials said the flight attendant was not contagious while in the city.
The rumor and the impact on the restaurants was a prime example of how fears of the virus combined with the speed and reach of social media can quickly cripple the healthiest of businesses and focus suspicion on ethnic communities.
The virus, which began in China, has been spreading worldwide and has taken a big toll lately in South Korea. Lawmakers and advocates for immigrant communities have warned about xenophobia and discrimination aimed at Asian Americans.
State Assemblyman Kansen Chu, D-San Jose, said Chinese businesses, in particular, were experiencing large economic losses as a result of racism and fear.
A group representing Koreatown restaurants said business in general was down about 50% since the rumor spread on the Kakao Talk app on Monday.
One message circulating on the app provided details of the flights the attendant worked on and listed the restaurants that said she purportedly visited with the message: “Please share with everyone to avoid these ktown spots,” using an abbreviation for Koreatown.
“In the Korean-American community here, it went like wildfire,” Alex Won said Friday as he ate a bowl of beef brisket soup at Han Bat Shul Lung Tang. “It’s sad.”
Won said he got the message from friends and family members, but never really believed it because it wasn’t reported in the news. He stopped at the restaurant at the start of the week and found it closed because of a water leak. He was happy to return for a late lunch Friday and was surprised to find he was the only diner.
“I’ve never seen it this empty,” he said. “There’s always people here.”
Owners of other restaurants named in the post said business died almost instantly.
At Honey Pig, a Korean barbecue restaurant with 25 tables, only six parties were seated during one bad day of business this week, owner Chin Kim said.
Customers had been calling to inquire if the rumors were true, and some asked more outlandish questions, Kim said. One woman who had dined at the restaurant recently called to ask if it was safe to attend her daughter’s upcoming wedding, Kim said.
Owners were frustrated they couldn’t get more information from public health officials. Korean news media reported Thursday that South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a female flight attendant who tested positive for the virus had traveled to Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it was aware of reports about the flight attendant but had no confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention until late Friday. That’s when it said she did not develop symptoms of the illness known as COVID-19 until after leaving LA, so she posed no risk while in the city.
With a rumor they couldn’t confirm or deny, some restaurants took no chances. Video circulated on social media of a worker in a hazmat-type suit spraying down the floors at Hangari Kalguksu, a noodle soup house.
The sign outside Hanshin Pocha, a bar offering traditional Korean snack fare, boasts “never been closed since 1998.” Nevertheless, the establishment shuttered Tuesday to sanitize the restaurant. Bottles of hand sanitizer were lined up on a counter next to bottled water.
“It’s a bad rumor, but people like bad rumors,” said Jay Choi, manager of Hanshin Pocha.
Northwell President & CEO Michael Dowling established the new center to help shape the role that Northwell and other health systems can play in advancing safety, education, prevention and research, bolstered by his pledge of $1 million to support those efforts – and a call for other large health systems to match his financial commitment.
Appoints external advisory committee of nationally recognized experts to address rising public health crisis
As part of an ongoing effort to spur national debate on the need for health care leaders to help curtail the nearly 40,000 firearms-related deaths that occur every year in the US, Northwell Health today announced the creation of a Center for Gun Violence Prevention.
Northwell President & CEO Michael Dowling established the new center to help shape the role that Northwell and other health systems can play in advancing safety, education, prevention and research, bolstered by his pledge of $1 million to support those efforts – and a call for other large health systems to match his financial commitment.
“I firmly believe that health care leaders have a social responsibility to try to stop the mindless bloodshed caused by firearms-related violence in this country, just as we respond aggressively to health crises like vaping, the flu or the new coronavirus that is causing worldwide panic,” said Mr. Dowling. “While many health system CEOs continue to remain silent, the Gun Violence Prevention Forum that Northwell hosted two months ago in Manhattan reaffirmed the incredible passion that exists among the nation’s physicians, researchers, administrators and others who are committed to combatting what is clearly a public health emergency.”
Daniel Webster, MD, director, Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.
Northwell’s new Center for Gun Violence Prevention is headed by Chethan Sathya, MD, a pediatric surgeon and associate trauma medical director at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, with support from Thomas McGinn, MD, Northwell’s deputy physician-in-chief, and Jose Prince, MD, vice chair of surgery at Northwell Health and director of the Laboratory of Pediatric Injury and Inflammation at The Feinstein Institutes’ Center for Immunology and Inflammation.
As a result of relationships forged at Northwell’s December 12th forum, the following prominent voices on gun violence prevention have agreed to serve on an advisory committee that will guide the new interdisciplinary center:
Peter Masiakos, MD, founder, Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Gun Violence Prevention;
Robert McLean, MD, president, American College of Physicians;
Megan Ranney, MD, chief research officer, AFFIRM Research;
Mark Rosenberg, MD, former head, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and
Daniel Webster, MD, director, Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.
“Our goal is to build a blueprint for how health systems across the nation can reduce gun violence and promote gun safety,” said Dr. Sathya, whose trauma surgery training at Northwestern Medicine’s Children’s Hospital in Chicago involved treating babies with gunshot wounds. “If we can develop a successful gun violence prevention strategy internally, it will serve as an example for other health systems and industries to follow suit. We want to lead the charge on this and show others that meaningful change is possible and that lives can be saved.”
About Northwell Health
Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, about 750 outpatient facilities and more than 13,600 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 70,000 employees – 16,000-plus nurses and 4,000 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We’re training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Vice President Mike Pence sought Sunday to reassure the American public that the federal government is working to make sure state and local authorities are able to test for coronavirus, as the number of U.S. cases grew following reports of the first infections in Illinois and Rhode Island.
Fanning out across the Sunday talk shows, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar disclosed the latest case in Chicago but offered no other details. Azar and Pence, who also made the rounds, said thousands more kits to test for coronavirus had been distributed to state and local officials, with thousands more to come.
Rhode Island state public health officials announced the state’s first virus case on Sunday in someone in their 40s who had traveled to Italy in mid-February. The person is hospitalized and receiving treatment.
The Trump administration officials appeared on television as Washington state declared a state of emergency Sunday following the virus-related death of a middle-aged man there Saturday, the first in the U.S.
Azar said officials have yet to determine how the man contracted the virus, but stressed that the risk from coronavirus remains low for the “average” American.
“They should know we have the best public health system in the world looking out for them,” the secretary said, adding that additional cases will be reported.
Pence, named by the president to be the point-person overseeing the government’s response, said more than 15,000 virus testing kits had been released over the weekend. And, the administration is working with a commercial provider to distribute 50,000 more, he said.
The vice president said testing was among the first issues raised by governors he’s spoken with so far.
“We’re leaning into it,” Pence said.
Azar said more than 3,600 people already have been tested for coronavirus and the capability exists to test 75,000 people. He forecast a “radical expansion of that” in the coming weeks.
Pence and Azar spoke a day after President Donald Trump approved new restrictions on international travel to prevent the spread within the U.S. of the new virus, which originated in China. There are now more than 80,000 cases worldwide and nearly 3,000 deaths.
The new U.S. travel restrictions apply to Iran, although travel there by Americans already is severely limited, as well as heavily affected regions of Italy and South Korea. Trump tweeted Sunday that any travelers from those countries will be screened when they arrive in the U.S.
The number of known coronavirus cases in the U.S. had reached 70 as of Sunday.
Trump said Saturday at a White House news conference that he was thinking about closing the southern border with Mexico as a precaution. Azar said Sunday that Mexico has few coronavirus cases and that it would take a dramatic change in the circumstances there to prompt serious consideration of a border shutdown.
The president, Azar said, “was trying to say everything’s on the table.”
“We will take whatever measures are appropriate and necessary to protect the American people, but we don’t forecast doing that any time soon,” he said of closing the border.
Pence noted that an infectious disease expert is joining an existing White House coronavirus task force on Monday. Last week, Pence announced the addition of Debbie Birx, a State Department ambassador-at-large and medical doctor who is the administration’s global HIV/AIDS response coordinator, to the virus panel.
Despite calls by Trump and Pence for political unity in the face of the viral threat, the issue has become mired in the partisan rancor in Washington, with both Republicans and Democrats accusing each other of mining the issue for political gain.
Trump, at a political rally last week, accused Democrats of “politicizing” the issue and said their criticism of his handling of the public health challenge was their new “hoax.”
At the White House on Saturday, Trump said he was not trying to minimize the threat from the virus.
“Again, the hoax was used in respect to Democrats and what they were saying,” he said Saturday.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who emerged victorious Saturday night from South Carolina’s presidential primary, criticized the administration over the availability of testing kits.
Biden also panned the administration’s decision to have political appointees Pence and Azar, neither of whom are scientists by training, appear on the Sunday shows, instead of an expert like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institute’s of Health infectious disease chief.
Biden claimed the administration doesn’t have testing kits. Pence and Azar said thousands of kits had been distributed. Biden also accused Trump of not allowing his scientists to speak.
“This has been outrageous, the way they proceeded,” Biden said. “They should let scientists speak.”
Azar said he didn’t know what Biden was talking about when the former vice president said testing kits didn’t exist. Azar said the Center for Disease Control and Prevention had developed a lab test for coronavirus with “historic speed.”
Fauci answered a question at a White House news conference last Wednesday by saying the administration hasn’t “muzzled” him. Fauci said he had been scheduled to appear on some Sunday shows but that he stepped back after Trump on Wednesday named Pence to be the administration’s point-person on the issue.
Pence was interviewed on CNN’s “State of the Union” and Azar commented on “Fox News Sunday,” CBS’ “Face the Nation” and ABC’s “This Week.” Biden commented on CNN.
With U.S. health officials this week declaring a domestic outbreak of coronavirus a "not if, but when" situation, one expert in infectious illness offers guidance on how you can prepare and protect yourself. Photo Credit: fda.gov
Edited by: JV Staff
With U.S. health officials this week declaring a domestic outbreak of coronavirus a “not if, but when” situation, one expert in infectious illness offers guidance on how you can prepare and protect yourself.
First of all, if you do develop symptoms such as fever, congestion and coughing, “it’s important to stay calm and not panic,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
So far, the large majority of cases tracked in China have been mild or moderate, and most cases do appear to resolve. The current fatality rate is anywhere from below 1% to 4%, and most of those deaths have been occurring in older people with underlying chronic health issues — much the same as is seen with another infectious illness, flu.
Many of the same efforts that people put into avoiding the flu can also help you avoid COVID-19, Glatter said.
The number one step to take: wash your hands.
Germs on surfaces are transmitted via touch, so frequently “wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds,” Glatter said. “While [antiseptic] hand gels are acceptable, hand washing is the preferred method of disinfection.”
He also advised that people “disinfect common work areas, including keyboards, counter tops, doorknobs, and the refrigerator door handle. Alcohol-based cleaners help to kill coronaviruses.”
Other common sense steps also apply.
“Do not share cups or eating utensils, and if you see someone coughing or sneezing near you, move away from them,” Glatter said.
And while there’s not yet a vaccine against COVID-19, Glatter said that “older persons should also make sure they get vaccinated against pneumonia and shingles, since these are more likely if they develop a viral infection such as the coronavirus.” Coronavirus illness can worsen into pneumonia, which can prove lethal to older, more frail people.
If you do develop a fever, cough or cold-like symptoms, contact your health care provider and “stay home from work if you have a fever and a cough,” Glatter said.
“Cough into your elbow or a facial tissue, not your hands,” he added, and “dispose of tissues immediately and wash your hands.”
If coronavirus outbreaks do spread in the United States, it might be prudent to “avoid unnecessary travel and large gatherings of people,” Glatter reasoned.
It’s possible that a widespread coronavirus outbreak might cause a disruption in social services, so Glatter also advised people to take the following steps:
Have essential medicines — such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen — available to treat fever and muscle aches.
Make sure all your prescriptions are refilled, and you have at least one month’s supply available.
Have plenty of water available to stay well-hydrated. Focus on your nutrition, making sure you have healthy food on hand.
Reach out to your child’s school for information on any plans they might have for closures, and the option of at-home, online instruction.
Check up on elderly relatives. Because age is a factor in coronavirus illness severity, be sure to also keep in touch with an elderly loved one’s health care provider, “so if they become ill, you’ll be ready to communicate changes in their health condition,” Glatter said.
Israeli researchers at MIGAL Institute have developed an effective vaccine against avian Coronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) and are adapting it to create a human vaccine against Coronavirus (COVID-19), which is rapidly spreading around the globe. Photo by Kobi Richter/TPS on 27 February, 2020
By: Aryeh Savir
Israeli researchers at MIGAL Institute have developed an effective vaccine against avian Coronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) and are adapting it to create a human vaccine against Coronavirus (COVID-19), which is rapidly spreading around the globe.
After four years of multi-disciplinary research funded by Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture, the MIGAL Galilee Research Institute has achieved a scientific breakthrough that will lead to the rapid creation of a vaccine against Coronavirus in the coming weeks.
This discovery was identified as a by-product of MIGAL’s development of a vaccine against IBV, a disease affecting poultry, which effectiveness has been proven in pre-clinical trials carried out at the Veterinary Institute.
MIGAL has made required genetic adjustments to adapt the vaccine to COVID-19, the human strain of Coronavirus, and is working to achieve the safety approvals that will enable preclinical testing, enable the initiation of production of a vaccine to counter the Coronavirus epidemic.
Research conducted at MIGAL has revealed that the poultry Coronavirus has high genetic similarity to the human COVID-19 and that it uses the same infection mechanism, a fact that increases the likelihood of achieving an effective human vaccine in a very short time.
Commenting on the news, David Zigdon, CEO of MIGAL, said that “given the urgent global need for a human Coronavirus vaccine, we are doing everything we can to accelerate development. Our goal is to produce the vaccine during the next 8-10 weeks, and to achieve safety approval in 90 days.”
The vaccine will be oral, making it particularly accessible to the general public.
Israel’s Minister of Science and Technology Ofir Akunis congratulated MIGAL “on this exciting breakthrough. I am confident that there will be further rapid progress, enabling us to provide a needed response to the grave global COVID-19 threat.”
He has instructed the Director-General of the Ministry of Science and Technology to fast-track all approval processes with the goal of bringing the human vaccine to market as quickly as possible.
A few cases of Corona have been sighted in Israel, mostly Israelis returning from the east, and possibly some who have come in contact with tourists from South Korea who were already ill with the virus, but there has yet to be a widespread outbreak in the country.
The novel Coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 48 countries around the world.
China’s National Health Commission stated that at least 82,200 cases of Wuhan coronavirus have been confirmed in the country, including at least 2,800 deaths. Some 33,300 have recovered.
The MIGAL Galilee Research Institute is a regional Research and Development center of the Israeli Science and Technology Ministry owned by the Galilee Development Company Ltd.
In 2019, Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology provided MIGAL with NIS 30 million to fund its research, covering approximately 50% of its budget.
MIGAL is an internationally recognized multi-disciplinary applied research institute that specializes in biotechnology and computer sciences, plant science, precision.
As the threat from the coronavirus grows, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health officials are stressing the importance of hand-washing.
Prevention becomes essential to stopping the spread of the virus because there is no vaccine to prevent it and no anti-virals to treat it.
How can such a simple, low-tech solution make a difference?
Remember – coronavirus spreads easily by droplets from breathing, coughing and sneezing. As our hands touch many surfaces, they can pick up microbes, including viruses. Then by touching contaminated hands to your eyes, nose or mouth, the pathogens can infect the body.
As a microbiologist, I think a lot about the differences between microbes, such as bacteria and viruses, and how they interact with animal hosts to drive health or disease. I was shocked to read a study that indicated that 93.2% of 2,800 survey respondents did not wash their hands after coughing or sneezing.
Let me explain how washing your hands decreases the number of microbes on your hands and helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Two-fisted approach
Bacteria and viruses are different in a number of ways. Bacteria are single-celled organisms that can reproduce on their own, while viruses constitute a core of genetic material encapsulated by a protein coat and can only reproduce by attaching themselves to host cells. Because viruses don’t have the organelles to reproduce, they “hijack” the cellular machinery of host cells to make multitudes of new viruses.
These differences are why antibiotics cannot kill viruses, which typically target specific structures in the cellular components of bacteria that are absent in viruses.
Despite their differences, however, the best way to prevent the disease of bacterial and viral pathogens alike is to effectively wash your hands.
There are two strategies to decreasing the amount of microbes on your hands.
The first is to decrease the overall biomass of microbes – that is, decrease the amount of bacteria, viruses and other types of microorganisms. We do this by lathering with soap and rinsing with water. Soap’s chemistry helps remove microorganisms from our hands by accentuating the slippery properties of our own skin.
The second strategy is to kill the microbes. We do this by using products with an antibacterial agent such as alcohols, chlorine, peroxides, chlorhexidine or triclosan. However, the efficacy on these agents can be variable depending on a given microbe.
Is soap and water enough?
Some academic work has shown that antibacterial soaps are more effective at reducing certain bacteria on soiled hands than soaps without them.
However, there’s a problem. Some bacterial cells on our hands may have genes that enable them to be resistant to a given antibacterial agent. This means that after the antibacterial agent kills some bacteria, the resistant strains remaining on the hands can flourish.
Further, the genes that allowed the bacteria to be resistant could pass along to other bacteria, causing more resistant strains. Even more important with respect to coronavirus, antibacterial agents, such as oral antibiotics, don’t kill viruses.
With this in mind, you may want to stick with plain old soap and water.
Going back to grade school
To clean our hands, the CDC recommends that we:
1–Wet hands with clean water
2–Apply soap and lather/scrub every nook and cranny of your hands for 20-30 seconds (about the time to sing “Happy Birthday” twice)
3–Rinse well with clean running water
4–Dry hands with a clean paper towel or air-dry.
During the 20-30 seconds of lathering the World Health Organization recommends incorporating six maneuvers to cover all parts of your hands.
If soap and water are not unavailable, the CDC recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% ethanol. Alcohols have a broad-spectrum of antimicrobial activity and are less selective for resistance compared to other antibacterial chemicals. Although alcohol-based hand sanitizers may not work on all classes of germs, the WHO recommends the use of an alcohol-based hand rub to kill viruses that may be on your hands.
Not all microbes are germs
The presence of some microbes isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact many of the microbes that live on or within us are essential for our health.
We live in a microbial world: Trillions of different microbes colonize our skin, gut and orifices. Collectively, this consortium of bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses are called our microbiota. A plethora of exciting research suggests that the associations of animal hosts with their microbiota are fundamentally important for the host’s biology.
Our microbiota can protect us from germs by training our immune system and by colonization resistance – the characteristic of the intestinal microbiota to block colonization of pathogens. There is ample evidence suggesting that commensal bacteria regulate invading viruses, and in some cases have a suppressive role in their infections. For example, bacteria can prevent influenza virus infection by binding or trapping them directly or by producing metabolites that decrease the stability of influenza virions.
Although more research needs to be done to understand the intricate interactions between microbial communities with host cells, consistent work illustrates that a diverse population of microbes and a balance of this community is important for our health.
Beyond hand-washing
So what is the take-home message?
There is no doubt that washing our hands with liquid soap and water is effective in reducing the spread of infectious microorganisms, including those that are resistant to antimicrobial agents.
When you don’t have the opportunity to wash your hands after touching questionable surfaces, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Limit the touching of your hands to your mouth, nose and eyes.
Furthermore, maintain a healthy microbiota by limiting stress, getting enough sleep and “fertilizing” your gut microbes with a diversity of plant-based foods. It’s not only a small world, but a dirty one as well.
(AP)
Michelle Sconce Massaquoi is a doctoral candidate in microbiology at the University of Oregon
Netanyahu and Israel’s right will have much to celebrate, according to exit polls.
By: David Isaac
Supporters of Israel’s right-wing are cheering early exit polls, which show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party gaining 37 seats to Blue and White’s 33.
It’s an impressive gain for Likud, which presently holds 32 seats in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament
According to Channel 13, Netanyahu spoke with the leaders of his coalition parties, sending the message that it’s a “great victory” and he will establish “a strong, nationalist government.”
To the public, Netanyahu simply tweeted: “Thank you” with the emoticon of a heart.
Three Israeli news outlets reported their exit polls as voting closed at 10:00 p.m. They put the right-haredi coalition at 60 Knesset seats to the center-left-Arab coalition at 54 Knesset seats.
Sixty-one is the magic number to form a government in the 120-seat Knesset.
Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, put the Likud party at 36 seats to Blue and White’s 33.
Channel 12 gave Likud 37 seats to Blue and White’s 33
Channel 13 set the Likud at 37 seats to Blue and White’s 32.
It’s an impressive result for a prime minister facing corruption charges in three separate cases and whose trial is set to begin on March 17.
Netanyahu fought a tough campaign, generally considered his strongest of the last three elections. He veered rightwards, appealing to his base and promising to annex major portions of Judea and Samaria as well as the Jordan Valley. His strategy appears to have borne fruit.
Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev told Channel 13 that the Likud campaigned hard across the country. She called the results a “sweeping victory, and the right will establish the next government.”
The Likud party had trailed Blue and White through much of the three-month campaign with polls only showing them edging out the opposition party slightly in the last week. Polls then steadied in the last days before the election to a dead heat.
Netanyahu is the longest-serving leader in Israeli history. He has been a caretaker prime minister for more than a year as a divided country has weathered two inconclusive votes and prolonged political paralysis.
With opinion polls forecasting another deadlock, Netanyahu had sought a late surge in support to score a parliamentary majority along with other nationalist parties for a fourth consecutive term in office and fifth overall.
He faced a stiff challenge once again from Benny Gantz, whose centrist Blue and White party ran on a campaign message that the prime minister is unfit to lead because of the serious charges against him.
Netanyahu and his surrogates implied that Gantz wasn’t fit to be prime minister because he couldn’t handle the pressure, pointing to awkward mistakes that Gantz had made in public appearances, stuttering and stumbling over his words on more than one occasion.
The voter turnout – the highest in 20 years – and the surge for the right-wing comes as a surprise to Israel’s pundits as the electorate appeared apathetic up until election day. (World Israel News & AP)
On Friday, a court-appointed trustee said that Bernard Madoff’s former clients are about to see their total recovery reach almost $14 billion. Simultaneously, the shamed investment advisor is dying in prison and awaits a U.S. court’s judgment on whether or not he can leave prison early so that he doesn’t have to spend his last days in a cell.
Irving Picard, the trustee liquidating Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, says the payout, which includes money committed by the Securities Investor Protection Corp., represents 80 percent of the $17.5 billion that customers lost in what is being called the biggest Ponzi scheme in history. As per the NY Post, Picard said he already started distributing $369 million to 854 accounts, for a total payout of $13.93 billion to eligible customers. As of Friday, Picard already fully paid back 1,469 clients, or 64 percent of the 2,282 eligible customer accounts affected. Another $2.38 billion has been paid out from a Department of Justice compensation fund to clients and other Madoff victims, including schools, pension funds and charities.
At the same time, Madoff who pleaded guilty in 2009 to 11 criminal charges and has already served close to 11 years in jail, is dying in prison and awaits the decision on whether the court will allow him to be free. On February 5th, the 81-year-old’s lawyer requested a “compassionate release” on his 150-year sentence, being that he is confined to a wheelchair, suffering from kidney failure and other serious medical conditions, and is said to have less than 18 months left to live. “It is evident from a review of the [applicable] factors that Madoff presents no danger to any person or the community,” says the court filing of the request. “He has no history of violence, he has less than 18 months to live and the public nature of his crimes guarantee that he would be unable to participate in financial or investment-related activities ever again.”
Madoff’s victims were given a chance to weigh in on the decision by Friday. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan will need to reply to Madoff’s request by Wednesday March 4, with victims’ comments likely made public. The decision of whether or not to free Madoff rests with Circuit Judge Denny Chin, who as a federal district judge had said Madoff’s crimes were “extraordinarily evil”. Madoff, who is now housed in a medical facility at the federal prison complex in Butner, North Carolina, has also asked President Donald Trump for a pardon in a commuted sentence. That request is still pending.
A spokesman for Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman declined to comment, except to say that prosecutors would respond to the request in a court filing. The former lead prosecutor in Madoff’s case, Marc Litt, commented to say there’s “no evidence in the public record to justify compassionate release.”
