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Newsletters
Welcome to JHI's newsletters. Our newsletters highlight JHI’s
recent accomplishments and share personal stories from JHI participants.
Our most recent newsletter is below. Our previous newsletters are
available in pdf, downloadable formats.
Summer
2006 Newsletter
Mission: Minsk
May 2006
Lizanne Kaminsky, Ayala Parag, Yachanon Livni and Ruth Kershner
participated in the spring mission to Minsk. Lizanne and Ayala worked
with JHI staff and Minsk coordinator, Irina Batsenko to develop
the first rehabilitation track in the JHI Minsk program and Yochanan
and Ruth continued the ongoing training for case managers.
Lizanne Kaminsky
Occupational Therapist
Maryland
Being on the first OT/PT therapy mission to Minsk, Belarus was
quite an honor. When you are the first to do anything, there is
a lot of pressure with great expectations. Not knowing what training
they had previously had (if any) made my prep work a little tricky.
The homecare workers were initially shy and resistant to actively
participate in the “hands on” part of the lectures.
Within a few minutes, they were up out of their seats, laughing,
smiling and really enjoying the activities.
The techniques we were demonstrating were brand new (proper transfer
techniques, bed mobility, bed positioning) to some of the homecare
workers but they jumped right in and tried out the new techniques.
It was such an amazing site to see “our students” picking
on the activities so quickly. I think we talked about and demonstrated
real life tasks that they will be able to use with their
entire home bound Hesed clients.
Physiotherapist
Ayala Parag (ISRAEL) demonstrates
techniques for a homecare worker in Minsk, May, 2006. |
Yochanan Livni
Psychologist
Israel
A small team in a small world went to the big city of Minsk to
make a change and to share some of our experiences. Besides the
lectures and the fun, we met a young lady who led the Shabbat services
in the Hessid Center. She asked me to address the congregation and
to "make Kiddush" – it was a very exciting and treasured
moment for me. I was moved by the fact that Jews around the world
are unique. Young Jewish leaders, as adults, continue to work for
the good of their people and keep the Jewish world alive.
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Mission: Israel
JHI Planning and Evaluation
May 2006
In May 2006, JHI Executive Director Terri Bagen, and JHI Medical
Director Steve Kutner led a one week planning and evaluation mission
to Israel. The group was comprised of past JHI mission participants
Lanny Lesser (Atlanta), Stuart Fischman (Buffalo), Sheldon Sydney
(Israel) and Mickey Arieli (Israel) as well as a representative
from the field, Natasha Alhazov (JHI coordinator in Kishinev). Meeting
were held with current JHI partners in Israel (Israel Ministry of
Health, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jewish Agency for Israel,
IsraAID) in order to evaluate past and current JHI programming and
to establish a plan for future missions.
(Left to
right) Lanny Lesser and Sandra Lesser
(JHI volunteers)
Natalia Alhazov, JHI Kishinev Coordinator, Terri
Bagen, JHI Director
and Steve Kutner, JHI Medical Director. |
JHI also moved forward on a new project to facilitate a successful
medical absorption of Ethiopian Olim (both currently in Israel,
and scheduled to arrive over the next several years). JHI has developed
a collaborative project with The Israel Ministry of Health, The
Jewish Agency for Israel, Emory University and Hebrew University
Hadassah School of Public Health. The project will develop a medical
screening and referral and education and support program for the
new Ethiopian Olim. The program will also include a research component
and additional assistance for those Ethiopian Olim who have arrived
earlier and are already in Israel.
To launch this new initiative, the group spent a day in Kiriyat
Gat, on a pilot vision screening program that will be one of the
key components in the Ethiopian Olim program.
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Mission: Odessa
May 2006
Dr. Paul Colon, DPM
Atlanta
My grandparents and mom were born in Ukraine and I was eager to
visit the country and to make a contribution to the Jewish community
there. Although this was JHI’s 26th mission to Odessa, the
one specialty diabetes track was a new format. The diabetes track
included a diabetic symposium, visits to local hospitals and consultations.
My area of expertise is diabetic foot conditions and I lectured
on general diabetic issues and on the diabetic foot. My personal
goal was two-fold; to share my knowledge with local physicians and
to learn more about the local people and their needs.
I felt that my work impacted the community through the trickle down
theory. The symposium brought high level knowledge to over 40 Ukrainian
doctors, who can now return to their patients and give higher a
level of care. I also provided training to homecare workers who
can now better meet the needs of hundreds of homebound elderly people.
Although most of the remaining elderly Jews in Odessa are Holocaust
survivors and are very poor, they have an amazing spirit. During
the communist era in Ukraine, there was no religious freedom. The
practice of Judaism was underground for some and non existent for
others. Today the people that I met are proud to be Jews and practice
their Judaism with warmth, joy and pride.
I was most impressed by the work of Gimilus Hesed and in particular
the Medical Director, Dr. Nelli. A few of the things that Hesed
provides are meals on wheels, social and physical rehabilitation
and a medicine program. In Ukrainian hospitals, patients aren’t
given meals or medicine as in the hospitals in the United States.
If someone doesn’t bring food or medicine, they do not receive
it from the hospital. The Hesed also helps families with this.
I returned home wanting to do more. With the help of Rabbi Julie
Schwartz of Congregation Temple Emanuel in Atlanta, GA, I was able
to raise $3,000 to pay the shipping costs that will enable JHI to
send $100,000 worth of donated medical supplies to Odessa. The container
will contain durable medical supplies and equipment that is greatly
needed in Odessa including glucose monitors, adult diapers, first
aid supplies and a Diagnostic Ultrasound. This shipment will have
a very positive impact in both the Jewish and general communities.
The trip was an emotional and special experience. I feel that got
a great deal more out the trip than I gave.
Dr.
Paul Colon with a Ukrainian woman with diabetes.
She hadn’t been out of bed for years... |
but asked
for help out to hug
and thank Dr. Paul Colon. |
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