Page 32   Friday, January 14, 2011 Community Currents

Upcoming events… OU Carmel Fire Relief Fun. For more information A biopsy showed that while the tumor was can- call 718-232-4249. cerous, it could be removed. A true multi-disciplin- On Monday January 17, Ohr Naava will wel- ary effort, Keren’s treatment also involved pediatri- come Rabi Ben Tzion Shafi er of “The Shmuz.” Rab- * * * cians, pediatric gastrointestinal specialists, gener- bi Shafi er will address the women-only audience There has been a growing interest in lan- al surgeons, a pediatric surgeon, a general anesthe- on the topic of “Why Me? Why Is Life So Diffi cult?” guage and literature, and College’s De- siologist and a pediatric oncologist. Several days af- The lecture will take place at 8:00 p.m. at 2201 East partment of Judaic Studies is attempting to ac- ter surgery Keren was home from the hospital and 23rd Street. commodate. This spring, the college is offering level eating regularly. 2 of Yiddish language plus a course entitled, “Yiddish Keren is four now, but she may well live to be 84, * * * Short Stories and Poetry in Translation,” which is the average life expectancy for women in . A Our Way’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Singles cross-listed with the English department’s compar- happy ending to a unique and rare situation. Group, a program of the , will hold ative literature division. Professor Robert M. Shap- its annual retreat Friday through Sunday, February iro will be teaching both courses. Special Blizzard Delivery 11-13, at the Jewish Center in . The blizzard of 2010 resulted in many out-of-the- Featured speakers will include a shadchan from In recent news… ordinary developments throughout City, SawYouAtSinai.com, along with a deaf . Sat- including one at Beth Israel Medical Center-Kings urday night activity will feature ice-skating at Bry- A Little Girl, A Big Story Highway Division (KHD). ant Park followed by late dinner. Sunday’s highlight Last month, four-year-old Keren Rabinowitz un- During the storm, two expectant mothers came will be a tour of Manhattan. davening as derwent surgery at Rambam Medical Center in Hai- to the KHD ER to deliver their babies. The hospi- well as the rabbi’s sermons will be interpreted into fa for an exceptionally rare pancreatic tumor. In fact, tal normally does not provide obstetrical services, ASL. The third Shabbat meal will feature two deaf Keren is amongst the youngest people in the world but when the moms showed up, and the little ones young men talking to the gathering about their chal- to have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. were not going to wait, the staff immediately sprung lenges growing up deaf in the Jewish world. When Keren arrived at Rambam in November into action. The early bird special is $110 per person until 2010 with serious and unexplained abdominal pain, “Emergency medicine professionals are trained to January 20 and then $125 per person. The cost in- a cat scan showed that her bile ducts were obstruct- treat all kinds of cases, including emergency births,” cludes membership in JDSR (Jewish Deaf Singles ed, causing jaundice and indicating a possible tumor said Marie Flordeliza, MHA, BSN, RN, CCRN, and Registry) for the year. For further information, con- in the bile ducts or pancreas. vice president for patient care services at KHD. “All tact Batya Jacob at [email protected] or 212-613-8127. Suspecting cancer, Dr Jesse (Yishai) Lachter, of the ER staff pitched in, and thankfully, both deliv- head of the hospitals Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) eries went very well. We had some emergency bas- * * * Service, conducted a biopsy, which verifi ed a malig- sinets available just for these purposes.” A pre-Tu B’Shevat Israel Night will be held at nant neuro-endocrine tumor of the head of her pan- The babies, a boy and a girl, and their moms were 8:00 p.m., January 15, at Beth Israel Jewish Cen- creas. Uncommon in adults, such tumors are almost later transferred to nearby hospitals with obstetri- ter, 1981 Homecrest Avenue, and will include wine unheard of in children. In fact doctors at Memorial cal services. tasting, Israeli food buffet, entertainment and re- Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York have marks by guest speaker Rabbi Avi Berman, direc- seen only 30 cases of any type of pancreatic tumors ’s Eli Beer Wins tor general of OU in Israel. All proceeds will benefi t in patients under the age of 21. Entrepreneur Award The Globes 2010 Israel Business Conference, held last month, brought together leading policy plan- Blizzard, What Blizzard? ners, fi nancial experts and investment gurus and over 3,000 delegates from around the globe. While much has been said about ’s A day in the life of an assisted living home is not Together with all the focus on fi nancial opportuni- slow response during the blizzard of December 2010, just about residents being clothed, fed and taking ties, trends and risks, there was also corporate sup- with roads unplowed and signifi cant parts of public medications. An important part of their day is the port of social initiatives. The keystone of this sup- transportation not working, there have been many recreation activities they take part in and enjoy. port was the Social Entrepreneur Award selected bright spots as well. The dedication shown by health Thanks to the dedication of the staff at Ateret, res- by Globes on behalf of the Schwab Foundation and care workers who overcame great diffi culties to get idents were hardly aware of the raging storm out- the World Economic Forum in Davos. The award is to their homebound clients has been truly inspir- side and the misery it was causing. Recreation spe- bestowed on an individual who makes a difference ing. Health care workers throughout the fi ve bor- cialist Badana Gertz felt challenged to get to work through “Innovation, Sustainability, Reach and So- oughs, undaunted by mountains of snow, hurricane- that Monday morning. She says as she walked out cial impact.” like winds and freezing temperatures, walked for her door and into the heavy snowdrifts and bitter This year’s recipient was Eli Beer, founder and hours to care for their elderly and disabled clients. cold wind she thought, “I have a responsibility to chief coordinator of United Hatzalah. Beer’s vision At Ateret Avot, a senior residence hotel in Mid- my job. I will do everything I can to get there with- has driven United Hatzalah’s innovative use of am- wood, Brooklyn and at its on-site licensed home out putting myself in danger.” bucycles, the GPS-based Moskowitz LifeCompass health care agency, New Century, staff members There were no buses so Bedana walked and dispatch system, and a committed cadre of over 1,500 fought the winds and navigated slippery roads to soon found she had underestimated the weath- volunteer medics, paramedics and doctors saving arrive on time Monday morning. Two staff mem- er. “I was a little frightened because I didn’t know lives throughout Israel. Beer accepted the award on bers walked from their homes – a trek that took an where I would walk,” she said, referring to the lack behalf of the volunteers who are the backbone of the hour and 20 minutes against bitterly cold 50 mph of paths and the drifting snow. “But when I saw organization. (See photos on facing page.) winds. “There was no thought about not coming people walking down the avenue, it gave me the in,” said Alina Boshakova. “Another nurse couldn’t oomph to take it one block at a time.” She fell only be there. I had to give insulin to two residents and ten minutes away from her destination. Two peo- pre-pour medication for others.” ple helped her up and when she walked into Ater- Material for New Century’s Jonas Atis left his home at 6 et she was “thrilled,” knowing she had made it. a.m. and walked alone on the deserted streets in Ateret’s administration was deeply moved by Community Currents the early morning darkness arriving at Ateret at their employees’ efforts. Praise was heaped on the his normal 8 a.m. starting time. Why did he and frozen arrivals as they came in the door; they were other home health aides do it? “It’s our work,” he hugged and kissed and hot meals were served. . may be submitted shrugged matter-of-factly. “There was nothing spe- The blizzard could have caused great diffi cul- cial about doing what I am supposed to do.” Elza ties and challenges for Ateret Avot. Instead the via e-mail to: Rosenberg echoed those sentiments after her two- blizzard was outside and inside everyone was safe hour hike, “The client is waiting for you.” and warm. [email protected]

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CALL Yitzchok Saftlas at: 718-412-3505 Friday, January 14, 2011 THE JEWISH PRESS  Page 33 Community Currents

Avital Sharansky (left), wife of Natan Sharansky (right), chairman of the Jew- ish Agency for Israel, relating her struggle during the 1980s to free her husband (L-R) Eli Hurwitz, chairman, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries; Yaakov Fran- at the Prime Minister’s Council/Star of David Society Dinner held at the annu- kel, chairman, JP Morgan International; Eitan Madmon, CEO Globes; and Unit- al General Assembly of the Jewish Federations in North America. ed Hatzalah’s Eli Beer, recipient of the Social Entrepreneur Award at the Globes Photo Credit: David Karp 2010 Israel Business Conference. A Night of Learning At University

Ohel Honors Garment Center Synagogue Offi cials More than 250 students from seven local high schools joined together at Ye- shiva University’s Wilf Campus for the Leadership Network (TLN) whose theme was the nature of the Asara B’Tevet fast day. Participating schools included Yeshiva University High School for Boys/Mar- sha Stern Talmudical Academy, HANC, Rambam, The Frisch School, TABC, Yeshiva of Flatbush and The Kushner Hebrew Academy.

Norman Gildin (left), chief development offi cer of Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services, presented a plaque to Jack Ratusch (right), president of the Garment Center Synagogue, and Marc Abramson (center), the shul executive vice The evening included shiurim from Rabbi Mayer Twersky, the Leib Merkin president, for their continuous support over many years to Ohel’s many camp pro- Distinguished Professional Chair in and Jewish Philosophy at Rabbi grams. These contributions provided essential scholarships to needy Ohel Bais Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), as well as Kollel Elyon Fellow Ezra clients so that they could attend the camp programs. Rabbi Yehuda Turetsky and RIETS rabbinical student, Raphi Mandelstam.