♦ CONGREGANTS AT the Hazvi Yisrael synagogue know that without the dedicated efforts of their gabbai Menachem Levinsky and his wife Chani, nothing would get done. They take responsibility for synagogue activities upon themselves, and everything goes like clockwork. Because the synagogue elevator is not programmed for Shabbat, Levinsky even organizes non-Jewish caregivers of some of the congregants to operate the elevator when necessary. He and his wife, despite their efficiency, are extremely modest, and get embarrassed when praised in public. However, the congregation could not resist last Shabbat making a kiddush in honor of Levinsky's 60th birthday. Although he organizes kiddushim for other people, he doesn't provide alcoholic beverages beyond the wine for the blessing. Expensive whisky is traditionally provided by former synagogue president Stuart Dove, who does not stint on costs. Strangely enough, no one thinks that he's trying to bribe anyone, and people line up for him to pour them a glass of the smooth brew. ♦ POLITICS ARE one thing and the Hippocratic oath is another, which explains why Arab physicians and paramedics in east Jerusalem are part of the United Hatzalah network of emergency medical responders. Last week, a ceremony and gala dinner was held at the east Jerusalem chapter of Hatzalah to welcome Dr. Murad Issam Odeh, who didn't realize how quickly his services would be put to use. During the dinner at which Odeh, a pediatrician, was presented with his first-responder's kit, one of the EMS volunteers unknowingly ate some fish and immediately suffered a severe allergic reaction. Odeh instantly began treating his fellow first responder and succeeded in preventing the full onset of anaphylactic shock by administering an antihistamine immediately upon seeing the symptoms of the allergic reaction, such as swelling of the throat and neck, puffiness around the eyes and respiratory problems. Odeh administered an antihistamine and his colleague stabilized. Odeh heard about United Hatzalah from a close friend and it aroused his curiosity. After learning what United Hatzalah does regardless of the national, religious or racial identity of the person in need of treatment, he decided to become part of the team. ♦ HANUKKA IS barely behind us and Tu Bishvat, Purim and Passover are on the horizon. What's a Jewish festival without wine? With so many different brands and blends of wine to choose from, people who care about kashrut are becoming increasingly fussy, which is one of the reasons that Psagot Winery in the Judean Hills relies on the strictest kashrut supervision – that of Badatz Jerusalem Eda Haredit. While many customs from Temple times no longer prevail, some, such as trumot and ma'asrot (tithing and separating the crop for the kohanim) is still done symbolically. This was the case last week when Psagot CEO Yaakov Berg held a special ceremony and meal for a distinguished gathering of Eda Haredit dignitaries. Berg told them that where not so long ago the kashrut of the wine was more important than the quality, now quality is almost as important as kashrut. There is a higher demand for quality kosher wine than ever before, and wine makers have to pay attention to both. ♦ ON THURSDAY of last week, the Shaare Zedek Sports Medicine Center signed an agreement with Ariel, the company that manages the sports arena on behalf of the Jerusalem Municipality. Shaare Zedek will manage an on-premises medical sports center with rooms for physiological examinations, consultations, treatments and exercise. The center will be under the direction of Prof. Naama Constantini, with services available to all sectors of the public, from those who never engage in any form of sport up to and including people for whom some form of sport or exercise is part of their lifestyle. The idea is to persuade people of all ages with a variety of maladies that physical exercise may prove to be a better cure than medication. “We chose the arena because it represents the heartbeat of sport in Jerusalem,” said Ruth Ralbag, Shaare Zedek's deputy chief of finances. Following construction and restoration work, the medical sports center is scheduled to begin functioning within the next three months. ♦ AFTER COMPLAINTS by guests attending functions at the Kedma banquet halls in Neveh Ilan that their cell phones had disappeared, proprietor Aharon Michael was understandably upset. According to a report in the Kol Ha'ir local newspaper, he brought the matter to the attention of the police. It transpired that a clever thief dressed in a smart business suit had no trouble mingling with guests not only at Kedma, but at other banquet halls around the country. His modus operandi was always the same. He came in, looking to all intents and purposes like any other guest. He waited for the dancing to begin, and when many of the tables were unattended, he simply made the rounds collecting any cell phones that had been left on the tabletops while their owners were on the dance floor. To add insult to injury, he also enjoyed food and beverage at the events. What finally tripped him up was the old story of the thief returning to the scene of the crime. He had in fact returned to Kedma several times without being caught, but early this month, he was spotted by an alert waiter. In addition he was photographed by security cameras that captured his actions beyond doubt, and also showed that he had been there previously. When he realized that he'd been recognized, he sped away in his car, but the police caught up with him. It has been made clear to the culprit, a 39-year-old man from Petah Tikva, that his identity is known and his criminal actions will no longer be tolerated or go unpunished. ♦ HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE is part of the Israeli psyche, but never more so than in January – especially on the anniversary of the liberation from Auschwitz, the date of which has been designated by the United Nations as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld, a child Holocaust survivor and a frequent contributor to the op-ed pages of The Jerusalem Post will present an address on “Why Post-Holocaust Studies are Important to Societies Today.” His lecture will be delivered on January 24 at 10 a.m. at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, 13 Tel Hai Street, Jerusalem. Holocaust studies deal with the myriad aspects of the mass murder of Jews. The subject of genocide overshadows the very important impact the Holocaust has made on postwar societies. This impact covers many disciplines such as sociology, psychology, law, theology, ethics, philosophy, politics, medical issues, history, literature and art. Only by grouping all of these disciplines together in one arena – Post-Holocaust Studies – can one understand multidisciplinary issues such as migration, restitution, memory, etc. Grouping post-Holocaust issues provides a looking-glass on contemporary societies and helps to discern warning signs today. Leaders of too many countries fail to recognize forces of evil until it is too late, and the toll in human life can be horrific. A former chairman of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Gerstenfeld has authored many books dealing with European-Israeli and European- Jewish issues.
(photo credit: ODED FELDMAN/PIKIWIKI)