www.verygoodnewsisrael.blogspot.com
Can one name a single example of a democratic nation beset by a war against its existence on almost every front that continues its 24/7 outsize research and technology to benefit all humanity? Here, thanks to Michael Ordman, is a handful of examples of one week’s science and medicine that illustrate how Israel does it.
Detecting 250 genetic diseases.
Decoding rare brain disease.
US & Europe approve focused ultrasound scanners.
Transporting greener vegetables.
Recycling organic waste.
How iron dome tech extinguishes fires
More integrated data for farmers.
Read it all….rsk
POSITIVE NEWS IN A WAR
Thousands help farmers rebuild. The HaShomer HaChadash (“The New Watchman”) agricultural volunteer organization aims to bring at least 100,000 volunteers to help farmers in the north repair hundreds of acres of orchards. The nonprofit has already mobilized some 300,000 volunteers to help farmers in the south.
https://www.jns.org/seeds-of-hope-volunteers-help-farmers-rebuild-northern-israel/
Eyeglasses for soldiers & evacuees. Since Oct 7 2023 Israeli nonprofit RE-SPECS has assisted thousands of evacuees from southern and northern Israel as well as soldiers with subsidized corrective eyewear. RE-SPECS takes inquiries via WhatsApp and after processing, the spectacles are sent to a local volunteer for collection.
https://www.jns.org/re-specs-helping-israeli-soldiers-evacuees-see-light-after-darkness/
https://www.respecsframes.com/english
Mother of two IDF soldiers, enlists. (TY Yanky) Liora Lubovitz Batan has a daughter and a son in the IDF. Instead of sitting home and worrying, she enlisted in the IDF reserves, decades after completing her army service. she has since served 14 months in logistics positions and in combat support in the northern sector.
https://haipo.co.il/en/item/549196
Religious Zionist towns lead reserve duty. The IDF has reported that residents from religious Zionist towns in Judea, Samaria, and The Golan were leaders in the average number of days of military reserve duty served in 2023. Moshav Ramat Magshimim in the Golan Heights led with 53.94 days per resident on average.
https://www.jns.org/religious-zionist-towns-lead-in-idf-reserve-duty/
Finding hi-tech jobs for wounded IDF soldiers. Israeli nonprofit Atidim (see here previously) has established the “Warriors for High Tech” program to help IDF veterans transition to technology careers. It is especially attentive to the employment requirements of ex-soldiers who have suffered physical injury or trauma.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/y3zcammov https://atidim.org/en/
NIS 200 million for victims of Hamas. Israel’s Merit Spread Foundation has raised over NIS 200 million in US-tax-exempt donations since the Oct 7 2003 Hamas invasion. It advertises as having unprecedented zero cost overheads and the fund has financed various projects covering multiple social benefit causes relating to the war.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/400602 https://meritspread.com/
Teen Oct 7 survivors play basketball in LA. 15 Israeli high-schoolers from Gaza envelope kibbutzim went on a week-long trip to Los Angeles to watch NBA games, tour Universal Studios and play against a local Jewish day school. The program was organized by Project 24, connecting Israeli and North American communities.
https://www.jns.org/they-survived-oct-7-now-theyre-playing-basketball-in-los-angeles/
https://www.project24israel.org/
Baby shower for 40 pregnant army wives. Forty wives of IDF reserve soldiers gathered in Modi’in, between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, recently for a collective baby shower (pre-birth party). They received hundreds of gifts from companies and individuals, including essentials for the hospital. Most of all, they made new friends.
https://www.jns.org/our-jewish-revenge-pregnant-army-wives-throw-massive-baby-shower/
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Detecting 250 genetic diseases. The non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) technology from Israel’s IdentifAI (see here previously) can detect any of 250 hereditary genetic disorders from a maternal blood sample. It isolates and performs full genetic sequencing of fetal DNA as early as nine weeks of pregnancy.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hj8wgtmnkx
Decoding rare brain disease. Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed an research model to decode the mechanism underlying a severe and rare neurological disease. A mutation in the protein TIMM50 causes epilepsy, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. It could lead to new treatments for many diseases.
https://english.tau.ac.il/research/decoding-brain-disease
https://elifesciences.org/reviewed-preprints/99914#tab-content
US & Europe approve focused ultrasound scanners. Israel’s Insightec has received both FDA approval and the CE mark for its Exablate Prime focused ultrasound system integrated with MR scanners from medical equipment giant Philips. It extends Insightec’s treatment of essential tremor and Parkinson’s patients.
https://www.ourcrowd.com/startup-news/insightec-secures-fda-approval-and-ce-marking-for-exablate-prime-on-philips-mr-systems
New private medical school. (TY Atid-EDI) The Council for Higher Education in Israel has granted approval to the independent Reichman University in Herzliya to establish a Medical School. Eighty medical students will be enrolled in the first four-year program, which will begin in February 2025.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-medical-school-approved-for-reichman-university-1001493862
First-ever MedEx LA event. Dozens of Jewish doctors, many planning to make Aliyah in the near future, gathered in Los Angeles for the inaugural MedEx LA fair. It follows recent MedEx events in London, Paris, Buenos Aires, and New Jersey, addressing Israel’s shortage of doctors plus easing the Aliya process for them.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/400544