Flooded with Thank You Letters

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Jennifer

The Shamir Medical Centre (Assaf Harofeh) has been flooded with Thank You letters from patients and families affected by COVID-19.

Galia, a patient who was recently treated for COVID-19, wrote this moving letter:

‘I arrived at Shamir Hospital (Assaf Harofeh) a week ago with a serious respiratory condition and after five hours of check-ups and tests, I was admitted into the Coronavirus Ward. I was immediately greeted by a nurse named Ibrahim, who was full of compassion and empathy. He took great care of me and helped me calm down.

The next day I met another amazing nurse, named Etty. I simply don’t have enough words to express my gratitude for her as well. She is a ray of light, a true professional and also so warm and humane. Thanks to her, I am alive today.

I was literally met by angels in the midst of such a difficult, isolating and scary place. A place where you struggle for each breath. I knew I had to keep fighting off the virus, because if I didn’t relax and breathe- I simply will cease to be. It was absolutely frightening.

Beyond the physical pain, there are also the mental health challenges. I’m so lucky I received such a wonderful nurse. She was my lifeguard and kept encouraging me. She never gave up on me.

To the incredible team: Thank you for all you have done for me. You have saved my life and for that I’m hugely grateful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Photo Credit: Yifat Hadad

Optimistic Art

Posted on February 18, 2021 by Jennifer

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing number of public spaces are being dramatically transformed. Boarded up, empty storefronts and abandoned buildings have become the perfect canvas for graffiti and mural artists to make their mark. The same is true in Israel. A new initiative called Gallery 240, aims to bring positive messages of hope and resilience to the public through massive mural art on abandoned buildings.

Mor Recanati, a first-year student in the Department of Photographic Communication at Hadassah Academic College (HAC), is one of 19 artists from across Israel selected to participate in this prestigious Exhibition that fuses art with architecture through giant murals. The first exhibition is being held on a building in Ramat Gan set for demolition. Mor’s bright design depicts a family’s quarantine pastime as they enjoy playing together. Other murals celebrate healthcare workers on the frontlines of the pandemic and offer encouragement to all those who walk by.

Hadassah Experts Advise Vienna Nursing Home on Vaccination Protocols

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Jennifer

On January 11, 2021, Hadassah Medical Center, along with Hadassah International, offered a webinar on optimum vaccination protocols for nursing home residents to the director and medical director of Maimonides Zentrum home for the aged, located in Vienna, Austria.

Experts from Hadassah Medical Center offered their experience in managing vaccination logistics, including the factors to consider when deciding who gets vaccinated first. This seminar was part of a Hadassah International outreach initiative aimed at reaching out to the Jewish communities of Europe to forge connections. Watch the seminar below:

See the original article here: http://hadassahinternational.org/hadassah-experts-advise-vienna-nursing-home-on-vaccination-protocols/

Can’t Head to the Gym? 3D Print this Lockdown Sports Accessory!

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Jennifer

As gyms remain closed during Israel’s third COVID-19 lockdown, Alon Razgour, Head of the Marilyn Libin and Jed Gaines Fab Lab at CHW Neri Bloomfield Academy of Design, designed the perfect solution for those who want to keep fit. Troubled by the disruption to his weekly training routine since the onset of the pandemic, Razgour, decided to embark on a new project that would offer the perfect solution for weight training at home.

Razgour shares;

“The project was born out of distress. Anyone who wanted to buy fitness equipment for their home discovered that there was a great shortage in stock and if the equipment was available, the prices were very high.”

Razgour, a well-established Industrial Designer, decided to innovate the perfect solution for home fitness training which could be easily printed on a home or commercial 3D printer. The concept was to create a simple sports accessory that could covert commonly found objects at home, such as 1.5-liter water bottles, into weights.

“Weights are important to maintain existing muscle mass and weight training can greatly improve one’s physical and mental health.”

The field of 3D printing has dramatically evolved in recent years and many designers are using them to invent solutions to life’s daily problems. Razgour’s modular sports accessories which can connect between 2-6 bottles filled with water, or even sand, has been published in an open source format and is easily available online. The goal was to make the design accessible and encourage as many people as possible to exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout the pandemic- including students at the college. Opened this past year, the Marilyn Libin and Jed Gaines Fab Lab has provided students with new opportunities to innovate and hone design skills using the most advanced technologies- which include new 3D printers, laser cutters and scanners. Several students have already printed the sports accessory themselves and are enjoying the benefits!

Behind the Scenes of Israel’s COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Jennifer

The media is full of praise for Israel’s ambitious COVID-19 vaccination rollout that has already reached more than 2 million people in just the first two weeks. And while the success of a campaign depends on countless professionals and dedicated frontline staff, Israelis were delighted to hear of one woman who played a pivotal role behind the scenes- Benita Elkon Baitner. Ms. Elkon Bainter never made the front page or back pages of any newspaper or press coverage of the vaccination campaign. But her husband’s Facebook post, first published back in November 2020, has once again gone viral this week- and for good reason.

Below is a translation from the original Hebrew post:

‘In Amit’s room. On the second floor, in a small corner of our home in Kfar Oranim.

Negotiations were held over the last little while between Pfizer International and the State of Israel.

She achieved this incredible feat, modestly, with discretion, professionalism and such generosity as she connected, mediated and advanced both sides- Benita Elkon Baitner, (full disclosure, she’s my wife), Head of the Vaccine Unit at Pfizer International in Israel- doing so with dual loyalties. For on the one hand, Benita is a representative of Pfizer Israel, but on the other hand, she’s a citizen of Israel who wants the vaccine to get to here as quickly as possible.

She achieved all of this during lockdowns, two quarantines, and a daughter who tested positive for Coronavirus in the room next door!

So now that the agreement is signed and the vaccine is soon expected on its way, it’s important to state that not everything was done quickly over the last two days by this person or that one. We should remember to share a little more about the history that has been made over the last while. And, also share how proud I am of my wife, who I dearly love.

Let’s also not to forget, that as opposed to others, her work is not over, it has only just begun.

Yesher koach!’

(Source: Yaad Baitner)

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Author Archives: Jennifer

Flooded with Thank You Letters

Optimistic Art

Hadassah Experts Advise Vienna Nursing Home on Vaccination Protocols

Can’t Head to the Gym? 3D Print this Lockdown Sports Accessory!

Behind the Scenes of Israel’s COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign