by Brian HuttPosted: Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 11:21 (GMT)
A new human rights group is mobilising people around the world to stand up for the freedom of religious converts to freely live out their faith.
Set My People Free to Worship Me is planning to stage simultaneous marches on April 3 in London, Frankfurt, Melbourne, Cairo, Stockholm and Sydney.
The group’s founder Kamal Fahmi said he was organising the protests to seek freedom, justice and equality for religious converts. The movement wants especially freedom for converts to worship, marry and raising their children according to their new faith.
“We want to advocate that all people, especially Muslims, have the freedom to change faith, to live out and practice their new beliefs,” he said.
Mr Fahmi stressed the movement was non-violent. hopes the marches will become an annual event.
He said: “We believe that it is time to support our suffering Christian brothers and sisters from Muslim background and raise awareness of the injustices that they face.”
The group has launched a petition demanding “freedom to worship in the Muslim world” and condemning apostasy laws.
It reads: “In our rapidly changing world, religious values and human rights are being challenged. Every year thousands die because of persecution, injustice and oppression by governments and religious institutions.
“If we don’t watch it, very soon justice and equality for all men and women will be usurped. In the Muslim world the Muslim people don’t have the freedom to choose their faith. We wish to speak out against the Muslim apostasy law worldwide.”
source: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/human.rights.group.seeks.freedom.for.religious.converts/25411.htm
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
IDF Dental Clinic treats Holocaust survivors
03 March 2010 , 12:42
Eliane Kovlenko and Baruch Suaretz
The IDF provides free dental care for Holocaust survivors with the best dental doctors in the country. The staff works very hard to create a warm feeling and a connection with the survivors.
Rotem Caro Weizman
The dental clinic at the Tel Hashomer Medical Center unites the best dental specialists in the country, all of them wearing the IDF uniform. Despite the difficult and extensive work, the members of the military dentistry decided to dedicate their forces to a lofty cause – providing full dental care for Holocaust survivors in need of it.
The project has been active for three years already, with 120 Holocaust survivors having been treated in the specialists’ clinics in Haifa, Beer Sheva and Tel Hashomer. “The first initiative came from the Dentists Union, and the IDF was drafted into the mission, and today is the main body treating Holocaust survivors,” explains the Commander of the Dental Clinic, Lt. Col. Dr. Paul Sadeh. “The IDF doesn’t take it upon itself to decide who is a survivor or who is in need. Anyone who is sent by the organization is treated with devotion by the doctors, the assistants and the technicians who are mostly military personnel.”
The assistant on dentistry matters to the Chief Medical Officer, Lt. Col. Alon Shnekman, explains, “Since we are a specialists’ clinic, it was possible to bring the most complicated cases together. We have the possibility to consult each other, so the treatment is more comprehensive.”
As part of the efforts for the success of the project, the IDF has been working on encouraging the cooperation between civilian doctors, civilian laboratories, the Tel Hashomer Medical Center, insurance companies and others, in order to provide the necessary services for the treatment free of charge for the patients. Most of the treatments are complicated and range between 6,000 and 15,000 NIS.
“Treating Holocaust survivors is a challenge,” says Dr. Sadeh, “They are very old patients who do not only have serious dental problem, but also have difficulties with getting to the clinic, dealing with opening hours and mental health problems, and thus changes the way the treatment works.” An additional problem that was discovered is that a lot of the survivors do not speak Hebrew. “A lot of our assistants come from the Commonwealth of Independent States, and they helped a lot and mediated between the doctors and the patients. Treating more challenging patients helps us to improve our abilities to treat different people.”
Smile please
Apparently, not only the Holocaust survivors receive new smiles, but also the medical personnel, as Dr. Sadeh explains: “We get so much more from them, we discover their personal stories and the volunteering spirit. The treatment isn’t only medical, but also the investment and attention everyone receives here.” According to Cpl. Eliane Kovlenko, a dental assistant, when a Holocaust survivor comes to the clinic, “it is important for us to give them the feeling that we care, up to the level of accompanying them to the cab or bringing them food. It is a privilege for us to treat them and hear their stories. When they’re here, they also talk about their military service. One of the survivors told me how weird it was for him, that when he was a child, he had teeth but no food, and now he has food, but he doesn’t have teeth anymore.”
The treatment is not the only thing that is different with the Holocaust survivors; it is also a lot more urgent. “When we’re treating a Holocaust survivor, we put him on the top of our list of preferences. We understand that the treatment is more complicated and more burdensome for the patient we are working with,” explains Sgt. Oren Yisraelov, one of the commanders of the clinic.
“I am sad that there are Holocaust survivors who have to get to this situation, but I am anyways very proud of the people here who are doing their work wholeheartedly. I think about the fact that the staff here is the last generation that will be able to hear the survivors’ stories from a first-hand source. Some of the survivors we’ve treated have passed away, and that shows how important the matter is,” says another commander of the Dental Clinic, Lt. Col. Shai Goren.
“Give them a huge kiss”
It seems that the topic of Holocaust survivors is becoming especially important to Pinkas Meir, a civilian IDF worker responsible for prostheses at the Dental Clinic: “Those are stories that I know from my family, and that’s why I have a great desire to help those people, it seems to be closing some sort of circle. The work is more difficult when it is with Holocaust survivors, but we also want to work harder for them.”
Baruch Suaretz, 83, from Lybia, experienced a lot of suffering in the concentration camp in Lybia, where he also had to bury his grandmother and his brother. The dedicated medical team of the Dental Clinic has been treating him for over a year. “They are great, from the smallest to the largest,” he says with a broad smile. “The feeling is good here; I value that a lot after everything I went through.” To him, the IDF is a special body. “I served in the army in 1949, and all my children and grandchildren enlisted. It’s a shame that I can’t serve anymore today. The treatment by the soldiers reminds me of my service. I respect those wearing uniforms, and the fact that they are treating me makes me feel safe. I see the uniform and I simply want to give them a huge kiss.”
source: http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/03/0302.htm
Eliane Kovlenko and Baruch Suaretz
The IDF provides free dental care for Holocaust survivors with the best dental doctors in the country. The staff works very hard to create a warm feeling and a connection with the survivors.
Rotem Caro Weizman
The dental clinic at the Tel Hashomer Medical Center unites the best dental specialists in the country, all of them wearing the IDF uniform. Despite the difficult and extensive work, the members of the military dentistry decided to dedicate their forces to a lofty cause – providing full dental care for Holocaust survivors in need of it.
The project has been active for three years already, with 120 Holocaust survivors having been treated in the specialists’ clinics in Haifa, Beer Sheva and Tel Hashomer. “The first initiative came from the Dentists Union, and the IDF was drafted into the mission, and today is the main body treating Holocaust survivors,” explains the Commander of the Dental Clinic, Lt. Col. Dr. Paul Sadeh. “The IDF doesn’t take it upon itself to decide who is a survivor or who is in need. Anyone who is sent by the organization is treated with devotion by the doctors, the assistants and the technicians who are mostly military personnel.”
The assistant on dentistry matters to the Chief Medical Officer, Lt. Col. Alon Shnekman, explains, “Since we are a specialists’ clinic, it was possible to bring the most complicated cases together. We have the possibility to consult each other, so the treatment is more comprehensive.”
As part of the efforts for the success of the project, the IDF has been working on encouraging the cooperation between civilian doctors, civilian laboratories, the Tel Hashomer Medical Center, insurance companies and others, in order to provide the necessary services for the treatment free of charge for the patients. Most of the treatments are complicated and range between 6,000 and 15,000 NIS.
“Treating Holocaust survivors is a challenge,” says Dr. Sadeh, “They are very old patients who do not only have serious dental problem, but also have difficulties with getting to the clinic, dealing with opening hours and mental health problems, and thus changes the way the treatment works.” An additional problem that was discovered is that a lot of the survivors do not speak Hebrew. “A lot of our assistants come from the Commonwealth of Independent States, and they helped a lot and mediated between the doctors and the patients. Treating more challenging patients helps us to improve our abilities to treat different people.”
Smile please
Apparently, not only the Holocaust survivors receive new smiles, but also the medical personnel, as Dr. Sadeh explains: “We get so much more from them, we discover their personal stories and the volunteering spirit. The treatment isn’t only medical, but also the investment and attention everyone receives here.” According to Cpl. Eliane Kovlenko, a dental assistant, when a Holocaust survivor comes to the clinic, “it is important for us to give them the feeling that we care, up to the level of accompanying them to the cab or bringing them food. It is a privilege for us to treat them and hear their stories. When they’re here, they also talk about their military service. One of the survivors told me how weird it was for him, that when he was a child, he had teeth but no food, and now he has food, but he doesn’t have teeth anymore.”
The treatment is not the only thing that is different with the Holocaust survivors; it is also a lot more urgent. “When we’re treating a Holocaust survivor, we put him on the top of our list of preferences. We understand that the treatment is more complicated and more burdensome for the patient we are working with,” explains Sgt. Oren Yisraelov, one of the commanders of the clinic.
“I am sad that there are Holocaust survivors who have to get to this situation, but I am anyways very proud of the people here who are doing their work wholeheartedly. I think about the fact that the staff here is the last generation that will be able to hear the survivors’ stories from a first-hand source. Some of the survivors we’ve treated have passed away, and that shows how important the matter is,” says another commander of the Dental Clinic, Lt. Col. Shai Goren.
“Give them a huge kiss”
It seems that the topic of Holocaust survivors is becoming especially important to Pinkas Meir, a civilian IDF worker responsible for prostheses at the Dental Clinic: “Those are stories that I know from my family, and that’s why I have a great desire to help those people, it seems to be closing some sort of circle. The work is more difficult when it is with Holocaust survivors, but we also want to work harder for them.”
Baruch Suaretz, 83, from Lybia, experienced a lot of suffering in the concentration camp in Lybia, where he also had to bury his grandmother and his brother. The dedicated medical team of the Dental Clinic has been treating him for over a year. “They are great, from the smallest to the largest,” he says with a broad smile. “The feeling is good here; I value that a lot after everything I went through.” To him, the IDF is a special body. “I served in the army in 1949, and all my children and grandchildren enlisted. It’s a shame that I can’t serve anymore today. The treatment by the soldiers reminds me of my service. I respect those wearing uniforms, and the fact that they are treating me makes me feel safe. I see the uniform and I simply want to give them a huge kiss.”
source: http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/03/0302.htm
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Purim: An Answer To A Promise
By Lyn Rosen-Bond
Jews For Jesus
CBN.com -- Of all the happy holidays in the Jewish calendar, Purim, the Feast of Esther, is a favorite. What makes it so popular? Is it the fragrant hamantashen, with their sticky-sweet surprises of poppy seed or prune filling ? Is it the fun of dressing up in costume to emulate king or queen, scholar or scoundrel? Or is it the opportunity to enjoy a scenario and participate by hissing the villain or cheering the hero?
Yes, perhaps that's really it . . . the chance for everyone to dig in and participate . . to relate to the ancient history of our people in a more personal way. Still, that participation should be based on a deeper understanding of the central theme and reason for the Purim celebration.
The story of Esther is more than just an exciting event in Jewish history. It bears real relevance to modern Jewry through some striking parallels.
The Purim story took place in Persia at the pinnacle of that country's civilization. Although King Cyrus had decreed earlier that the Jews could return to their homeland from the Babylonian captivity, some had chosen not to return. Rather than face the hardships of pioneer life, they had opted for the comfort and seeming security of their Persian homes. They had become acculturated to Persian ways, even taking pagan names, the name Esther being derived from the goddess Astarte or Ishtar, and the name Mordecai probably being related to Marduk, Babylon's patron deity.
Similarly, today we have a Jewish homeland, the State of Israel, where many Jewish pioneers have made the desert bloom. Yet, most of us elect to live in other lands, where we are comfortable, rather than claim our birthright. Through generations, we have become acculturated to our adopted homelands, taking on their customs, language and names. In this way, we modern Jews share a similar situation with Esther and Mordecai and the other Persian Jews of that time.
From only a perfunctory reading of the Book of Esther, one sees quite easily the surface theme, the triumph of good over evil.
And truly this, by itself, would be enough basis for a joyful celebration such as Purim. Yet, the Purim story bears a deeper significance, that of a promise fulfilled.
In Genesis 12:3, God promised Abram, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee. . ." Haman, the villain of the Purim story, falls, of course, into the latter category of God's promise. God promised in the Bible that there would always be Jewish people, the seed of Abraham, on this earth; but old Haman thought otherwise. Haman sealed his own doom when he challenged the promise of the Almighty by trying to destroy the Jews. Not only did God judge Haman's life forfeit, but He required exactly the same punishment that Haman had himself devised against Mordecai. And thus God curses all those who dare to curse the Jews, the apple of His eye.
That promise of God to Abram was not meant only for Bible times. It still holds true. In our own generation, another man came who dared to think he could annihilate the Jewish people. He robbed us of our livelihoods, tried to strip away our dignity, and eventually took many of our lives. This modern day Haman walled us up in ghettos and behind barbed wire. The crimes she perpetrated are forever imprinted upon the pages of history as an example of inhumanity.
The modern State of Israel is another promise fulfilled. There are those who worry that Israel will be destroyed. This cannot happen, for those who work for the deliverance of the Jewish people will not be defeated. Instead, through belief in God's promise of preservation, they will be blessed:
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul. (Psalm 121:4-7)
God's promises are sure. He continues to protect and preserve our people against all odds, so that the world may know that He is real and that He keeps His word.
source:http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/biblestudyandtheology/Discipleship/purim0202.aspx
Jews For Jesus
CBN.com -- Of all the happy holidays in the Jewish calendar, Purim, the Feast of Esther, is a favorite. What makes it so popular? Is it the fragrant hamantashen, with their sticky-sweet surprises of poppy seed or prune filling ? Is it the fun of dressing up in costume to emulate king or queen, scholar or scoundrel? Or is it the opportunity to enjoy a scenario and participate by hissing the villain or cheering the hero?
Yes, perhaps that's really it . . . the chance for everyone to dig in and participate . . to relate to the ancient history of our people in a more personal way. Still, that participation should be based on a deeper understanding of the central theme and reason for the Purim celebration.
The story of Esther is more than just an exciting event in Jewish history. It bears real relevance to modern Jewry through some striking parallels.
The Purim story took place in Persia at the pinnacle of that country's civilization. Although King Cyrus had decreed earlier that the Jews could return to their homeland from the Babylonian captivity, some had chosen not to return. Rather than face the hardships of pioneer life, they had opted for the comfort and seeming security of their Persian homes. They had become acculturated to Persian ways, even taking pagan names, the name Esther being derived from the goddess Astarte or Ishtar, and the name Mordecai probably being related to Marduk, Babylon's patron deity.
Similarly, today we have a Jewish homeland, the State of Israel, where many Jewish pioneers have made the desert bloom. Yet, most of us elect to live in other lands, where we are comfortable, rather than claim our birthright. Through generations, we have become acculturated to our adopted homelands, taking on their customs, language and names. In this way, we modern Jews share a similar situation with Esther and Mordecai and the other Persian Jews of that time.
From only a perfunctory reading of the Book of Esther, one sees quite easily the surface theme, the triumph of good over evil.
And truly this, by itself, would be enough basis for a joyful celebration such as Purim. Yet, the Purim story bears a deeper significance, that of a promise fulfilled.
In Genesis 12:3, God promised Abram, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee. . ." Haman, the villain of the Purim story, falls, of course, into the latter category of God's promise. God promised in the Bible that there would always be Jewish people, the seed of Abraham, on this earth; but old Haman thought otherwise. Haman sealed his own doom when he challenged the promise of the Almighty by trying to destroy the Jews. Not only did God judge Haman's life forfeit, but He required exactly the same punishment that Haman had himself devised against Mordecai. And thus God curses all those who dare to curse the Jews, the apple of His eye.
That promise of God to Abram was not meant only for Bible times. It still holds true. In our own generation, another man came who dared to think he could annihilate the Jewish people. He robbed us of our livelihoods, tried to strip away our dignity, and eventually took many of our lives. This modern day Haman walled us up in ghettos and behind barbed wire. The crimes she perpetrated are forever imprinted upon the pages of history as an example of inhumanity.
The modern State of Israel is another promise fulfilled. There are those who worry that Israel will be destroyed. This cannot happen, for those who work for the deliverance of the Jewish people will not be defeated. Instead, through belief in God's promise of preservation, they will be blessed:
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul. (Psalm 121:4-7)
God's promises are sure. He continues to protect and preserve our people against all odds, so that the world may know that He is real and that He keeps His word.
source:http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/biblestudyandtheology/Discipleship/purim0202.aspx
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