by Michael Ordman
Israel is full of citizens and organizations that deserve to receive an honor. Not a political honor such as the Nobel Prize for peace given to an unrepentant terrorist leader, nor an award from the British Foreign Office for services that undermine the legitimacy of the Jewish State. Respect can only be given to those who enhance Israel in the eyes of the world. Here are some of the most recent examples.
The medical profession is overflowing with worthy individuals who put Tikum Olam (repairing the world) far above financial recompense. Kol Hakavod (all the glory) to the team of 20 Israeli doctors and medical staff from Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) that has just flown to Tanzania to provide free heart surgeries. And to the team of 11 cardiac surgeons and nurses from Israel’s Sheba Medical Center that performed 10 complex heart operations over 4 days in Nigeria. SACH doctors can also take credit for restoring the sight of 10-month old baby Dennis from Romania who lost his vision shortly after birth.
The paramedics working for Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom deserve recognition for having saved countless lives during the life of the modern state. MDA just unveiled their latest hi-tech mobile command vehicle designed to direct rescue operations on the most difficult terrain and during cellular network failure. Another organization, Yad Sarah, employs the largest number of volunteers in Israel, providing services and equipment to help the elderly and disabled lead fuller, more comfortable lives. One of Yad Sarah’s thousands of volunteers, Dr. Marjorie Kenyon, finally retired from serving the organization, in her 100th year. Here are some of the innovative devices and gadgets that Yad Sarah is currently demonstrating to the public.
It is a great honor to the Jewish State that so many of its scientists have developed apps and devices that can save lives. Tel Aviv University researchers have just developed a website and smartphone app that sends your Genome (your individual Genetic DNA sequence map) for analysis. You can then identify the most effective medications with the least side effects – or prior to pregnancy, you can use it to check for birth defect risks. Another TA University graduate, Eugene Jorov, co-founded Seraphim Sense and developed the Angel sensor in honor of his father who died from a heart attack. The Angel is a biofeedback wristband that monitors the motion, acceleration, skin temperature, blood oxygen saturation and heart rate of at-risk individuals and sends an alert if their medical condition changes.
Foreign heads of state often treat the Jewish State with more respect than many of Israel’s own citizens. In the past few weeks we have had been honored with the first ever visits from the sitting Prime Ministers of Malta and Papua New Guinea. Both arrived with large delegations and cooperation plans. And President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit was the first time in the history of Nigeria that a sitting President went on pilgrimage to Israel. He took the opportunity to sign a bilateral air services agreement between Nigeria and Israel.
Despite its flawed politics, the United Nations regularly turns to the Jewish State to solve issues of international concern. The UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has granted ‘Special Consultative Status’ to 13 Israeli NGOs and is currently considering including a two more. Similarly, all European Union political arguments were put aside in order to welcome Israeli scientists onto the Galileo project. Israeli academics and companies have been given security clearance to work on the EU’s prestigious project to launch 30 satellites and become Europe’s alternative to the US GPS system.
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International stars from Rihanna to Tom Jones continue to honor Israel with theirperformances. However, many pop fans will have missed that October 27 was the 30th anniversary of when Bob Dylan released his up-tempo Zionist anthem, the ironically-titled “
Israel’s sporting heroes have certainly been awash with medals, including windsurfer Shahar Zubari who cruised to a gold medal at the Sailing World Cup in Qingdao, China. Maayan Davidovich won bronze in the women’s division. Israeli swimmerAmit Ivri even won medals at FINA World Cup events in Dubai (UAE) and Doha (Qatar) although Qatar dishonored itself by blanking out the Israeli flag on its TV broadcasts.
There is no greater honor than when people volunteer to serve their country, despite physical disabilities. At the closing ceremony for their special basic training the 150 graduates of IDF’s Ofek course used the deaf sign language to accompany the Israeli National Anthem – “Hatikvah”.
Finally, for the first time in the history of the Israel Defense Forces, an officer from Israel’s Druse community is to serve as the chief of the elite IDF Golani Brigade. Colonel Ghassan Alian was previously deputy commander of the Golan Division. He follows fellow Druse Imad Fares who was chief of the IDF Givati Brigade.
Let’s honor those that deserve honor.
Michael Ordman writes a free weekly newsletter containing Good News stories about Israel.
For a free subscription, email a request to michael.goodnewsisrael@
Most of the world cares less about what all these “good will” IL delegations do all over the world. The evidence is at the UN. No UN country is changing its position in favor of IL. Therefore we must admit that IL does good all over the world out of “guilt” or “feel good”? Which one? The culture of hate is promoted by the Muslims and supported by the West. originally it was a creation of the West.
I chanced to read some of the details of this post and came across a link to one of Bob Dylan’s songs, “The Neighborhood Bully”. I brought it up on my monitor and carefully read a set of lyrics that describe almost exactly what I have come to know about the Jewish nation and Jewish state, and the future that I want for both.
I don’t know how much of a Jewish believer Bob Dylan is, if any at all. But after reading those lyrics, I think he’s more of the Jewish real McCoy than any other celebrity I know of.
Here’s the link:
“http://www.bobdylan.com/us/songs/neighborhood-bully”
Do yourselves a big favor. Paste up that link and read those lyrics.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
Jewish honor?
Why do Jews appear to lack regard for the lives of fellow Jews?
Otherwise, the disgraceful and humiliating scene we just saw in Israel this week would have never happened!
The author doesn’t know Jewish honor because no one thinks it exists.
I never have been even remotely interested in the apparently self-appointed Jewish task of tikun haOlam. I evaluate that kind of omni-civilizational pablum about as worthy as the National Prohibition movement that infected American society in the so-called Progressive era that wound up in the USA setting the stage for World War II by involving ourselves in World War I.
In place of that, my sole focus in Jewish life is Tikun haOlam HaYehudi. In other words, let’s clean up whatever causes our own bathroom to so obviously stink, before taking on the plumbing systems of the whole world. For starters, we need to refocus the Jewish nation on the need to build up our national power base, and that can be accomplished on the soil of Eretz-Yisrael and not at all in the plush suburbs of the large suburbs of the USA. Because unless something unforeseen changes the calculus of the relationships of the various shrinking non-Israeli communities outside Israel, all those big and little diasporas most likely shall shrivel and die.
It was intended right from the get-go that the place for the Jewish nation was to be in Eretz-Yisrael. Not the USA. Not Canada. Not Europe. Not South America.
In order to facilitate that, our Jewish nation must grow in numbers on the soil of haAretz, doubling every 35-36 years as Yoram Ettinger’s demography suggests. And to accommodate those growing numbers, our nation must be prepared to take, annex and make thoroughly Jewish large territories at the expense of Israel’s enemies among the hostile neighboring and regional Arabs. That plainly means an Israel that one day shall stretch from the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez on the west, to the Syrian and Arabian deserts on the east. Is that imperialist aggression? I don’t give a damn what anyone calls it. I only know that the Jewish nation must do it.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI