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Thailand Rabbi: Cave Rescue Is ‘The Story the World Needs Now’

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International cooperation, good deeds and prayers to save stranded soccer team

As the world cautiously celebrates the rescue of four children who have been trapped in a cave in Thailand, with nine people still underground, the country’s chief rabbi marvels at the Divine assistance and international efforts that made the moment possible.

“It is beautiful to see the unifying consensus that these lives must be saved,” Chief Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, who has directed Chabad in Thailand since 1993, told Chabad.org. “The effort has transcended the cultural and political divides that have become so deeply entrenched in our society. Representatives of so many countries came together to contribute in any way they can to keep the boys alive and strategize for their rescue.”

The rabbi has been in contact with BBC video journalist Danny Bull, a member of the Bangkok Chabad Young Jewish Professional community, who had been at the site for nearly two weeks.

“I saw them bringing the boys to the hospital,” said Bull, speaking via WhatsApp near midnight local time on Sunday evening. “It was just a miracle that they were alive, well and on their way to getting the care they need.”

Bull reports that locals, journalists and tourists joined together in exuberant celebration upon seeing the ambulances pull up. He notes that the rabbi had shared with him that the rescue took place just weeks after Jewish communities around the world read the Torah portion of Korach, when the earth opened its mouth to swallow up Korah and his rebellious cohorts. This time, however, the earth opened up and allowed the boys to come out alive.

An international team of more than 90 divers, along with hundreds of other emergency personnel, are taking part in the effort. Eight boys, ages 11 to 16, who are part of a soccer team remain trapped with their 25-year-old coach. Rescue efforts will continue at dawn.

“This is the story that the world needs,” the rabbi responded upon receiving the update from Bull. “The story is not over yet, and we are still praying for the safe evacuation of the rest of the team, but for now, we are thankful to G d and praying for more good news, and urge everyone to continue their prayers, good deeds and tzedakah [charity] on behalf of those still trapped.”

By: Menachem Posner
(Chabad.org)

 

Parshas Matos–Putting People First

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During the presidential run of 1992, candidate Bill Clinton published a book entitled Putting People First. He had it right. He just wasn’t the first one to write the book. This week we’ll explore how Moshe — very subtly — taught his nation that people, especially the children, come first.

The Jews were camped on the bank of the Jordan River, about to enter the land of Israel. Representatives of the tribes of Gad and Reuben approached Moshe with a very brazen request. Numbers 32:3-5: “We don’t want to enter Israel,” they exclaimed. “The land here is very suited for our cattle, and it would be quite beneficial if we were to remain here.” Moshe, recalling the calamity of the ten spies who dissuaded an entire nation from entering Israel, reacted in shock. “Do you remember what happened 40 years ago? Do you want to, once again, demoralize your brothers and sisters as did the spies? Do you remember that your parents and an entire generation perished in the dessert due to that sin?”

Moshe then recounted, in full detail, the misfortune of that fateful event. “And now,” he concluded, “you have risen in place of your fathers to rekindle the burning wrath of G-d?” The representatives, sat quietly through the denunciation and then spoke. “No, Moshe,” they exclaimed. “It was never our intent just to remain here. We’ll build stables for our livestock and homes for our children. Then we will join our brethren in the fight for Israel. Only after all is conquered will we return home and settle.” Moshe, obviously pacified by the quick and obviously well prepared response, reviewed the stipulations. “OK,” he countered, “you shall arm yourself for battle, cross the Jordan and fight with your brothers until Hashem drives out the enemy. Once the Land is conquered and settled, you can come back here and this land will be a heritage for you.”

After Moshe reiterated all the prerequisites involved in the deal, he warns them. “If you transgress your commitment you will bear a terrible sin before Hashem.” Then, in what is seemingly out of place he adds the following. “Build cities for your children and pens for your livestock, and thus you shall observe the words that left your mouth.” Two questions bother me: Why is Moshe adding his comments on the domestic portion of their request? Isn’t his only concern that the tribes should join their brothers in the conquest of the land of Israel?

Rashi notes that Moshe switches the order of the request. The tribes said they will “build stables for our livestock and homes for our children.” Moshe switches the order and tells them “build cities for your children and pens for your livestock.” Why is this followed by the words, “thus you shall observe the words that left your mouth.”? Didn’t he already warn them of the consequence of retraction?

Henry Hirsch, the president of the Welbilt Co., one of America’s leading oven and major appliance manufacturers, had another labor of love. He was the president of one of America’s premier Torah institutions, Yeshiva Torah Voda’ath. At a board meeting, at which many of the yeshiva’s prominent lay leaders were present, the school’s cook prepared a beautiful supper in honor of the eminent supporters.

As one of the students was serving the executives, Mr. Hirsch looked at the delicious meal. “Excuse me,” he asked the young scholar. “What are they serving you in the main dining hall?” The boy looked sheepishly at Mr. Hirsch and stammered, ” I think we’re having egg salad sandwiches.”

The renowned philanthropist turned to the executive board and the representatives of the Yeshiva administration. “We are all here for the sake of the Yeshiva boys, I think it is they who should be eating this chicken dinner. Let’s send it to them and we’ll have the egg salad instead.”

Moshe was pleased with the offer to fight. However, he noted a major problem in the honorable plans of the tribes of Gad and Reuben. They prefaced their commitment with a very suspect phrase. “We will build pens for our livestock and then we will build cities for our children.” Moshe listens, reviews their offer and is doubtful. People who put monetary values before humans tend to worry about finances before family. And people who put money first often change their position, when their holdings are at stake.

Thus Moshe reiterates their pledge with one major amendment. He says to them, “build cities for your children and then pens for your livestock; thus you shall keep the word that left your mouth.” If the children come first, then he will trust them. He knows and believes their values are in order and they will uphold their pledge. A major provision in the deal was not only a military commitment, but a philosophy that will guide the Jews for centuries. Put the people first!

By: Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky
(Torah.org)

Rabbinical Alliance of America Calls for Care and Sensitivity in Discussing Shidduchim

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We pray that in the merit of greater care with our words and greater sensitivity for others we will see many more families sprout in happiness as people find their matches

The Rabbinical Alliance of America — Igud HaRabbonim, with a membership of over 950 Orthodox Rabbis — calls for greater vigilance of community members in encouraging, and refraining from discouraging, proposed shidduchim (blind dates). The very word “shidduchim” can send shivers down the spine of a loving parent and a nervous single.

The complex process of finding a mate, and thereby continuing the millennia-old chain of Jewish families, can be daunting. People rightly pray for help in finding a spouse, perform acts of kindness and charity in the merit of finding their match, seek advice and blessings from righteous people, and explore many possible avenues for finding the right person. All of this is important. The Almighty expects us to look toward Heaven for help. However, at the same time as we pray and search we have to be careful to avoid hurting others carelessly.

The challenge facing singles has been called a “crisis.” In recent years, a number of proposals have been suggested to lighten the burden. Some leading rabbis have encouraged young men to expand their sights by considering women slightly older than them, if they are not already doing so. Others have encouraged age parity regarding when young men and women start looking for their matches. Even if no single idea solves the problem, each can be taken as sound advice to make the shidduch search a little easier for many people.

On encouragement from leading educators, RAA/Igud offers the following proposal as a supplement to the many different ideas circulating. A young man or woman often finds that a friend is suggested to date someone whom that person has already dated. A well-intentioned person will want to share with a friend the information he or she has gathered during those unsuccessful dates. RAA/Igud strongly urges people not to share dating experiences. Doing so hurts your friend by inserting prejudgment into the equation. Your judgment is tainted by uncontrollable bias, placing a permanent stamp on someone based on your opinions.

By inserting your views and experiences, you can be destroying a match made in Heaven. No two people respond the same to an experience and a potential spouse may interact differently with your friend than with you. A disastrous date with one person should not ruin shidduch chances with all of that person’s friends.

Every person whom you date has hopes and dreams. They have loving parents who deeply care about their child’s shidduch prospects. Every word you utter should be said while keeping in mind that you are discussing someone beloved by family and by the Almighty. If you have any questions on whether to share your dating experiences, ask an objective rabbi. Saying the wrong thing could prevent the start of a beautiful Jewish family.

No individual can solve the “shidduch crisis” but you can help a few people start a Torah home by refraining from sharing your dating stories. If someone has a bad date, their response should be to think of a friend for whom this person might be a good match. Helping others helps you. The Almighty will give to you as you give to others. Pray for others, give to others, suggest dates to others and the Almighty will respond in kind.

The many community and shul rabbis of RAA/Igud call on educators and rabbis — roshei yeshiva, mashgichim, and mechanchim — to encourage those who are dating to take extra care in discussing their experiences. Every Jew deserves a fair chance at finding a shidduch. We pray that in the merit of greater care with our words and greater sensitivity for others we will see many more families sprout in happiness as people find their matches. May the “shidduch crisis” turn into the “shidduch kindness” speedily in our days.

Edited by: JV Staff

Israel’s Hotel Sector Likely to See Second Year of Strong Growth

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At a conference held a few weeks ago by the Israel Tourism Ministry in London in conjunction with HVS London, aimed at recruiting investors in Israel’s hotel industry, international consultancy firm HVS presented its annual independent report entitled Israel Hotel Market Overview to the many representatives present from international hotel chains. “In 2017, the Ministry of Tourism approved grants for 35 projects throughout the country for a total sum equal to about $50 million. In total, requests for some 2,570 rooms were approved in 2017, an increase of 33% on the previous year, suggesting investors are showing a growing interest and more confidence in the strength and potential of the Israeli market”.

This, against the background of consecutive record highs in incoming tourism over the last 19 months – and a shortfall in hotel rooms to meet the growing demand. 2017 was Israel’s best ever year for incoming tourism with 3.612 million tourists, 25% more than 2016.

Among the participants in the conference were representatives from international hotel chains including, among others, Hilton, Four Seasons, Accor, Accor Luxury, Movenpick, Rosewood, Wyndham, Radisson, Mandarin Oriental, Benjamin West and STR. The Israel Ambassador to the UK, Mark Regev, attended the conference and Tourism Ministry Director, Funding, Investments and Budget Department Avishai Bar-Osher, together with Investor Relations Manager Lorin Maugery presented to the conference the benefits and incentives offered by the Tourism Ministry to entrepreneurs and expanded on the economic feasibility of investing in hotels in Israel.

 

These included, among others:

  • Data on tourism potential in Israel
  • Government aid for entrepreneurs seeking to build hotels in Israel, including: shortened planning tracks; grants for conversion of office buildings into hotels; grants of up to 33% of the total investment and the presentation of a new Ministry of Tourism platform for mapping potential hospitality investment opportunities.
  • Presentation about The International Hotel Investment Summit, which is expected to take place in November 19-20 in Tel Aviv. Part of the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) series, IHIS will be the first international event dedicated to hotel investment in Israel for 20 years and is organised in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism. The conference will provide in-depth analysis of the foreign investment opportunity into the Israel hospitality sector, a forum to meet partners, to share ideas and to build partnerships for tourism projects, mixed-use developments and hotel transactions in Israel.

 

Edited by: JV Staff

How to Stay Safe When Using Public Wi-Fi on Your Travels

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NordVPN provides tips to travelers

Vacation season is in full bloom, and still, many travelers keep getting their identities stolen due to careless use of public Wi-Fi. Free wireless networks are not able to offer security in most cases since public Wi-Fi can be hacked into very easily.

The solution to online safety while traveling is a VPN – which not only protects users on public Wi-Fi but also allows to access restricted sites and even save money while traveling.

Below please find a list of reasons why every Internet user should use a VPN when traveling:

  1. Protect your online activities when you are using public Wi-Fi. The most common threat is a hacker positioning himself as a hotspot. When that happens, a Wi-Fi user will be sending their information to the criminal, and that could include credit card information, all emails, and any other sensitive information they might be transmitting. This is extremely easy for hackers to do, as Wi-Fi spots rarely require authentication to establish a connection. When using a VPN, the Internet traffic between the user’s computer and a VPN server gets encrypted into a secure tunnel, so nothing will be visible to someone trying to hack into the computer.
  2. Access restricted sites: Facebook in Vietnam, Telegram in Russia, gaming sites in Morocco and multiple others sites are banned, depending on a country. A VPN enables users to connect to a server in a country where these sites are allowed, such as the U.S., and the user will be able to browse the Internet as if they were in the U.S. physically.
  3. Access your favorite TV shows or sports event from abroad: With a VPN, you can watch your local TV shows or stream such sporting events as FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world.
  4. Save money on flights. Sometimes for no apparent reason tickets bought from one country cost less than booked from another one. You have to experiment by switching between different countries with a VPN to find the lowest airfare. Travel websites use cookies to track how many times a visitor comes to their particular site and how much time they spend. If they don’t book immediately, the same person might return to a higher price in just a matter of minutes – the site has determined that they want to book the flight anyway, so will accept the higher rate. The trick is to make it appear that you’re accessing the booking website from another country, the one where you can buy the same tickets at a lower price. The solution is to use a VPN

Edited by: JV Staff
(Virtual Private Network).

10 Top Travel Technologies to Ease Your Journeys

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There are close to 300 travel-related companies in the startup nation. We chose 10 that are red hot

Israelis love to travel. Whether it’s a post-army trek to South America or a family outing to the Alps, it sometimes seems there are more Israelis beyond the country’s borders than within. So it’s not surprising that travel technology from Israel is red hot right now – both websites and apps.

With close to 300 travel-related companies in the startup nation, it was hard for us to pick our top 10, but we did the heavy lifting and you get to sit back and go with the flow (of tourists) using these very cool products.

Tell us your favorite Israeli travel apps in the comments section below.

  1. Gooster

Planning an itinerary by swiping through menus in an app or clicking on a website is so 2012. Gooster gooses up the interaction through its free smart chatbot that works within Facebook Messenger. When you fire it up, Gooster asks you where you’re traveling and whether you want to learn more about cool cafés, tourist sites or the latest in-places to party. Gooster responds accordingly.

“Gooster is location-specific and has a database of 50,000 tips and recommendations “from the useful to the off-the-beaten track,” CEO Ardon Wesley tells ISRAEL21c. Gooster is available now for Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and Berlin with four more cities coming in the next six months.

  1. Sidekix

If Bitemojo is Waze for foodies, then Sidekix is Waze for walkers. When you want to get from point A to point B in your car, you usually want the fastest route. Not when you’re walking – then you may prefer the most scenic itinerary, one that passes by hip shopping, food, culture, nightlife and more. Enter your destination and the Sidekix app gives you a choice of walks. Users can also share their routes so others can follow in their footsteps.

Sidekix chief marketing officer Jenny Drezin told ISRAEL21c that locals are using Sidekix as “a tool for urban discovery.” Available in hundreds of cities, London, Paris and New York City have the largest user base, with Tel Aviv, Berlin and Los Angeles coming up strong. During the Tel Aviv “White Night” celebration, Sidekix highlighted the evening’s best parties and outdoor concerts.

  1. EatWith
EatWith enables you to eat with locals. Photo: courtesy

EatWith is like Airbnb for meals. You use the app or website to book a place at a dinner party cooked by local chefs in their homes. It’s a whole lot more social than eating alone in a restaurant. There’s a Tinder aspect to EatWith: Hungry travelers contact a host, but the host chooses the guest based on his or her EatWith profile.

Prices range from $25-$50 per person. EatWith started in Tel Aviv but has expanded to 200 cities across Europe and the US with 650 participating hosts. EatWith is not just for travelers; locals are discovering EatWith as they look for a unique outing or an opportunity to meet their neighbors. EatWith says 11,000 diners have been hosted in 50 countries so far.

  1. Trailze
Trailze is like Waze for hikers and bikers. Screenshot: courtesy

If you’ve ever been out hiking or biking and arrived at a junction where you weren’t sure which way to turn, you’ve probably wished there were a Waze for the great outdoors. That’s Israeli app Trailze’s mission.

Trailze combines the power of GPS mapping with what the company calls “the world’s largest database of trails, locations and outdoor information,” created automatically in part by the 120,000 people who have downloaded the app (another way Trailze is like Waze). Choose the level of difficulty you’re seeking and Trailze will pick a route for you.

Another Waze-y feature allows users to report events along the way – whether that’s a mudslide or an undiscovered swimming hole. There are 5,000 trails currently on Trailze, most in Israel, with a few hundred more available in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Trailze users have walked or biked a million miles.

  1. ThemeGo

Sometimes it’s not walking you want but a little Disney fun. But with so many theme parks around the world, how do you know which one to choose? And once you get there, which rides are the most appropriate for your family? Which have the shortest lines? Israeli website ThemeGo gives you the lowdown through user-generated reviews and rankings.

Yes, you could get the same on TripAdvisor, but ThemeGo is faster and more targeted. There are sections for attractions, events, restaurants and hotels. Not surprisingly, Disney parks hold six of the top slots in the ThemeGo top 10. You can bookmark attractions to create your own mobile route using Google Maps. Founder Yariv Padva built ThemeGo from his personal passion. “I’m a huge theme park fan and have visited more than 30 theme parks around the world,” he says.

  1. Guiderr

Guiderr is one of two Israeli startups on our list that promises to plan a custom trip for its users. Guiderr’s niche is families. The company uses its network of travel agents and tour guides to piece together a personalized trip for families that even includes meetings with local families.

Start by picking an itinerary for your chosen destination (Israel, New York and Japan are currently on offer), then modify it according to your dates and specific needs. Each itinerary lists the guide who’s developed the plan and a chat button that encourages interested travelers to ask questions before booking. For tour guides, Guiderr has built its own online platform on which tour guides can manage their business, from query to reservation.

  1. RoutePerfect

RoutePerfect offers a slightly different spin on the customized itinerary website. Unlike Voyjer, which uses local guides to map out your travel plan, RoutePerfect does it automatically through a single-click, single point-of-purchase package.

You enter where you want to start and end your trip, what type of vacation you’re looking for, how many days you’re traveling for, and whether your budget is economy, moderate or luxury. RoutePerfect then suggests which cities you should visit, where you should stay and how you should get around. If all that choice is overwhelming, there are ready-made itineraries to choose from. RoutePerfect covers European destinations only.

  1. Bitemojo
Bitemojo enables you to sample local cuisine. Photo by Amir Menachem/VibeIsrael

Gastronomic tourists have a new reason to rejoice: Israeli app Bitemojo provides guided food tours in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Berlin, Rome and Barcelona. Bitemojo is not just a travel guide; you actually book a tour that includes small tastes at six different restaurants along a pre-set itinerary.

In Jerusalem, for example, you can tour the Machane Yehuda market area or the Old City. There are even some vegan tours in Tel Aviv. You pay at the restaurant using a BiteMojo e-voucher. Tours cost $25-$50 per person on average. The app helps eliminate foodie FOMO (the fear that you’re missing out on the best restaurants in town).

“Everyone wants to eat what the locals are eating,” says Bitemojo CEO Michael Weiss, who also founded the culinary tourism company Yalla Basta. Bitemojo plans to add a few more European cities in 2017.

  1. SeeVoov
Asaf Toker, CEO of SeeVoov. SeeVoov is more of a technology company than a customer-facing travel business – although it’s that too. SeeVoov (a transliteration of the Hebrew for “walk around”) calls itself a “high definition trip planning platform” – a fancy way of saying the site crawls YouTube and puts together videos for your requested destination.

SeeVoov is more of a technology company than a customer-facing travel business – although it’s that too. SeeVoov (a transliteration of the Hebrew for “walk around”) calls itself a “high definition trip planning platform” – a fancy way of saying the site crawls YouTube and puts together videos for your requested destination.

Choose Croatia and SeeVoov will find all the travel videos about the country and play them one after another. The secret sauce is machine learning that automatically tags videos based on image analysis. This makes SeeVoov highly scalable – the company can keep adding cities without adding staff. The site is still in beta and it’s not clear yet how SeeVoov intends to make money, but it’s a compelling concept that had us clicking and watching for longer than we should have!

  1. RoomsNinja
According to hotel reservation site RoomsNinja, hotel room prices change an average of 18 times between when you make your reservation and when you check in. Prices can drop up to 60 percent.

If there’s one thing an Israeli cannot bear to be called, it’s freier – Hebrew for “sucker.” But that’s exactly what happens to many travelers when they book their hotel rooms. According to hotel reservation site RoomsNinja, hotel room prices change an average of 18 times between when you make your reservation and when you check in. Prices can drop up to 60 percent.

“Many times booking a room feels more like gambling,” RoomsNinja CEO Omry Litvak tells ISRAEL21c. The RoomsNinja algorithmic ninja watches your reservation and rebooks for you (with your permission) when the price drops low enough. Litvak said the company based its technology on Wall Street. “A stock option has an expiry date. A hotel room does too – it’s the last day of free cancellation,” he says. RoomsNinja covers some 40,000 hotels around the world.

By: Brian Blum
(Israel 21C)

 

Could Aspirin Help Keep Alzheimer’s Away?

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If new research in mice bears out in humans, that daily low-dose aspirin many people take to keep heart trouble at bay might also protect their brains against Alzheimer’s.

Scientists report aspirin appeared to help clear out plaques of waste material called amyloid beta in the brain. Those plaques are a major sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

“The results of our study identifies a possible new role for one of the most widely used, common, over-the-counter medications in the world,” said senior study author Kalipada Pahan, chair of neurology at Rush Medical College, in Chicago.

Previous research has shown a link between aspirin and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In this study, the scientists gave low-dose aspirin for a month to genetically modified mice with a form of Alzheimer’s disease.

The aspirin helped reduce amyloid plaques by boosting a protein called TFEB, a regulator of waste removal, and by stimulating lysosomes, a part of cells that help clear waste. But not all research in animals holds true for humans.

Still, “understanding how plaques are cleared is important to developing effective drugs that stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Pahan.

“This research study adds another potential benefit to aspirin’s already established uses for pain relief and for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases,” he added in a Rush University news release.

“More research needs to be completed, but the findings of our study has major potential implications for the therapeutic use of aspirin in [Alzheimer’s] and other dementia-related illnesses,” Pahan said.

Alzheimer’s disease affects up to one in 10 Americans aged 65 or older. Only a few drugs are approved for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and those medications provide limited relief.

The study was published in the July issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

On a related note, it has been reported that British researchers are zeroing in on the genes that they believe are responsible for early onset Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome.

The two conditions have long been strongly linked.

The findings — based on research with mice — could pave the way for new medicines to prevent Alzheimer’s in people with Down syndrome and shed light on the development of dementia in the general population, the study authors said.

However, experts note that research with animals often doesn’t produce similar results in humans.

Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21. By the time they’re in their 60s, about two out of three people with Down syndrome have Alzheimer’s, the study authors said.

Researchers from University College London and the Francis Crick Institute found that extra copies of other genes on chromosome 21 increase Alzheimer’s-like brain changes and mental decline in mice with a Down syndrome-like condition.

Edited by: JV Staff
(Healthday News)

As Temperatures Soar, Study Warns of Fatal Heat Stroke at Work

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Much of the United States has been sweltering in triple-digit heat this week, but new research finds outdoor workers can suffer fatal heat stroke from temperatures that only reach the high 80s.

In fact, six of 14 cases of fatal heat stroke investigated in the new study “occurred when the Heat Index was below 91 degrees Fahrenheit,” noted a team led by Dr. Aaron Tustin, from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The Heat Index — often announced on media weather forecasts — is a calculation of heat and humidity that gauges how the combination “feels” to the human body. It also assumes the person is in the shade, wearing a single layer of light clothing.

Early summer heat waves are particularly deadly, the OSHA researchers said, since people may not yet be acclimatized to high temperatures.

Dr. Robert Glatter, an ER doctor at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, has seen many cases of heat stroke.

“It’s important to remember that extreme heat combined with humidity can kill,” said Glatter, who wasn’t involved in the new study. “Extremes of heat are most concerning to public safety, and a large number of heat-related deaths are generally preventable.”

Glatter called heat stroke “a medical emergency. Patients may develop temperatures of up to 106-108 F, with confusion and disorientation, and loss of ability to produce sweat to cool the body. Skin is generally is red, hot and dry … Cooling ice baths and misting fans can help reduce core temperatures.”

Workers — who often wear bulky clothing and have little choice but to labor outside in searing temperatures — are at particular risk.

In the new report, Tustin and his colleagues focused on 25 cases of outdoor, on-the-job heat stroke occurring between 2011 and 2016, 14 of which proved fatal.

The study found that in half the cases, victims had at least one “predisposing personal risk factor” for heat stroke — illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease, or use of certain medications or illicit drugs. According to Glatter, medicines such as blood pressure pills or diuretics affect a person’s “fluid balance,” upping the odds for dehydration in severe heat.

Glatter said hydration is crucial for people who must work outside in the heat. “Water is the ideal fluid for hydration, and it is recommended to avoid excessive amounts of caffeine, which can lead to dehydration,” he said.

Tustin’s team offered these tips to stay safe from the heat when working outside:

  • Make sure workplace supervisors are trained to recognize the signs of heat stroke, and in first aid to help if it occurs.
  • Designate at worksite heat “monitor” to be mindful of rising temperatures and oversee protective measures.
  • Make sure new workers get the protective measures they need to acclimatize to working outdoors in the heat, and be mindful that workers with predisposing risk factors might need extra precautions.
  • Schedule frequent breaks in shade or air-conditioned spaces to allow workers to cool down, and adjust work schedules to try and avoid the worst conditions.
  • Provide plenty of accessible water or electrolyte-bearing beverages.

The new report was published July 5 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a journal of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By: EJ Mundell
(HealthDay News)

 

Medical Marijuana a Hit With Seniors

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Seniors are giving rave reviews for medical marijuana.

In a new survey, those who turned to it for treating chronic pain reported it reduced pain and decreased the need for opioid painkillers.

Nine out of 10 liked it so much they said they’d recommend medical pot to others.

“I was on Percocet and replaced it with medical marijuana. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” said one senior.

Another patient put it this way: “It [medical marijuana] is extremely effective and has allowed me to function in my work and life again. It has not completely taken away the pain, but allows me to manage it.”

Study co-author Dr. Diana Martins-Welch said, “The impact of medical marijuana was overwhelmingly positive. Medical marijuana led them to taking less medications overall — opioids and non-opioids — and they had better function and better quality of life.” Martins-Welch is a physician in the division of geriatric and palliative medicine at Northwell Health, in Great Neck, N.Y.

The biggest complaint the researchers heard about medical marijuana was the cost. “It’s an out-of-pocket expense. Insurance doesn’t cover it because it’s federally illegal,” Martins-Welch explained.

As for unwelcome side effects, Martins-Welch said sedation was what she heard about the most. “A lot of people don’t like feeling sleepy,” she said.

It’s also important to work with your doctor to find the right dose, since pain experts say that too little or too much doesn’t ease pain.

Thirty-one states have some type of medical marijuana law on the books, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.

“Every state has its own laws, like what a qualifying condition is. There are a lot of differences. And you can’t take a product from one state and cross another state line,” Martins-Welch said.

According to federal law, medical marijuana is still illegal in the United States. “There are legal fears. Some practitioners worry that the DEA [U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration] might come after them,” she added.

Medical marijuana is different than just picking up some pot and smoking it.

“The goal with medical marijuana is to find the dose that gives a therapeutic benefit without a high, or slowing reaction time or causing sedation,” Martins-Welch said. “To find that right dose, we start low and go slow.”

In fact, it’s important to work with a doctor because there’s a “therapeutic window” with THC, the active component in marijuana that causes the high, according to Dr. Mark Wallace, a board member of the American Pain Society.

If you get a dose that’s within that window, the pain is relieved. If you get too little, you won’t get pain relief, and if you go over the therapeutic window, pain is actually worsened, Wallace explained.

The study included a 20-question survey of nearly 150 seniors who had used medical marijuana for chronic pain. The seniors had received their medical marijuana from dispensaries in New York or Minnesota.

The average age of the seniors was 61 to 70, and 54 percent were female. Many (45 percent) used a vaporized oil in an e-cigarette device. Twenty-eight percent used a medical marijuana pill.

Twenty-one percent said they used medical marijuana daily, while 23 percent said they used it twice a day. Another 39 percent said they used it more than twice a day, the researchers noted.

By: Serena Gordon
(HealthDay News)

Weight Loss May Reverse Course of Atrial Fibrillation

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Weight loss might help reverse progression of a common heart arrhythmia in obese adults, a new study shows.

Researchers found that when obese adults with atrial fibrillation (a-fib) shed at least 10 percent of their starting weight, most saw the course of their condition reverse. More than half became a-fib-free during the study period.

Experts said the findings underscore the value of sustained weight loss for obese a-fib patients.

“The fact that as little as a 10 percent weight loss resulted in such dramatic change is impressive,” said Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, a cardiologist who specializes in treating heart arrhythmias.

“The benefits can be amazing,” he said.

Lakkireddy, who was not involved in the study, is chairman-elect of the American College of Cardiology’s electrophysiology section.

Weight loss is critical, he explained, because obesity feeds many of the factors that contribute to atrial fibrillation — including high blood pressure, diabetes and the nighttime breathing disorder sleep apnea.

“So if you target the root cause,” Lakkireddy said, “you can address these issues in one shot.”

Past research had shown weight loss can ease a-fib symptoms and keep episodes from recurring.

But the new study is the first to show it can also reverse the course of the disease, according to the Australian researchers, led by Melissa Middeldorp of the University of Adelaide.

Atrial fibrillation affects anywhere from 3 million to 6 million Americans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It arises when the heart’s upper chambers beat erratically instead of maintaining a steady, normal rhythm. Though the problem is not immediately life-threatening, if it persists over time, it can raise the risk of stroke or heart failure.

The new findings, published recently in the journal Europace, are based on 355 obese a-fib patients who were offered a structured weight-loss program.

It included individualized diet and lifestyle advice. But in general, patients cut down on calories and processed, high-carbohydrate foods. They also started exercising: First, they took on low-intensity activity three or four times a week, then built toward sessions of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking. The goal was 200 minutes per week, or about 30 minutes each day.

They also received help with managing all their a-fib risk factors such as monitoring their blood pressure, getting their blood sugar levels down, and treating sleep apnea.

Four years later, the study found, people who’d managed to lose at least 10 percent of their weight were faring best.

Overall, 135 people lost that much weight. And 88 percent of them had been either free of a-fib in the past year, or had gone from persistent a-fib episodes to “paroxysmal” a-fib.

Persistent a-fib episodes last for at least a week, or even months. They may require treatment — with either drugs or an electrical “shock” to the heart — to end them.

In contrast, paroxysmal episodes last less than a week and go away on their own.

The picture was different for patients who lost little weight. Of the 116 who lost less than 3 percent of their weight, 41 percent progressed from paroxysmal a-fib to persistent. Only one patient improved from persistent to paroxysmal a-fib.

“Progression of the disease is shown to have a direct link with the degree of weight loss,” Middeldorp said in a statement. “Without weight loss, there is a progression of AF [a-fib] to more persistent forms of AF.”

By: Amy Norton
(HealthDay News)

 

Can Coffee Extend Your Life?

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Having a morning cup of java — and another and another — might prolong your life, a new study suggests.

In fact, drinking lots of coffee was associated with a lower risk of early death, including among people who downed eight or more cups per day.

And it’s not the caffeine. To reap the benefit, it doesn’t matter if your coffee is decaf or instant or caffeinated, the researchers said.

“This study may provide reassurance to coffee drinkers,” said lead researcher Erikka Loftfield, an epidemiologist at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

But Loftfield cautioned that because this was an observational study, it can’t prove that coffee caused people to live longer.

People who drank eight or more cups of coffee a day had a 14 percent lower risk of dying over a 10-year study period, compared with those who didn’t drink coffee, the researchers found.

For those who drank six to seven cups a day, the risk was cut 16 percent, Loftfield said.

Moreover, to get the benefit, it didn’t matter whether someone metabolized caffeine slowly or quickly. “It’s the non-caffeine components that might be responsible for the association,” she said.

Coffee contains more than 1,000 biological compounds, including potassium and folic acid, known to have an effect on the body, Loftfield explained.

But, she added, for non-coffee drinkers, the modest benefits aren’t a reason to start.

“If somebody enjoys drinking coffee, they may continue to enjoy it based on these findings. But if they don’t drink coffee, these findings don’t say to start drinking it,” Loftfield said.

For the study, the researchers collected data on more than 500,000 people who took part in a large, long-running British study.

Over 10 years of follow-up, more than 14,000 people died. But those who drank the most coffee were less likely to die, the findings showed.

Samantha Heller is a nutritionist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. “Like so many plant foods,” she said, “the coffee bean is brimming with polyphenols that, research suggests, confer health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes and antihypertensive properties.”

Plants including vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains have many healthful compounds that have a positive effect on health and well-being, Heller said.

Due in part to these compounds, people who follow a more plant-based approach to eating have lower rates of chronic diseases, such as certain cancers, obesity, diabetes, dementia, heart disease and depression, she added.

But, “drinking coffee is not a miracle in a cup, and is unlikely to prevent the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle, such as the typical Western diet or smoking tobacco,” Heller noted.

In addition, the caffeine in coffee may have bad health consequences for some people, she said.

“Teas also have health benefits, so if you do not drink coffee, tea is a great alternative,” Heller said. “Overall, though, coffee can certainly be considered a part of a healthy diet.”

The report was published online July 2 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

By: Steven Reinberg
(HealthDay News)

Birthright Travelers Welcomed to Israel

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Ben Gurion Airport, welcoming young travelers to Israel.

Trump Picks Kavanaugh, Cements Conservative Majority

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Judge Brett Kavanaugh, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, in attendance at Georgia Supreme Court Justice Britt Grant’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit, on Wednesday, May 23, 2018.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday night that he had nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his resignation in late June.
In a statement from the White House, Trump described Kavanaugh as “a judge’s judge, a brilliant jurist” and “one of the sharpest, brightest legal minds of our time.”

Kavanaugh, 53, presently serves as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. A Yale Law School graduate, he previously served in both Bush administrations. He also worked on independent counsel Ken Starr’s investigation of President Bill Clinton, INN reported

 

A statement from the White House said that Kavanaugh nomination “comes after a selection process marked by an historic degree of transparency, including the President’s public disclosure of a list of 25 highly qualified potential nominees to the Supreme Court.”

Judge Kavanaugh had previously clerked on the Supreme Court for Justice Kennedy, and for judges on the Third and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals.
“Judge Kavanaugh has earned a reputation as a brilliant jurist with impeccable legal credentials, and he is universally respected for his intellect, as well as his ability to persuade and build consensus,” said the statement.

The left plans  intensified and possible violent protests. Since Trump made the announcement Democrats such as Chuck Schumer  declared that Judge Brett Kavanaugh will overturn Roe V Wade.

A Fox News reporter who was scheduled to broadcast outside the steps of the Supreme Court, cancelled the event when she felt endangered by the protestors.

ABC News Tweeted hours before the Trump made his pick that the new supreme court pick was “controversial”, the media  was pushing a strong narrative  of a “radical right wing judge” even before an the president made his choice.

A Jewish Voice Exclusive: Israeli Consulting Firm Sues Hadassah Woman’s Org for $20.9M

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– Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus

A $20.9 million lawsuit has been filed in Israel against Hadassah: the Zionist Women’s Organization of America (HWZOA). The New York-based nonprofit founded and underwrites the world famous Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. The medical center has two university hospital facilities in the city of Jerusalem.

Free World Ltd, an Israeli consulting firm that in 2014 enabled HWZOA to avoid almost certain government takeover of the nearly bankrupt medical center’s ownership, filed the suit in Jerusalem District Court on April 23, 2018. Free World’s owner, David Spector, had served as the organization’s chief strategic adviser and negotiator as HWZOA fought to retain ownership of the Hadassah Medical Center in 2013-2014. The suit says that HWZOA failed to compensate him for the firm’s work.

 

David Spector

In response to inquiries made by the Jewish Voice, Ellen Hershkin, the national president of HWZOA said in an e-mail statement that, “The lawsuit is an attempt by David Spector to obtain millions of dollars of charitable funds through false claims. Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA) will provide its response in a court of law which will dispute Free World’s claims. Free World and Spector were paid in full for their services. We are confident that Free World’s claims will be rejected and that HWZOA will prevail.”

 

Ms. Hershkin added that HWZOA has “provided generous support to educational, social and welfare activities for the benefit of the people of the State of Israel. We will continue to support our charitable mission and not be distracted by those who seek to undermine our lifesaving work.”

According to information provided by Free World, the medical center was experiencing a severe and unprecedented economic crisis with stakeholders viewing HWZOA as the main source of blame. The financial crisis came as HWZOA was dealing with funding difficulties due to the 2007 financial crisis in the U.S. and was forced to return to donors some $45 million of so-called clawback funds in the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scandal.

 

Marcie Natan, the former National President of Hadassah (WZOA)

It also had spun off its prized Young Judaea youth program and camps, reduced or ended other significant programming, considerably cut back staff and sold its $71.5 million New York headquarters building, as well as its near-by apartment and several additional properties in Israel.

Mr. Spector’s work brought HWZOA from a point where it had already agreed to surrender its ownership, due to its disadvantage in the negotiations with the State of Israel, to a point where full ownership was retained and a large-scale government-funded recovery plan was instead set in place.

This work and result had been described as “a miracle” by Hadassah’s leadership and is widely detailed in the suit.

Among the numerous examples provided by Mr. Spector: On May 18, 2014 Marcie Natan, then the National President of Hadassah WZOA, wrote to him via e-mail, “Dear David, It is we who thank you – for your strength and your vision for achieving a working agreement that would keep HWZOA as the owners and with control of the board. I am still pinching myself trying to realize that we have reached this point.”

The suit alleges that the defendants — HWZOA, Hadassah Medical Relief, Inc., Sabra Flats and Hadassah Offices in Israel — “(unlawfully) made a huge financial gain at the expense of the Plaintiff.”  Tzvi Bar Nathan is representing FreeWorld Ltd.

That financial gain, according to the suit, totals billions of Israeli shekels and exemption from tax payments, as well as an arrangement allowing HWZOA to be the medical center’s sole fundraiser, a position which the suit says has allowed the organization to extract a 14% commission on all monies it raises for the hospitals.

The suit details HWZOA officials’ appreciation to Spector, including another from Ms. Natan, also as HWZOA, telling him that he had achieved “more than we could ever properly compensate you for.” (Legal Newswire)

 

Chelsea Football Club & WJC Launch Anti-Racism Program

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Chelsea Football Club and The World Jewish Congress today launched the international Pitch for Hope competition, the first stage of a three-pronged joint initiative on combating the widespread phenomenon of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and anti-Semitism in sports, under the banner Red Card for Hate.

Pitch for Hope is a hothouse of ideas, calling on young people ages 18-23 in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Israel to submit proposals for a unique and creative project to harness the spirit of comradery in sports to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, faiths, and walks of life.

In the UK and the US, Chelsea FC and the WJC have been reaching out to potential participants representing institutions working toward coexistence, including Jewish and Muslim organizations, as well as leading educational institutes. The competition in Israel will draw participants from people of all religions – including Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Druze, to include minority groups in the peripheral north and south of the country, as well as members of the lower socio-economic strata. Seven institutions are scheduled to take part in the Israeli competition, with a focus on the visual arts.

Finalists will be invited to present their proposals at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge stadium in London to a panel of judges representing the WJC and Chelsea FC in September. The winners from each country will receive a $10,000 grant from Chelsea FC and the World Jewish Congress to develop and implement their pilot project.

The competition will expand to Germany and France for a following round next year, following high-demand from football clubs across Europe.

This initiative was made possible due to a generous contribution from Chelsea FC Club owner Roman Abramovich and World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder.

WJC CEO Robert Singer said: “Anti-Semitism is as dangerous in the sporting world as it is in civil society, and both are growing at alarming rates. It is our duty, as fans and as teams alike, to work together to put an immediate stop to this phenomenon. The World Jewish Congress and Chelsea Football Club are committed to sending a clear message that the spirit of sport must be tolerance and respect, not hatred and xenophobia. We look forward to seeing the creative proposals submitted by our participants, and are confident that working together, we will make a difference.”

Chelsea FC Chairman Bruce Buck said: “We hope that our joint initiative will start a process that we believe is vital and long overdue. Change does not happen overnight, it takes time, education and understanding, and therefore we have devised the initiative as a long-term project that will grow and build, and hopefully inspire other clubs to follow our lead and create their own anti-Semitism initiatives, as well as working together with us on joint campaigns and activities.”

 

FIFA World Cup Through the Jewish Lens

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One of the fun things about being an American Jew is that during international competitions like the FIFA World Cup or Olympics, if America loses an event, American Jews can always cheer on Israel as well. For this latest installment of the World Cup, unfortunately neither possibility are true as both teams did not make it to the grand tournament. Israel still has a subtle but surprising presence behind the scenes of this World Cup in Russia.

 

Although the Israeli national team hasn’t been in a World Cup since 1970, the country and its citizens still love the action and get involved however they can. From Jewish athletes to parts of the game that most people wouldn’t know have Jewish roots, Jewish and Israeli hands are all over the World Cup.

 

Israel’s men’s national soccer team gets the chance to qualify for the World Cup every four years just like every other country, but it’s not as simple as that. To qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Israel needed to do well enough in the Union of European Football Association’s Group G to get the invitation to Russia for the tournament. The challenge is that this group includes perennial favorites Spain and Italy while Israel’s bordering neighbors played in the Asian Football Confederation. Egypt is one exception, playing in the Confederation of African Football.

 

The Israeli Football Association once competed in the Asian Football Confederation in the middle of the last century until other members of the confederation boycotted the nascent state. During a time when pan-Arab nationalism and solidarity with the Palestinian people were on the rise, the Asian Football Confederation expelled Israel from the confederation in a 17-13 vote organized and led by Kuwait in 1974.

 

This history and Israel failing to qualify again hasn’t stopped Israelis from getting the soccer fever, packing pubs just like fans from every other country around the globe.

 

“There are a lot of Russian-Israelis rooting here,” said Jason Jungreis, owner of Mike’s Place on the Tel Aviv boardwalk, as he referred to the bar filled with fans festooned in national colors for Thursday night’s match between Russia and Saudi Arabia, the Jerusalem Post reported.

 

Locals seem to show the most support for Argentina, whose national team was supposed to play Israel last week until the match was cancelled. Israel’s embassy even created a video to show its support of the Argentinian team.

 

Yahel Murvitz Lahav, 26, is a Technion medical student has deeper reasons for supporting Argentina.

 

“A few friends and I, we made a bet. I’m hoping Belgium will win so I can win [the money]. But I’m actually rooting for Argentina, for my grandparents. On my Dad’s side, they made aliya from Argentina.”

 

Even Americans in Israel like Joel Strauss are excited to watch despite not having a rooting interest. “I didn’t even plan to watch it at first because neither the US nor Israel qualified,” Strauss said.

 

People like Strauss can still see a Jewish presence if they look closely enough. The Jerusalem Post details a few of these hidden storylines, including how Colombia has a Jewish coach, Nigeria and Serbia each have an Israeli athlete, an app called “soccer-hay” helps Jews navigating through Russia, and Israel’s booming sports tech industry is behind many of the analytics and innovations that will enhance the experience for fans across the globe. When Jewish soccer fans scream in excitement for a goal, they can also do so knowing that the man who made it famous to shout “GOAL” at the top of his lungs is Argentinian Jew Andrés Cantor.