SOME GOOD NEWS FROM AMAZING ISRAEL FROM MICHAEL ORDMAN
www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com
Israel fights for survival on the battlefield and for humanity and against its ills-famine, drought, disease, and epidemics in the myriad laboratories, hospitals, research and eleemosynary institutions. Michael Ordman details these amazing contributions which continue even during war.
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POSITIVE NEWS DURING A WAR
Civilians raise money for IDF. Our People is a new volunteer NGO of 100 people, primarily immigrants from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa. It has raised $3.7 million to purchase and deliver ceramic inserts for the standard combat vest that IDF frontline soldiers use.
https://www.jns.org/startup-on-steroids-civilians-raise-3-7m-to-equip-idf-troops/
Vegan meals for soldiers. The Israeli startups joining Israel’s Redefine Meat (see last week) to provide plant-based meats and dairy alternatives to the IDF include Green Butcher, More Foods, YoEgg! Foods and Creative Pea. JO-MO Chocolate also provided sweet treats. https://www.jomo-chocolate.com/
Feeding preemies. Magen David Adom National Human Milk Bank announces that since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct 7, hundreds of liters of Israeli breast milk has been donated to feed premature babies and babies whose mothers have been killed, abducted, or injured, or who have been called up to military duty.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/magen-david-adom-says-over-600-liters-of-breastmilk-provided-since-start-of-war/ https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-milk-bank-overflows-in-response-to-victims-babies/
Sew important. 400 volunteer fashion designers, design students, lecturers, and graduates, at Tel Aviv’s Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, work in shifts to help complete IDF gear for reservist soldiers. They stitch pockets and straps that attach to the ceramic bulletproof vests worn by combat soldiers.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/designers-sew-for-combat-soldiers-pivoting-from-fashion-to-function/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z42AUAKValY
A hotline for non-Hebrew speakers. The Department of Translation and Interpreting Studies at Bar-Ilan University has recruited dozens of volunteers to help non-Hebrew speakers contact emergency responders and aid organizations. It aims to help callers with immediate medical, emotional and logistical needs.
https://www.israel21c.org/hotline-providing-interpreting-services-during-wartime/
Israeli Arab reservists fight fake news. Arab-Israelis who volunteered to serve in the IDF and are now in the reserves, are informing the Arab world of Israel’s case. Their main message is “Everyone was shocked by Hamas, which is against Islam.” https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkzwfzgg6
UK Ambassador volunteers. (TY Hazel) British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters volunteered at Asif – Culinary Institute of Israel, that since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 has been functioning as a center for cooking, packing, and shipping food to families evacuated from their homes, hospitals, and more.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/10/31/916291/
Female fighters save lives. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Caracal Battalion, led by Lt.-Col. Or Ben-Yehuda and comprised mostly of female IDF combat troops, eliminated approximately 100 terrorists on Oct 7. Also, orthodox border police Superintendent Shifra Buchris, plus 3 from her unit, rescued many at the rave party.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-769134
https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/sj00o9xgp
All my sons. The story of Ruti, a mother of 12, who has 6 sons (5 married) and 4 sons-in-law serving in the IDF reserves. She also has 3 grandchildren in the IDF. https://www.timesofisrael.com/mother-of-12-has-six-sons-4-sons-in-law-3-grandchildren-and-1-nephew-in-the-idf/
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
The premier of Surgical Theater’s AR spine surgery. (TY OurCrowd) Stanford Medicine performed the first spine surgery using the augmented reality technology from Israel’s Surgical Theater (see here previously). The successful tumor resection operation employed Surgical Theater’s SyncAR Spine platform.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/surgical-theater-announces-first-augmented-reality-spine-surgery-at-stanford-medicine-successfully-executed-with-syncar-spine-301962538.html
Great results in heart monitoring trials. (TY Atid-EDI) The SmartHeart monitoring system from Israel’s SHL Telemedicine (see here previously) is undergoing trials at Imperial College London. It has reduced ER visits by 27.5% and hospital readmission rates by 55%, surpassing expectations.
https://www.shl-telemedicine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/20230926_Mayo-Imperial-initial-results-Final.pdf
US approval for dialysis artery connector. The US FDA has approved the VasQ External Vascular Support from Israel’s Laminate Medical Technologies (see here previously). It follows a US 144-patients study. VasQ safely connects a patient’s arteries and veins to dialysis machines, by creating arteriovenous fistulas or AVFs.
https://vascularnews.com/laminate-medical-announces-fda-clearance-for-vasq-avf-creation-device/
http://www.laminatemedical.com/news-events/
US funds Israeli virus versus bacteria trial. (TY OurCrowd) Israel’s MeMed (see here previously) has been awarded nearly $727,800 from the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to support a trial of its 15-minute MeMed BV test that distinguishes between bacterial and viral infections.
https://www.me-med.com/press_release/memed-awarded-us-barda-contract/
Devices to relieve stress. Israeli startups XRHealth (see here previously) and CalmiGo (see here previously) are donating their anxiety-relieving devices to hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and mental health centers throughout Israel. XRHealth’s headsets and CalmiGo’s inhalers help relax worried citizens.
https://www.israel21c.org/israeli-firms-donate-anxiety-relieving-devices-to-citizens/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
University grants for students in IDF. Bar-Ilan Uni is granting 1,000-5,000 NIS ($250-$1,250) for 6,000+ of its students who are now serving on the front lines. Ben Gurion Uni is paying NIS 1,200 ($300) grant and are delaying rental fees. 5,000+ Tel Aviv Uni students will each receive NIS 1,000 from the TAU Emergency fund.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/ben-gurion-bar-ilan-universities-announce-emergency-grants-for-reservists/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/tel-aviv-university-announces-grants-for-student-soldiers/
Israeli Arab party leaders reject Hamas. The leaders of two of Israel’s Arab parties rejected Hamas’s call for Arabs in Israel to join Hamas’ war on Israel. MK Dr. Mansour Abbas, chairman of Ra’am and MK Ayman Odeh, chairman of the Hadash-Ta’al urged their followers to exercise restraint. Also read Yoseph Haddad.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkzwfzgg6 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-769843
Support for Israel from 100+ top German companies. 106 German companies, representing the bulk of the country’s economy employing millions of workers, took out a full-page ad in major German Sunday newspapers. The ad was headlined “Never again is now,” and denounced antisemitism and Jew hatred.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/never-again-is-now-german-companies-condemn-hamas-terror-stand-with-israel/
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Best inventions. TIME Magazine’s 2023 list of 200 Best Inventions includes six Israeli startups. Beewise (BeeHome4), Wiliot, Salignostics (Salistick), Lumen, UBQ, and Brenmiller (bGen Zero). Another – Sensibo (AirPro) received a special mention.
https://nocamels.com/2023/10/six-israeli-startups-make-time-magazines-annual-best-inventions/
https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2023/
Streamlining wartime aid delivery. Israeli tech companies Fiverr (see here previously) and HiBob (see here previously) have partnered to create the AI platform Lev Echad (One Heart). It manages any Israeli public needs or requests (civilian or military) during the current conflict and escalates them to the relevant bodies.
https://nocamels.com/2023/10/israeli-high-tech-giants-use-ai-to-streamline-wartime-aid-delivery/
https://www.levechad.org/hamal-hitech-en
AI transforms overhead Gaza images. (TY OurCrowd) The IDF uses the software platform from Israel’s Edgybees (see here previously) to ensure accurate real-time visual data and protect innocent lives. Edgybees aligns aerial video and satellite imagery with reference data in real time.
https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/israels-tech-teams-helping-to-battle-hamas/
Combating hate on social media. With Israel’s Trendtrack, social media users can easily identify and report posts containing hate speech, violence, and false information or share pro-Israeli content. Use it to stop hate, stop misinformation and support Israel. Just 5 minutes a day can help promote Israeli advocacy.
https://nocamels.com/2023/10/new-project-combats-israel-hate-on-social-media-post-by-post/
https://brightinitiative.com/posts-activity/
Keeping drivers safe. Travel applications Waze and Google Maps have disabled reports of road congestion, traffic, and the location of other drivers in Israel. They aim to prevent terrorist organizations from using real-time reports to target vehicle concentrations. They will continue to give directions and estimated arrival times.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hj9kqn4m6
Cybersecurity breakthrough awards. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Opus Security (see here previously) was the Gold Globee Business Award winner for AWS Cloud Security in the 2023 CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards. Opus also won two bronze awards for innovation and startup achievement.
https://globeeawards.com/cyber-security/winners/ https://www.opus.security/news
Detecting potential disasters. (TY Atid-EDI) The Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers has given its Successful Innovation Award to Israel’s ASTERRA (see here previously) for its EarthWorks for Mining system. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231006338719/en/ASTERRA-EarthWorks-for-mines-wins-Successful-Innovation-Award-at-Perumin-36
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Germany buys Israeli defense system. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel has signed a letter of commitment for the sale of an Arrow 3 long-range anti-ballistic missile system to Germany for $3.5 billion, the largest single security sale by Israel to date. Germany will initially transfer 600 million Euros to Israel for production to begin.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-israel-and-germany-sign-35b-arrow-3-deal-1001458968
More global corporate support. Global corporations providing material support to Israel include Walmart ($1 million to Magen David Adom); McDonald’s (100,000 free meals to the IDF, residents, and hospitals); SAP (cash to employees, 250k Euros to MDA & others, agricultural produce from farmers to evacuees & IDF).
https://worldisraelnews.com/walmart-pledges-1-million-to-israels-red-cross/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2023/10/25/mcdonalds-israel-sparks-international-outrage-giving-free-food-idf-soldiers-israeli-security-forces/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/multinational-tech-firms-from-sap-to-intel-to-give-israeli-workers-wartime-grant/
New VC Fund to aid war effort. A new Venture Capital fund “1948 Ventures” has just been launched. It will invest in early-stage Israeli-founded companies that develop technologies for civilian use in a war environment. Areas include supply chain, communications, medical devices, and tech to help track and trace missing persons.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/syewdybmt
Down on the farms. Some 2,500 Israelis have applied to replace the thousands of foreign workers, Gaza Arabs, and drafted IDF reserves, who are unavailable to work in the agriculture industry. They are being recruited by Israeli NGO HaShomer HaChadash (see here previously) which is protecting Israel from food shortages.
https://www.israel21c.org/thousands-rush-to-help-israels-desperate-southern-farmers/
US to test Israeli screening system. (TY OurCrowd) The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is to evaluate the security technology from Israel’s SeeTrue (see here previously) for passenger screening at government laboratories and US airports.
https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/seetrue-ai-a-global-leader-in-security-screening-solutions-signs-a-cooperative-research-and-development-agreement-crada-with-the-department-of-homeland-securitys-dhs-301965795.html
Innovative wheels get environmental certification. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s REE Automotive has received US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certification for its P7 range of electric trucks. It will help REE’s goal to deliver its unique fully by-wire electric vehicles by the end of 2023.
https://ree.auto/press-release/ree-automotive-obtains-epa-certification-for-its-p7-electric-truck-lineup/
https://ree.auto/segments/p7-c-chassis-cab/
Reasons to be optimistic. More upbeat sentiments by OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved on the resilience of the Startup Nation in this interview on Sky News Australia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHCr_SljK54
THE JEWISH STATE
Hassidic Rabbi brings aid to IDF. One of the Sadigura Rebbes (there are currently three) travelled from Jerusalem to visit soldiers in the north and show support. With donations from his community, he bought the soldiers ceramic vests. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/379228
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P68cpNMP4t0
One family’s prayers answered. The family of IDF soldier Ori Megidish, who was held captive in Gaza, requested that a new Torah scroll be brought into her bedroom, while it was being paraded in her hometown. One week later, she was miraculously rescued unharmed. We pray for more than 240 similar miracles.
https://worldisraelnews.com/divine-intervention-how-captive-soldiers-family-turned-to-god-days-before-her-rescue/ (see embedded video)
Canadian Jewry raises $100 million CAD. The Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA (JFC-UIA) has raised $100 million CAD for Israel. It is Canada’s largest ever fundraising campaign on behalf of the Jewish State. Canada has less than 400,000 Jewish citizens (2021 census) compared to the US’s estimated 6.3 million Jews.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/ryveaq7mp
How to help Israel. Here are some sites where newsletter readers can donate to Israeli organizations that provide vital help to Israelis at this difficult time. Many thanks to those who have already contributed and to those who are helping by donating their own valuable time and resources.
Friends of the IDF (US donors): https://www.fidf.org/
or IDF Soldiers Fund in Israel: https://www.ufis.org.il/en/donation-en/ (select the English speakers’ option)
American Friends of Magen David Adom (US donors): https://afmda.org/
or Magen David Adom (Israel): https://www.mdais.org/en/donation
Zaka (US donors): https://donate.zakatelaviv.org/give/525578/
or (Israeli donors): https://charidy.com/zaka
United Hatzalah: https://israelrescue.org/campaign/israel-at-war-2/
Leket Food Israel: https://www.leket.org/en/
JNF USA – https://my.jnf.org/gaza-emergency/Donate
Orthodox Union – https://www.charidy.com/ouisraelcrisis
Hadassah Hospital Israel: https://www.hadassah.org/
Laniado Hospital (Netanya) https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/EmergencyLaniado
And many more charities here:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/where-people-abroad-can-donate-to-israels-hospitals-troops-survivors-and-more/
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