The photo (TY Aubrey) is of a Hebrew sign that translates as “We will win in Gaza”. The sign can also be translated as “We will win with God’s help”. Amen.
This Week’s Sanity Report from Israel at War 12/31/23
As 2023 comes to an end, I unashamedly write this introduction with much emotion. There are now definite signs that Israel is winning the war against Hamas in Gaza. It cannot fail, thanks to a winning team of supporters in Israel and across the globe who, like the many thousands of readers of this newsletter, have been donating time, money, skills, accommodation, essential supplies, and more, to help the IDF fight against those wishing to destroy the Jewish State and civilization as a whole.
The remaining 50% of this week’s newsletter celebrates winning teams of Israelis:
– developing medical innovations, and therapies, and performing life-saving surgery.
– two award-winning scientists,
– winning the battle against bacteria, radiation, and environment-unfriendly gases
– increasing revenues in Israel’s top 5 companies
It’s also good to see:
– a winning Israeli gymnast auctioning off his gold medal to help war victims
– global IT companies, such as Intel, supporting the winning side
– record numbers making Aliyah from France, even during a war.
The highlights include:
- A 95-year-old reservist re-enlisted to fight for Israel.
- Volunteer overseas medics are rushing to help Israel.
- See who is being successfully treated with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
- Papua New Guinea has opened the first consulate in Judea & Samaria.
- Israeli scientists are fighting bad bacteria and utilizing good bacteria.
- Intel’s billion-dollar investment shows confidence in Israel’s economy.
- The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is “playing” its part in Israel’s war effort.
- Welcome to 1,200 new French Israelis.
POSITIVE NEWS DURING A WAR
2.6 million items of warm clothing. Friends of the IDF in the United States completed “Winter Clothing Operation,” a 5-week initiative to send 150 tons (over 2.5 million items) of essential winter clothing and gear to Israeli soldiers fighting on the front line in Gaza.
https://www.jns.org/friends-
Nvidia donates $15 million. Thousands of employees of IT giant Nvidia donated $5 million to support Israelis affected by the war. This was tripled by Nvidia itself, with an additional $10 million donation.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
You’re never too old. Ezra Yachin at 95 years young is the oldest active IDF reservist. Despite losing an eye in 1948, he was called up to active duty in the current war. The New York Post, Al Jazeera, etc., wrote about the elderly IDF soldier who put on a uniform again to defend Israel. And he says the enemy hasn’t changed tactics.
https://www.
https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/
Citizen’s Kitchen. (TY UWI) US immigrant to Israel, Aliya Fastman, launched Citizen’s Kitchen on Oct 9, converting her Citrus & Salt studio for cooking lessons into a community kitchen for meal distribution. It has since provided 20,000+ meals to soldiers, bereaved or displaced families, and synagogues hosting meals.
https://www.algemeiner.com/
https://www.
JNF-USA volunteers in action. (TY UWI) Volunteers from JNF-USA have heeded the cry of Israel in its time of need and offered whatever services they could help with. From cooking meals for soldiers on bases, crop picking and storing, to watching children; these volunteers are taking a huge burden off the shoulders of Israel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.jnf.org/travel/
Volunteers from UK & Germany. Lovely to hear the accents of British volunteers and their reasons for coming to help on farms on farms in southern Israel. Meanwhile (TY Hazel) staff from the German Embassy volunteered for a day in the orange harvest to help short-staffed Israeli farmers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.instagram.com/
Ways that Israelis are volunteering. Israelis are finding unusual ways to pitch in to aid those affected by the events of October 7 and the ongoing battle in Gaza. They include tailoring, matchmaking, folding laundry, giving haircuts, cleaning hospital rooms, rescuing vehicles, and a mobile restroom.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-
Thanks for the donation. IDF forces have uncovered millions of shekels in Gaza and PA cities that were intended to fund terrorism. Israel will make better use of the money.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
https://www.jpost.com/
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Hospital launches innovation hub. Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center has partnered with international investment firm Arieli Capital to create SHAAR – a joint healthcare innovation hub, designed to be a center for medical research. Healthcare companies will be invited to the first global scale-up cohort by the end of 2023.
https://nocamels.com/2023/12/
Thousands of overseas volunteer doctors. Israel’s Health Ministry has received 7,500 requests from foreign physicians to volunteer in Israel. Nearly 5,000 are from North America and 1,000 from Europe. Many are not Jewish – they just want to help. 450 have Israeli licenses and the rest are being fast-tracked.
https://www.jns.org/the-
Physical therapy on the front lines. Many of Israel’s IDF reservists are in the thirties and forties and not as fit and subtle as they used to be. So UK-born Tasha Cohen launched Chayal’s Angels of volunteer yoga therapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists, physiotherapists and chiropractors who treat 50 to 200 soldiers every day.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Miracle survival from deadly wounds. Despite many tragic losses, two IDF soldiers survived gunshot wounds that are usually fatal. Major Itai was hit by a bullet that is still lodged in his brain and cannot be removed. Another bullet passed through Sgt Oren Dovid’s heart. Following surgery, both want to return to their units.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Hyperbaric oxygen to treat PTSD. Traumatized survivors of the Hamas Oct 7 terror attacks and IDF soldiers with PTSD are receiving HBOT therapy (see here) breathing pure oxygen in high pressure cabins. It is one of the treatments available to patients of the national clinic for PTSD, created by Tel Aviv University.
https://bnnbreaking.com/
HBOT for Mikey. (TY Avi Abelow) Mikey, a key member of the IDF Oketz search and rescue special forces unit, was severely wounded by a grenade thrown by a Hamas terrorist. She recovered most of her faculties in just a few weeks thanks to Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) at Israel’s Shamir hospital. Mikey is a dog!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
From death’s door to discharge. Menashe Eisner, 63, suffered a heart attack and was placed on life support. A complex bypass operation failed. Then surgeons at Haifa’s Rambam Health Care Campus implanted a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Miraculously, 40 days later, Eisner was able to go home.
https://www.rambam.org.il/en/
Preventing severe lung diseases in diabetics. 35% of patients that died of Covid-19 were diabetics. This led scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute to discover that high blood sugar levels disrupted the immune system response to infection. They then developed experimental medication to reverse the sugar-induced dysfunction.
https://wis-wander.weizmann.
No big shakes. Lynette Hoffman-Elharar remembers a time when Essential tremor meant she could not hold a glass of water or draw a straight line. Now, after undergoing noninvasive MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRIgFUS) at Haifa’s Rambam Health Care Campus, she is knitting woolen hats for IDF soldiers.
https://www.rambam.org.il/en/
Helping the helpers. Jerusalem’s Herzog Medical Center is supported by organizations in the USA, Canada, and the UK. The British Friends of the hospital have just launched a national campaign “Helping the Helpers”’ providing support for mental health professionals treating an increasing number of trauma patients.
http://www.herzoghospital.org/ https://www.youtube.com/
https://www.afherzoghospital.
96% of nurses at Rambam are graduates. Thanks to two international scholarship programs, 23 nurses at Israel’s Rambam Health Care Campus recently advanced their studies to specialize in various medical disciplines. 96% of Rambam nurses currently hold academic degrees. The target is 100%.
https://www.rambam.org.il/en/
Record year for liver transplants. In 2023 at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikva, a record 24 life-saving liver transplants were conducted in infants, children, and adolescents. Liver transplants in children are among the most medically complex. Two donations were from soldiers killed in the war in Gaza.
https://www.
Israeli doctor saves passenger on El Al flight. Dr. Nathan Ungar, a long-time United Hatzalah volunteer, saved a 70-year-old diabetic passenger who lost consciousness twice on an El Al flight from Bulgaria to Israel. Dr Ungar closely monitored the patient’s condition until the plane made an emergency landing at Rhodes.
https://www.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Who is fighting for Israel? I thought it a positive sign when Uri Zaki, chairman of Israel’s left-wing Meretz party, said “it is impossible to ignore the large number of fallen soldiers who are religious Zionists. We need to salute this community that gives its life for the defense of Israel.” Then see the photo in the second link.
https://www.
https://twitter.com/
Druze restaurant goes kosher to serve IDF. (TY WIN) Noor, a restaurant located in the Druze village of Julis in northern Israel, has been providing thousands of free packaged meals to local evacuees and soldiers since the beginning of the war. Deputy Minister Uri Maklev helped the owner, Asma, make the restaurant kosher.
https://www.
Christian population rose 1.3% in 2022. About 190,000 Christians live in Israel, comprising about 2% of Israel’s population and reflecting a 1.3% increase in 2022. Israel is the only Middle Eastern country where the Christian population is growing. Also, this article (TY UWI) about an Israeli Christian serving in the IDF.
https://www.jns.org/christian-
https://tps.co.il/articles/
A hotel of coexistence. The Magdala Hotel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee is hosting 200 war evacuees. Jewish kibbutzniks live alongside Catholic monks, the mostly Muslim hotel staff, and Druze workers, all holding prayers for the peace of the land. It’s an example of coexistence on the outskirts of Tiberias.
https://www.jns.org/the-
The first consulate in Samaria. (TY WIN) Papua New Guinea (PNG) is appointing an honorary consul in Judea and Samaria and opening an honorary consulate in the city of Ariel. This will be the first time in history that a foreign country has opened an official representation in Judea and Samaria. PNG’s embassy in Jerusalem.
https://www.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Seasoning that preserves meat. Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed MeatCrust – a natural antioxidant for meat preservation. The seasoning forms a crust that prevents the fatty acids in meat from reacting with oxygen to cause rancidity.
https://nocamels.com/2023/12/
https://www.yissum.co.il/
Bacteria to cut emissions from wheat crops. Israel’s Nitrousink has developed bacteria capable of decreasing nitrous oxide (N2O) that is emitted during the production of wheat. N2O is a greenhouse gas that is potentially far more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide. The tech was originally developed at the Volcani Institute.
https://nocamels.com/2023/12/
https://savefoods.co/save-
Israeli tech takes down Hamas drones. (TY IsraPundit) Israeli forces in Gaza eliminated a swarm of 7 attack drones using the SMASH smart fire control system of Israel’s Smart Shooter (see here previously). AI image processing detects a target’s direction and speed. The British army has bought 225 systems for £4.6 million.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Protection for manufacturers. (TY OurCrowd) Israel’s NanoLock Security (see here previously) has teamed up with global security firm OTIFYD to protect industrial and manufacturing companies from the recent rise in external and internal cyber-attacks, including on critical infrastructure.
https://securitybrief.asia/
https://industrialcyber.co/
A hearing aid in your spectacles. Israel’s Nuance Hearing (see here previously) is working with a global eyewear giant to make efficient and economic hearing aids that fit invisibly into your glasses.
https://www.israel21c.org/
Tech Mission. In a gesture of solidarity and support for the Israeli tech sector, 65 senior executives from US technology, venture capital and private equity firms, joined an Israel Tech Mission in mid Dec. They visited Israel’s largest aid organization Brothers and Sisters for Israel; met soldiers, evacuees, and families of hostages.
https://www.israel21c.org/65-
https://www.
PhD student on Gaza front line. Major Daniel Widerker is the commander of Company C, 749th Engineering Battalion in Gaza. He continues his Technion doctorate studies during his spare time, finishing a scientific paper on 3D printing, without a computer. He also works in a team developing optical devices for outer space.
https://ats.org/our-impact/
Award-winning Physics professor. Professor Shlomo Havlin of Israel’s Bar-Ilan University Physics dept, won the 2023 Bakhuis Roozeboom Medal, awarded by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences once in four years for researchers who have made innovative contributions to the phase behavior of matter.
https://www.biu.ac.il/en/
One of 2023’s top 10 scientific breakthroughs. The magazine Physics World has announced its list of 10 leading breakthroughs of 2023. They included Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Prof. Fineberg who discovered that cracks in certain materials can spread faster than the speed of sound – previously thought to be impossible.
https://physicsworld.com/a/
https://physicsworld.com/a/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Protecting US troops from radiation. Israel’s StemRad (see here previously) has secured a $4.5 million contract with the US Department of Defense for the acquisition of its radiation protection shields for the US National Guard. will provide 630 of its protective 360 Gamma belts to help respond to radiation incidents.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Financial support for reservist business owners. The Israeli non-profit Ogen “Reserves for Reservists – Officer Loan Fund” aims to raise up to $10 million to provide interim fiscal support to senior officers who also own businesses. The fund aims to prevent entrepreneurs from worrying so they can focus on their duties.
https://nocamels.com/2023/12/
https://www.ogen.org/en/
Intel confirms a multi-billion-dollar deal. US chipmaker Intel has inked an agreement with Israel’s government for a $3.2 billion grant to expand its chip manufacturing facilities in Kiryat Gat at a total investment of $25 billion. Intel will also spend NIS 60 billion with Israeli suppliers over 10 years and create thousands of jobs.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Tech giants weather the storm. The five top Israeli tech companies all rose in value during 2023. Mobileye (up 35%), Check Point (+18%), Nice Systems (+7%), monday.com (+88%), and CyberArk (+88%) now have a total value of $83.5 billion. https://www.calcalistech.com/
Turkish coffee was renamed to support Israel. Israel’s Strauss Group has rebranded its ground coffee in response to complaints as to why it should be named after a country whose leader supports Hamas. Special war editions are now “Am Israel Chai”, “Generation of Victory,”, “We Have No Other Country”, & “Strong Together.”
https://www.jns.org/popular-
Exits, takeovers, and mergers – to 31/12/23: Israeli cybersecurity Mend.io has acquired Israel’s Atom Security, which specializes in cyber risk assessment.
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Valmadonna at the National Library. This article is a recent interview of Margaret Lunzer Rottem about the legacy of her father Jack Lunzer whose Valmadonna Book Collection is now at Israel’s National Library. Its emphasis is on Italy where Hebrew printing originated and includes some of the earliest Hebrew printed books.
https://www.
Andrea Bocelli sends concert invite to freed hostage. 85-year-old Yaffa Adar is a fan of opera singer Andrea Bocelli and hummed his music throughout the 49 days she was held hostage by Hamas. Her story reached the Italian tenor who wrote to her of his admiration and offered to fly her to one of his shows.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Instruments for healing. Musicians in the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra have formed trios and quartets, performing around the country for evacuees and wounded citizens. IPO Music Director Lahav Shani led the orchestra in recording a series of free musical programs for Israeli children.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Songs from the Gaza war. Each Israeli war has its own anthems. In the six-day war it was Jerusalem of Gold. These are what Israelis are listening to now, to provide relief or to uplift their spirits.
https://www.israel21c.org/the-
https://www.israel21c.org/7-
Gold medalist auctions medal for evacuees. Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat won gold for the floor exercises at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Belgium on Oct 7. He is now auctioning off the medal to raise money for the residents evacuated from the devastated Gaza border communities.
https://www.jns.org/israeli-
THE JEWISH STATE
Huge increase in French Aliyah. There has been a 450% increase in the number of French Jews applying to immigrate to Israel since Oct 7. Nearly 70,000 Jews out of a community of approximately 500,000 have made Aliyah from France since 2000. So, it’s very timely that this newsletter is currently available in French!
https://worldisraelnews.com/
From radical Gaza mosque to IDF soldier. Yaron Avraham was featured in this newsletter in Oct 2020 (see here). In this recent interview, he shares his story from growing up as an Arab Israeli being sent to Gaza for extremist indoctrination, only to leave, convert to Judaism and join the IDF.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Rockets will not stop us from praying. A rocket fired by Hamas caused significant damage to the roof and interior of a synagogue in the Gaza border community of Kibbutz Sa’ad. Following the impact, a group of Jewish worshippers gathered outside the damaged building to continue their afternoon prayers.
https://www.ynetnews.com/
Israel is the solution. Avi Abelow founder of Pulse of Israel has been touring the USA. In this video he inspires youth in Phoenix Arizona about their Jewish identity. All Jews should hear this, especially to counter the antisemitism in the universities. Am Yisrael Chai!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
How to help Israel. Here are some sites where newsletter readers can donate to Israeli organizations that provide vital help to Israelis at this difficult time. Many thanks to those who have already contributed and to those who are helping by donating their own valuable time and resources.
Friends of the IDF (US donors): https://www.fidf.org/
or IDF Soldiers Fund in Israel: https://www.ufis.org.il/en/
American Friends of Magen David Adom (US donors): https://afmda.org/
or Magen David Adom (Israel): https://www.mdais.org/en/
Zaka (US donors): https://donate.zakatelaviv.
or (Canadian donors): https://www.canadahelps.org/
United Hatzalah: https://israelrescue.org/
Leket Food Israel: https://www.leket.org/en/
JNF USA – https://my.jnf.org/gaza-
Orthodox Union – https://www.charidy.com/
Schneider Children’s Hospital: https://www.fos.org.il/en/
https://system.smartgiving.
https://chaischneider.org/
Hadassah Hospital Israel: https://www.hadassah.org/
Laniado Hospital (Netanya) https://my.israelgives.org/en/
And many more charities here:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Buy Israel Bonds to support the Jewish State. (TY Larry B)
https://www.
USA – https://www.israelbonds.com/
Europe – https://israelbondsintl.com/
Canada – https://www.israelbonds.ca/
