Magazine

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Hadassah Health is published by:

Hadassah UK Hadassah UK 26 Enord Street 26 Enord Street London London W1H 1DW W1H 1DW T T: 020 7723 1144: 020 7723 1144 F F: 020 7723 1222: 020 7723 1222 E

E: : uk.o[email protected][email protected] www.hadassahuk.org www.hadassahuk.org Registered Charity No 1040848 Registered Charity No 1040848

Editor in Chie

Editor in Chie: Pro Michael Baum: Pro Michael Baum Editorial Board

Editorial Board: : Pro Michael Baum, Lord Leslie TPro Michael Baum, Lord Leslie Turnberg, Pro David Katz,urnberg, Pro David Katz, Sir Ian Gainsord, Pro Victor Hobrand, Pro Stuart Stanton Sir Ian Gainsord, Pro Victor Hobrand, Pro Stuart Stanton

Sub Editors

Sub Editors: Tamar Mendelsohn, Soe : Tamar Mendelsohn, Soe BlaugrundBlaugrund Design

Design: Josh Saunders: Josh Saunders Articles thanks to

Articles thanks to: Wendy Elliman, Judy : Wendy Elliman, Judy Segal-Itzkavich, Ralph Dobrin,Segal-Itzkavich, Ralph Dobrin, Caroyln Weiniger, James Arbuthnot M.P., Tamar Mendelsohn. Caroyln Weiniger, James Arbuthnot M.P., Tamar Mendelsohn.

Photos

Photos: Debbie Cooper, Avi Hayun, Yasmin Keats: Debbie Cooper, Avi Hayun, Yasmin Keats With special thanks to With special thanks to::

Marylou Grimberg Marylou Grimberg And to our Anonymous Sponsor And to our Anonymous Sponsor Supporting the Hadassah Medical Organisation, Jerusalem

Supporting the Hadassah Medical Organisation, Jerusalem

Welcome

Editorial

News bites

Hadassah’s Chagall windows

Israel’s team in Haiti

Molecularly linked: The Jewish people

New research into

New research into dystonomia

dystonomia

Stem cells- Hadassah helps you see

Deeating cancer

Hadassah’

s Paediatric

s Paediatric intensive care unit

intensive care unit

A Revolution in Medical Care

by James Artbuthnot MP

Care not creed

An anaesthetist’s view at Hadassah

We’re Building the

uture-Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower

Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower

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Welcome

I

t gives me great pleasure to t gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the rst iwelcome you to the rst issuessue

o Hadassah UK’s magazine, Hadassah Health. As

edi-tor, I need to make clear the nature o my vision, shared

tor, I need to make clear the nature o my vision, shared

by our trustees who are well represented on our editorial

board. Firstly

board. Firstly, Hadassah is not , Hadassah is not raising unds to support theraising unds to support the

equivalent o an Israeli NHS. I that was all

equivalent o an Israeli NHS. I that was all we had in we had in mindmind

I might recommend you gave your charitable donations to

Holby City NHS hospital trust. No, Hadassah is dierent,

very special and close to my heart.

We hope this magazine will help bond the Anglo-Jewish

community and its many non-Jewish well

community and its many non-Jewish well wishers with thewishers with the

Hadassah Medical Organisa

Hadassah Medical Organisation in Jerusalem. tion in Jerusalem. HadassahHadassah

Health will capture the imagination o both lay

Health will capture the imagination o both lay and medicaland medical

readers by reporting on the

readers by reporting on the medical achievements, scien-medical achievements,

scien-tic discoveries and general atmosphere that make

tic discoveries and general atmosphere that make

Hadas-sah so special, and o such importance to the Middle

sah so special, and o such importance to the Middle EastEast

and the world at large. In addition, as a British publication,

we ocus on the achievements brought about by the money

raised specically by Hadassah UK and promote und

rais-ing activities within the UK. We also aim to

ing activities within the UK. We also aim to showcase Israelishowcase Israeli

medicine in Britain in order to support Anglo-Jewish

doc-tors in their ght

tors in their ght against an academic boycott o Israel.against an academic boycott o Israel.

My most enduring memory o my last visit to

My most enduring memory o my last visit to Hadassah, EinHadassah, Ein

Kerem, is o my tour o the paediatric oncology unit that is

housed in the

housed in the amazing tower dedicated to children’s health.amazing tower dedicated to children’s health.

Proessor Shlomo Mor-Yose, HMO’s director general, was

showing me around, when he introduced me to the chie

nurse looking ater the kids with

nurse looking ater the kids with leukaemia. Whilst standingleukaemia. Whilst standing

in the glass atrium at the end o wing, with one o the best

views over the seven hills o Jerusalem, she mentioned in

passing that as all the children in her care were bald rom

the eects o chemotherapy, one could not distinguish their

race, religion or ethnicity. Everyone in the mosaic o

minor-ity groups in Israel is at equal risk o

ity groups in Israel is at equal risk o developing childhooddeveloping childhood

leukaemia and each has equal right to the

leukaemia and each has equal right to the best care avail-best care

avail-able in the Middle East. Incidentally the chie nurse was

able in the Middle East. Incidentally the chie nurse was anan

Israeli Arab; and I almost orgot to

Israeli Arab; and I almost orgot to mention that the Paedi-mention that the

Paedi-atric Oncology Department is totally unded by the

atric Oncology Department is totally unded by the gener-

gener-ous donations rom the UK rom the Dyna & Fala Weinstock

ous donations rom the UK rom the Dyna & Fala Weinstock

Charitable Trust. I think that one vignette summarises our

vi-sion and the ethos o

sion and the ethos o Hadassah UK and Hadassah Health.Hadassah UK and Hadassah Health.

In this rst edition o Hadassah Health you will nd many

020 7723 1144

or emailor email

uk.o[email protected]

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T

his is not my rst outing as an editor as I was, un-his is not my rst outing as an editor as I was,

un-til recently editor-in-chie o the

til recently editor-in-chie o theInternational Journal International Journal

of Surgery.

of Surgery.In that role I made the nal decision onIn that role I made the nal decision on

which papers were published and which

which papers were published and which were returned towere returned to

sender with my insincere regrets. However the best part

was not this prerogative, but the opportunity it provided or

the occasional sel -indulgence as expressed in my

edito-rial columns and my on-line blog. I think it is obvious by

rial columns and my on-line blog. I think it is obvious by

now i you’ve read my welcome, where my prejudices lie.

Apart rom that I have a dark secret, and that is my passion

or ne art. It was thereore obvious to me right rom the

start that the lead eature had to be related to

start that the lead eature had to be related to those iconicthose iconic

stained glass windows by Chagall

stained glass windows by Chagall that enestrate the syna-that enestrate the

syna-gogue o Hadassah at Ein Kerem. In many ways I preer

gogue o Hadassah at Ein Kerem. In many ways I preer

Chagall’s work with glass to those works on canvas or on

paper. Even though his best oils create an impression o

transmitte

transmitted light I d light I preer being literally bathed in the colourspreer being literally bathed in the colours

o his windows. In what better way can

o his windows. In what better way can you enjoy the earlyyou enjoy the early

summer light in Jerusalem, than by

summer light in Jerusalem, than by its reraction through theits reraction through the

cobalt blue and vermillion

cobalt blue and vermillion tones o Chagall’s masterpiece?tones o Chagall’s masterpiece?

The next eature, on the activity o the IDF and the Israeli

medical teams in Haiti, was an obvious choice being both

highly topical as well as being one o the best examples o

showcasing Israeli doctors at work

showcasing Israeli doctors at work outside the boundariesoutside the boundaries

o their hospitals and o

o their hospitals and o Israel hersel.Israel hersel.

My chest swelled with pride when Sky television showed

the new baby boy named ‘Israel’ as a

the new baby boy named ‘Israel’ as a token o gratitude totoken o gratitude to

the medical corps o the IDF. Incidentally he was delivered

in Haiti by

in Haiti by Hadassah Paediatrician, Dr Shir Dar.Hadassah Paediatrician, Dr Shir Dar.

The next eature is another example o my sel- indulgence

in describing the molecular genealogy o the Jewish people

as judged by the

as judged by the inheritance o the genetic malunction thatinheritance o the genetic malunction that

pre-disposes to breast and ovarian cancer.

pre-disposes to breast and ovarian cancer. Many o ourMany o our

readers will come rom amilies blighted by these diseases

as is mine and it

as is mine and it might yet be in our enlightened sel-interestmight yet be in our enlightened sel-interest

to donate to HMO to support their research in this area.

We then present a series o

We then present a series o delightul essays with human-in-delightul essays with

human-in-terest stories that eature the sta and patients o the HMO.

terest stories that eature the sta and patients o the HMO.

Finally to capture the interest o

Finally to capture the interest o our medical readers thereour medical readers there

are accounts o some o the scientic research and new

clinical services at Hadassah. Although much o this is

rather esoteric, we have edited the text so that it should

be o some interest to and understood by the intelligent lay

reader. As that applies to all who have read so ar, sit back

and enjoy. When you reach the end papers you will learn

just how easy it is to donate to Hadassah in Jerusalem via

Hadassah UK.

Editorial

WHO KNOWS, YOU OR YOUR

LOVED ONES MAY YET

HAVE NEED OF THEIR SERVICES SHOULD YOU

FALL

IN A WADI IN THE NEGEV AND NEED

AIR LIFTING

TO THE NEAREST A&E DEPARTMENT THAT JUST

HAPPENS TO BE ON A HILL OVERLOOKING THE

VILLAGE OF EIN KEREM.

6 6 h

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Revolutionary technique Revolutionary technique saves ather o ten saves ather o ten

Hadassah’s stroke unit is using a

revolu-tionary new technique to save the lives

tionary new technique to save the lives

o stroke victims. A corkscrew device

called a MERCI clot retriever is being

used to prevent the permanent loss o

brain unction among stroke victims.

The device is introduced through the

emoral artery to reverse blood clots,

re-establishing blood fow to the brain

and preventing neurological damage.

Moshe, a 64-year-old ather o ten

re-cently underwent the procedure

cently underwent the procedure

ollow-ing a massive stroke.

ing a massive stroke.

A two-hour operation by the director o

Hadassah’s Endovascular Neurosurgery

and Invasive Neuroradiology Unit,

Pro-essor José Cohen, and his stroke team

essor José Cohen, and his stroke team

successully removed the 4cm clot,

al-lowing Moshe to regain ull neurological

lowing Moshe to regain ull neurological

unction. unction. Improving health in Improving health in Abu Gosh Abu Gosh

Twenty-ve volunteers graduating rom

Hadassah’s health promotion trainer’s

course. The Head o the Abu Gosh

Coun-cil attended the graduation ceremony

cil attended the graduation ceremony

and warmly congratulated the women

on their involvement and

on their involvement and achievements.achievements.

rom Abu Gosh perormed the Arabic

Debka dance.

A second group o volunteers rom the

Arab village o Abu Gosh

Arab village o Abu Gosh has completedhas completed

Hadassah’s 80-hour training course to

become health promoters in their home

village.

The Project or the Promotion o Women’s

Health is an outgrowth o Hadassah’s

vi-sion to create

sion to create partnerships with dierentpartnerships with dierent

communities. The initiative, with unding

rom the L’Oreal Foundation, operates

under the auspices o our Patricia and

Russell Fleischman Women’s Health

Centre. At their graduation ceremony,

volunteers said that the programme had

helped change their lives,

helped change their lives, empowering,empowering,

educating them and helping them to

bring about improvements in their

com-munities.

munities.

Immuron and Hadasit: Immuron and Hadasit: working together working together

Hadasit, Hadassah’s technology

trans-er arm, is the largest clinical research

er arm, is the largest clinical research

centre in Israel, and has a global

reputa-tion or excellent medical and scientic

tion or excellent medical and scientic

research. With a 20% stake it is now the

largest shareholder in Immuron, a

biop-harmaceutical

harmaceutical companycompany..

Proessor Yaron Ilan o Hadassah will

serve as Immuron’s medical director. Dr

Einat Zisman, CEO o Hadasit, believes

and Immuron capabilities can yield a

new approach to address serious

dis-eases and

eases and metabolic syndromes.”metabolic syndromes.”

Making matches Making matches

Beore Hadassah launched its bone

marrow campaign in October 2008,

200 people rom the Arab community

had enrolled in the 60,000-person

data-base. To emphasise the importance o

base. To emphasise the importance o

its bone marrow registry, Hadassah then

set about distributing an Arab-language

brochure, organising workshops,

lec-tures and drives to recruit people in

tures and drives to recruit people in threethree

hospitals in Nazareth, at the Hebrew

University-Hadassah Medical School,

in Arab towns around Israel and in the

Palestinian Authority. Dr Amal Bishara,

head o the project, says there are now

2,920 Arab donors in the registry, and

some have already been good

some have already been good matchesmatches

or patients.

Hadassah eyes it up Hadassah eyes it up

Hadassah has identied the genetic

cause o a retinal disease which has

plagued Israeli and Palestinian amilies

or generations. The ndings, published

in the journal

in the journalArchives of Ophthalmol- Archives of Ophthalmol-

ogy

ogy , describe specic mutations in a, describe specic mutations in a

gene which creates a wide range o

reti-nal phenotypes. Using specic genetic

nal phenotypes. Using specic genetic

methodology, the Hadassah team was

able to identiy a single mutation that

with a history o marrying among themselves to have a

with a history o marrying among themselves to have a particu-

particu-lar type o retinal disease.

lar type o retinal disease.

Identiying the causative genes is a

Identiying the causative genes is a “signicant step orward”,“signicant step orward”,

according to Dr Eyal Banin, head o Hadassah’s Centre or

Retinal and Macular Degeneration. “These patients and

Retinal and Macular Degeneration. “These patients and ami-

ami-lies now have a home and an address to which to turn. That

lies now have a home and an address to which to turn. That

address is Hadassah.”

Israel’s rst medical tissue bank Israel’s rst medical tissue bank

One o Hadassah’s senior pathologists, Karen Meir, has helped

to establish Israel’s rst medical tissue bank. The goal, Dr

to establish Israel’s rst medical tissue bank. The goal, Dr MeirMeir

explains, “is to preserve and store tissue rom malignant

tu-mours so we can study them and come up with predictive tests

mours so we can study them and come up with predictive tests

and markers.” This, in turn, will help in the

and markers.” This, in turn, will help in the development o spe-development o

spe-cic, tailor-made therapies.

cic, tailor-made therapies.

Now in its start-up phase, the bank is targeting patients with

malignancies o the breast, lung, pancreas, and colon. Dr Meir

says that Israel’s unique demographics are o invaluable use in

this eld.

this eld. “In a small geographical space we have an amazing“In a small geographical space we have an amazing

mix o genetic populations, in both the Jewish and the Arab

communities. For the purpose o

communities. For the purpose o molecular comparisons, thismolecular comparisons, this

is a treasure trove.”

Hadassah really treats everyone Hadassah really treats everyone

Hadassah’s Ophthalmology Department has successully

treated a golden eagle. The bird had already lost

treated a golden eagle. The bird had already lost one eye dueone eye due

to an injury, and had

to an injury, and had been diagnosed with cataract in the been diagnosed with cataract in the other.other.

Having been approached by the managers o the Jerusalem

Biblical Zoo, Hadassah agreed to help. Dr Michael Halpert

(rst on the let)

(rst on the let) perormed the operation and saved theperormed the operation and saved the

eagle’s sight.

From Esti Katz who looks ater patients and From Esti Katz who looks ater patients and their relatives at Hadassah

their relatives at Hadassah

Working in Hadassah hospital, has provided me with many

powerul and emotional experiences, but ater some years, I

thought I had become “immune”. Years o Intiada and other

heart-tearing experiences had convinced me that I

heart-tearing experiences had convinced me that I had seenhad seen

everything. Well, I had not, not

everything. Well, I had not, not until today.until today.

Earlier today I was asked to speak with a young man. His

name, Eliad Sharoni, didn’t mean anything to me. He

name, Eliad Sharoni, didn’t mean anything to me. He told metold me

that he was

that he was visiting his 43-year-old sistervisiting his 43-year-old sister, Yiat, in , Yiat, in the oncologythe oncology

department. “My sister has only a ew

department. “My sister has only a ew days let – maybe evendays let – maybe even

hours – beore she dies,” he said, trying not to cry. “I have

come especially rom Italy to be

come especially rom Italy to be with her, and spent last nightwith her, and spent last night

massaging her or hours to try to

massaging her or hours to try to ease her pain. This morning Iease her pain. This morning I

went to have a cup o coee and I saw

went to have a cup o coee and I saw a piano in the main lob-a piano in the main

lob-by o the hospital. I am a pianist and my sister has never heard

by o the hospital. I am a pianist and my sister has never heard

me play. I’d like to bring

me play. I’d like to bring her in a her in a wheelchair and play or her.”wheelchair and play or her.”

I said yes, o course, and

I said yes, o course, and he started crying, telling me that thishe started crying, telling me that this

was his last chance to compensate or not spending time with

her beore.

For the next 30 minutes I was a witness to one o the most

powerul and moving concerts I have ever heard. Eliad, who

turned out to be

turned out to be a great pianist, was crying as he a great pianist, was crying as he played, whileplayed, while

his sister, who was too weak to speak or move, was sitting in a

wheelchair in ront o him, listening. Only her shiny black eyes

could tell what was happening inside her. Their mother stood

behind her, holding her hand

behind her, holding her hand throughout the entire concert.throughout the entire concert.

As the music played, people gathered around looking at the

surreal scene. It was very dicult to comprehend what we

were watching. It was as i

were watching. It was as i everything stood still.everything stood still.

And then it ended. Eliad hugged his sister, told her how much

he loved her, took her back to the department, the

mainte-‘Hadassah’s Golden Eagle’

‘Hadassah’s Golden Eagle’

8 8 h

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THE TWELVE WINDOWS OF

HADASSAH

Hadassah is home not only to medical

excellence, but artistic excellence too.

Twelve stained glass windows by Marc

Chagall adorn the Hadassah Hospital

Synagogue in Jerusalem.

“This is my modest git to the “This is my modest git to the Jew-ish people who have always dreamt ish people who have always dreamt o biblical love, riendship and o o biblical love, riendship and o peace among all peoples. This is peace among all peoples. This is mymy git to that people which lived here git to that people which lived here thousands o years ago among the thousands o years ago among the other Semitic people.”

other Semitic people.”

Marc Chagall February 6

Marc Chagall February 6thth₁₉₆₂₁₉₆₂

The eldest o nine children, Chagall

was born in 1887 i

was born in 1887 in Vitebsk, Byelorus-n Vitebsk,

Byelorus-sia (Belarus today), to a poor

sia (Belarus today), to a poor

Has-sidic amily. At the age o 20, despite

sidic amily. At the age o 20, despite

his ather’s disapproval, Chagall

pur-sued his interest in art and went to St

sued his interest in art and went to St

Petersburg to study with the Russian

painter Leon Bakst. Infuenced by

con-temporary Russian painting,

temporary Russian painting, Chagall’sChagall’s

distinctive, child-like style, oten

cen-tring on images rom his childhood,

tring on images rom his childhood,

began to emerge. Chagall then spent

our years living in Paris, absorbing the

works o the leading cubist, surrealist,

and auvist painters. It was during

and auvist painters. It was during thisthis

period that Chagall painted some o

his most amous paintings o the

Jew-ish shtetl (village), and developed the

ish shtetl (village), and developed the

eatures that became recognizable

trademarks o his art; the “ddler on

the roo” recurs requently, oten

hov-ering within another scene. Strong

ering within another scene. Strong

col-ours portray the world with a

ours portray the world with a dreamlikedreamlike

simplicity, and the usion o antasy and

religion gives his work

religion gives his work a joyous quality.a joyous quality.

While Chagall’s work was infuenced

by contemporary French painting, his

style remains independent o any one

school o art. During the rst world

school o art. During the rst world war,war,

Chagall lived in Russia, and in 1917,

endorsing the revolution, he was

ap-pointed Commissar or Fine Arts in

pointed Commissar or Fine Arts in

Vitebsk and then director o the

Vitebsk and then director o the newlynewly

established Free Academy o Art. But

the Bolshevik authorities rowned upon

Chagall’s style o art as too modern,

and in 1922 he let Russia. Chagall

settled in France the ollowing

settled in France the ollowing year. Heyear. He

lived there permanently except or the

years 1941 to 1948 when he fed to

years 1941 to 1948 when he fed to thethe

United States. Chagall’s horror over

the Nazi rise to power is

the Nazi rise to power is expressed inexpressed in

works depicting Jewish martyrs

and reugees.

The 12 Hadassah Windows The 12 Hadassah Windows

To ully understand the signicance

o the Windows, they must be viewed

against Chagall’s deep sense o

iden-tication with the whole o Jewish

tication with the whole o Jewish

his-tory, its tragedies and victories, as well

tory, its tragedies and victories, as well

as his own personal background in the

shtetl o Vitebsk, where he was born

and raised.

“All the time I was working,” he said, “All the time I was working,” he said, “I elt my ather and my mother were “I elt my ather and my mother were looking over my shoulder, and looking over my shoulder, and be-hind them were Jews, millions o hind them were Jews, millions o other vanished Jews o yesterday other vanished Jews o yesterday and a thousand years ago.” and a thousand years ago.”

The Bible was Chagall’s main

inspira-tion, particularly Genesis 49, where

tion, particularly Genesis 49, where

Jacob blesses his 12 sons, and

Deu-teronomy 33, where Moses blesses

teronomy 33, where Moses blesses

the Twelve Tribes. The dominant

col-ours used in each window are i

ours used in each window are inspirednspired

by those blessings as well as by the

description o the breastplate o the

High Priest in Exodus 28:15, which

were described as gold, blue, purple

and scarlet, and contained 12 distinct

gems. Each gem was dedicated to a

tribe with the tribe’s name engraved

on it.

According to the Bible, each o the

tribes had its own fag and emblem,

as cited in Numbers: 2, 2:

as cited in Numbers: 2, 2:“The sons“The sons o Israel shall encamp, each by his o Israel shall encamp, each by his fag, with the emblems o their fag, with the emblems o their a-thers’ house.”

thers’ house.”The background o theThe background o the

fag was said to be based on the

col-our o the corresponding gem on the

our o the corresponding gem on the

breastplate. The tribal emblems were

based mainly on the texts o Jacob’s

blessings o his sons (Genesis 49) and

Moses’ blessings o the tribes

(Deuteronomy 33).

Example: The Window o Judah

Jacob’s blessing, Genesis 49

“You, O Judah,

Your brother shall praise;

Your hand shall be on the nape o your oes;

Your ather’s sons shall bow low

Your ather’s sons shall bow low to you.to you.

Judah is a young lion;

On prey, my son, have you grown.

He crouches, lies down like a lion,

Like the King o Beasts –

Like the King o Beasts – who dare rouse him?who dare rouse him?

The sceptre shall not

The sceptre shall not depart rom Judah,depart rom Judah,

Nor the ruler’s sta rom between his eet;

So that tribute shall come to him

And the homage o peoples be his.

He tethers his donkey to a vine,

his ass-oal to a choicest vine;

He washes his garments in wine,

His robe in the blood o

His robe in the blood o grapes.grapes.

His eyes are darker than wine

And his teeth are whiter than milk.

And his teeth are whiter than milk. Moses’s blessing, Deuteronomy 33

Moses’s blessing, Deuteronomy 33

And this He said o

And this He said o Judah:Judah:

Hear O LORD, the voice o Judah,

And restore him to his people.

Though his own hands strive or

Though his own hands strive or him,him,

Help him against his oes.

Help him against his oes. Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar 2

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar 2

His gem was red garnet (NOFEKH),

his fag was sky-blue,

with a lion on it.

The red background o the window

reers undoubtedly to the wine

im-age in Jacob’s blessing. But it also

age in Jacob’s blessing. But it also

may be connected to the royal

pur-ple garment. The signicance o

ple garment. The signicance o

the crown in the top is obvious. So

is the lion at the bottom. The hands

remind us o the verse “Though

his own hands strive or him”, and

“Your hand shall be on the nape “Your hand shall be on the nape o your oes”

o your oes”. Simultaneously, the. Simultaneously, the

two hands are raised in the manner

o the priestly blessing.

Behind the lion there is the city o

Jerusalem. Chagall signed this

Window in Hebrew. Window in Hebrew. 10 10 h haaddddaassaahhhheeaalltthh hhaaddddaassaahhhheeaalltthh 1111

(7)

N

ews o the devastating earthquakeews o the devastating earthquake

that hit the Haitian capital o

Port-au-Prince in January traveled quickly right

Prince in January traveled quickly right

across the globe. Within two days more than

20 countries had sent military personnel to

help. Within a ortnight the world’s nations

had pledged some $1 billion in emergency aid.

In just under eight hours Israel had

assem-bled a medical team to build a eld hospital

bled a medical team to build a eld hospital

amid the destruction and chaos. Armed with

supplies and equipment, the

supplies and equipment, the Israel DeenceIsrael Deence

Forces (IDF) delegation, which included 220

army and medical personnel, set up the

larg-est eld hospital in Haiti to provide

est eld hospital in Haiti to provide

immedi-ate disaster relie. The hospital was the most

ate disaster relie. The hospital was the most

advanced medical acility in the area, with

intensive care units and operating rooms, as

well as over 40

well as over 40 doctors, specialists and vol-doctors, specialists and

vol-unteers.

unteers.

Ater several hours o excavation rescuers

provided him with fuids intravenously, and

reed him within a ew hours.

“We’ve had to drill through a concrete girder,

as he is trapped between pipes and

plank-ing,” said Liron Shapira, deputy commander

ing,” said Liron Shapira, deputy commander

o the Israeli delegation. “We removed most

o the piping

o the piping and managed to attach intrave-and managed to attach

intrave-nous drips to his torso.” Zaka teams

nous drips to his torso.” Zaka teams

(Disas-ter Victim Identication units), representing

ter Victim Identication units), representing

Israel, also worked tirelessly, saving the lives

o eight people as well as recovering the

bodies o several victims. During the

bodies o several victims. During the search-

search-es, teams rom Nicaragua, Russia, and

es, teams rom Nicaragua, Russia, and

Venezuela located two girls who had been

trapped in a collapsed building

trapped in a collapsed building or more thanor more than

ve days. The girls were

ve days. The girls were evacuated to the Is-evacuated to the

Is-raeli hospital, where they were treated. The

raeli hospital, where they were treated. The

rst girl to be rescued had serious injuries,

and CNN Reporter Chris Lawrence brought

her in his truck to the hospital where she

re-ceived lie-saving treatment. The second girl

ceived lie-saving treatment. The second girl

was in much better condition, with only minor

injuries.

By the end o January the conrmed death

toll rom the earthquake had exceeded

150,000 in the Port-au-Prince area alone.

The Israeli eld hospital had treated some

970 patients, perormed 300 surgeries and

delivered 16 babies.

In the media

The BBC and Sky News were quick

to highlight Israel’s rescue

opera-tions in Haiti. CNN praised Israel’s

tions in Haiti. CNN praised Israel’s

doctors and nurses or mounting a

swit and sophisticated response

to the earthquake. ABC News

de-scribed the Israeli hospital’s

scribed the Israeli hospital’s

emer-gency unit

gency unit as “legendary”as “legendary”, reporting, reporting

that it was cause or the Americans

to “rethink their entire emergency

respo

response”nse”..

Israeli rescuers worked tirelessly to locate

survivors trapped in the ruins o buildings.

They investigated reports o voices heard

rom inside the wreckage, with one o the

Israeli search and rescue teams reeing

69-year-old France Gilles. “We told him we

were rom Israel and he asked i we were

mocking him,” one member o the delegation

recalled. At another site Israelis spoke with

a man trapped under

a man trapped under rubble, apparently therubble, apparently the

only survivor ater a building had collapsed.

ISRAEL’s team

i

n

H

A

I

T

I

“We arrived and built the eld hospital rom scratch in a

ootball stadium. There was no local inrastructure such

as running water or washrooms. We worked or 36 hours

non-stop, operating on more than 70 people (not counting

endless small treatments and procedures or which there

are no records). People can now

are no records). People can now have showers under run-have showers under

run-ning water, instead o using three large bottles o

ning water, instead o using three large bottles o water perwater per

person.

“The numbers o injured and sick people are overwhelming

and it seems as i no change is around the corner.

Ameri-can physicians and nurses help in the Israeli hospital, and

can physicians and nurses help in the Israeli hospital, and

an American nurse who has been living in Haiti or years

serves as a translator because language dierences is a

major problem. Imagine a situation where a physician or a

nurse tries to take vital signs rom patients and cannot

com-municate with them.

municate with them.

Most o the ER work is

Most o the ER work is done at night; operations are carrieddone at night; operations are carried

out during the day. The weather has been avorable so ar

although it’s very hot and humid. The only air conditioner

is in

is in the operating room, and they use the operating room, and they use regular ventilators.regular ventilators.””

Hadassah nails it

When the hospital ran out

o screws or external

re-inorcement structures or

inorcement structures or

limb ractures, Hadassah’s

Reuven Gelond, a nurse

rom Mt Scopus, stepped

in. He ound a local actory

where he had them create

the necessary screws out

o regular nails.

Israel mounts rescue eort

ollowing Haiti’s devastating

earthquake

The ollowing is rom Hadas

The ollowing is rom Hadassah’s Dr sah’s Dr Taras ShirovTaras Shirov, an anaesthesiolo, an anaesthesiologist and orthopedigist and orthopedic surgeon,c surgeon,

who has been working in Haiti, running back and orth between the anaesthesia machines and

the operating table.

Hadassah’s Dr Shir Dar delivered the rst healthy baby

in the Israeli eld hospital delivery ward.

in the Israeli eld hospital delivery ward.Naming theNaming the

child “Israel” to show gratitude to the doctor and his team,

the mother was extremely quiet. “It wasn’t even clear

the mother was extremely quiet. “It wasn’t even clear initiallyinitially

that she was in

that she was in labourlabour,” Dr Dar explained. Childbirth in ,” Dr Dar explained. Childbirth in im-

im-poverished Haiti doesn’t normally take place in hospitals.

poverished Haiti doesn’t normally take place in hospitals.

“It is very exciting,”

“It is very exciting,”Dar added.Dar added.“It oers some small bal-“It oers some small

bal-ance to the things that are happening. Lie is stronger,

ance to the things that are happening. Lie is stronger,

ater all, and a woman will give

ater all, and a woman will give birth even i the groundbirth even i the ground

is shaking. This is what maintains the

is shaking. This is what maintains the human race. Thishuman race. This

country has a very high inant mortality rate, and we

delivered this healthy baby.”

12 12 h

(8)

by Proessor Michael Baum

Molecularly

M

y son-in-law is a “Cohen” andy son-in-law is a “Cohen” andI am proud that my daughterI am proud that my daughter

has married into this princely

and s

and scholarly cholarly lineage. lineage. My sMy son-in-

on-in-law’s ather is Rabbi Dr Jerey Cohen

law’s ather is Rabbi Dr Jerey Cohen

and through the oral tradition they

can trace their lineage back to the

Cohenim o the Temple in Jerusalem.

We now know that this oral tradition

has been scientically conrmed by

studying the Y chromosome o

Cohen-im. The Y chromosome is associated

im. The Y chromosome is associated

with the male sex and handed down

through the generations rom ather to

son.

son. The Y The Y chromosome o the chromosome o the Co-

Co-henim has certain characteristics that

henim has certain characteristics that

are common to all the Cohenim in

are common to all the Cohenim in thethe

world, conrming the veracity o the

oral tradition (gure 1). Perhaps more

remarkable is the tradition that our

ethnicity is handed down through the

maternal line.

maternal line. Every cell in the humEvery cell in the humanan

body has two

body has two sources o sources o DNA. DNA. TheThe

major source is within the nucleus and

this can be described as the blue

this can be described as the blue printprint

that codies our personhood: the way

we look, our height, the colour o our

eyes and to a

eyes and to a large extent our attitudeslarge extent our attitudes

and intelligence.

Hidden in the cytoplasm between the

nucleus and the cell membrane, and

only clearly seen on electron

micros-copy, are the mitochondria (gure 2).

copy, are the mitochondria (gure 2).

These tiny structures are vitally

These tiny structures are vitally impor-

impor-tant in burning ood to

tant in burning ood to provide energyprovide energy

or cellular activity. The mitochondria

are peculiar. Back in evolution they

were once bacteria, living

symbioti-cally in primitive cells. They still retain

cally in primitive cells. They still retain

some o their own original DNA that

codes or a ew proteins that are

es-sential or the organization o these

sential or the organization o these

“organelles”. (An organelle is a

spe-cialized subunit within a cell that has

cialized subunit within a cell that has

a specic

a specic unction.) This mitochondrialunction.) This mitochondrial

DNA is now known to be entirely

ma-ternal in origin, handed down through

ternal in origin, handed down through

the generations via the emale line. So

the mitochondrial DNA in the ertilized

egg is all maternal. As is the case

or the Y chromosome, mitochondrial

THE

JEWISH

PEOPLE

Figure 1 Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 2 DNA also diers in subtle detail,

DNA also diers in subtle detail,

be-tween individuals and through this it

tween individuals and through this it

is possible to trace the origins and

is possible to trace the origins and mi-

mi-gration o peoples o dierent

gration o peoples o dierent

ethnic-ity rom the rst hominids who evolved

ity rom the rst hominids who evolved

rom the apes in central Arica in the

dark distant past. Once again genetic

anthropology conrms that the

major-ity o people

ity o people who consider themselveswho consider themselves

Jewish are indeed Jewish as judged

by their

by their mitochondriamitochondrial DNA. l DNA. SubtleSubtle

dierences in this coding also allows

us to trace the migration o the Jewish

people over time and even suggests

that our origins might indeed have

arisen rom our dierent matriarchal

tribes.

Sadly along the way the Jewish

peo-ple have collected a number o

ple have collected a number o

del-eterious mutations within their cellular

eterious mutations within their cellular

DNA o the germ line that has also

been passed on through the

genera-tions.

tions. These includThese include the me the mutationsutations

that are associated with breast

can-cer, and those linked to Tay Sachs

cer, and those linked to Tay Sachs

disease, which causes deterioration o

mental and physical abilities. The

ori-gin o these mutations in time can be

gin o these mutations in time can be

traced by considering the migration

and dispersion o the Jewish people in

14 14 h