(Courtesy – Carmel Medical Centre)
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Carmel
Medical Centre in Haifa recently hosted the first annual Advanced Medical
Clowning International Seminar. Dream Doctors, Israel’s leading medical clowning
organisation currently has 70 clowns operating in 20 hospitals and clinics
around the country. Participants who
came from Holland, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Russia and the USA took part in
lectures workshops, round-table discussions as well as visits to hospitals.
(Thanks to Haifa Diarist)
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Due to the successful
clean-up of the Kishon River, once considered the most polluted in all Israel,
wild life is beginning to return. This includes one of the rarest species of
duck in Israel, the marbled duck, which was in danger of extinction. A study conducted in the Jezreel valley in
the 1990s showed only four of them to be in existence but this year, 112 of
these beautiful ducks were found living in one reservoir alone.
(Jerusalem Post)
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The week of Succot was
the time for Israel’s largest tourist event this year, 7,000 Christians arrived
in Jerusalem to take part in “The Feast” which has been organised annually by
the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem since 1980. This year, taking
part were Evangelical Christians not only from the western countries but from
more distant places such as Bolivia, Botswana, and Cambodia, also Latin
America, Africa and Asia, 80 countries in all.
During their stay the participants attended seminars and tours, as well as
evening events which were notable for their pageantry in music and dance. One evening of the week was designated
“Israeli Night” and a special programme arranged for the enjoyment of an
invited Jewish audience. This year, the theme of the entertainment was The Spirit
of Grace and Supplication from
Zecharia 12:10. The audience was
entertained by a wonderful orchestra, choir and talented dancers. Umar Melinde from Uganda, the Christian Pastor
who converted from Islam and had acid poured over his head by Islamist
extremists, made a moving appearance.
Umar, who is having his face reconstructed , free of charge, at the
Burns Unit of Sheba Medical Centre talked about the wonderful kindness he has
experienced in Israel and his love for the country. The Director of Sheba Hospital was also
present and was given a donation of 10,000 Dollars by the International
Christian Embassy.
Pastor
Umar Melinde with David Parsons, the ICEJ Media Director
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British Christian
contacts who visited us last week expressed great surprise that in Israel we do
not have separate hospitals for Arabs and Jews. It seems the Apartheid slur is
hard to combat. Recently four young Gaza residents suffering from kidney
insufficiency have been receiving life-saving therapy at Ramban Childrens’
hospital in northern Israel where they have spent several months while waiting
for kidney transplants. Without this
specialist treatment they would probably have died. They have been treated with
updated forms of dialysis which are especially suited to children but not
available in the West bank and Gaza.
Their parents have spent time at the hospital where they have received
instructions from the hospital staff on how to perform the treatment themselves
and will receive all the necessary equipment when the children are able to
return home which we hope will have happened by the time this is
published. Over the past year, the
pediatric Nephrology Unit has cared for many Palestinian children from the West
Bank and Gaza who have arrived at Rambam medical Centre with various kidney
diseases.
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Among thirty-four NGOs receiving
funding from the Ministry of Environmental Protection are a monkey sanctuary,
and non-profit organisations caring for cats, dogs, horses and donkeys. Organisations also receiving funding this
year are ones focusing on animal welfare education, prevention of animal abuse
and Israel Animal Watch that establishes off-duty volunteer policemen to
protect animals from neglect and abuse.
The highest amount of funding will go to the Tel Aviv branch of the Society
of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
