| Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher, and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money, and spiritual engagement. Love Yehuda Lave Join my blog by sending me an email to YehudaLave@gmail.com | | | | | Israel to Let Unvaccinated Tourists in as More COVID Restrictions Loosened The change means that for the first time in almost two years, families with children 5 or younger can travel to Israel Israel will allow unvaccinated tourists of all ages to enter starting on March 1, after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz agreed on lifting several restrictions on Sunday. The change means that for the first time in almost two years, families with children 5 or younger can travel to Israel. Incoming tourists will be required to undergo two PCR lab tests, one before departing from their origin and one upon landing in Israel. Israelis returning from abroad will not need a rapid antigen test before boarding their plane, and will only need to take a PCR lab test upon arrival. In addition, unvaccinated Israelis will no longer have to quarantine upon arrival, as long as they have a negative PCR test at the airport in Israel. In schools, junior high students will no longer be required to be tested every week, beginning on February 24. Elementary schools will end the weekly testing requirement starting on March 10.
The infection rate and the number of serious COVID cases in Israel were largely unchanged over the past couple of days, official figures released on Sunday show, after a steady decline in these metrics for several weeks and as Israel weighs easing more restrictions. The total number of new confirmed cases continued to drop significantly,according to the Health Ministry, with 10,354 on Saturday, compared with 12,583 on Friday and 18,045 on Saturday a week earlier, in a further sign the omicron wave is waning.-
There are 832 serious cases in Israel as of Sunday morning – 10 more cases than on Saturday – with 317 of them in critical condition. While the curve of serious cases has plateaued during the last couple of days, there is an overall decrease of 36.7 percent compared with the previous week. The R number, which shows how many people each COVID carrier infects on average, is still well below 1, meaning that the pandemic is shrinking, but has remained at 0.67 for three days in a row. The latest number is calculated using data from the previous 10 days. Bennett announced on Thursdaythat the Green Pass, Israel's digital vaccination passport, is set to expire on March 1 and will not be extended, as "the omicron wave has been broken" and Israel is witnessing a steep decline in the number of serious patients.-
The Green Pass limited entry to indoor venues and large gatherings to people who had recovered from coronavirus or received at least three doses of the vaccine. | | | | | | | The Three Musketeers at the Kotel | | | | | EU Again Rules To Delegitimize Israel Sovereignty By Hillel Fendel and Chaim Silberstein / KeepJerusalem.org | | | | | Is the European Union serious? In a statement that seems not to have been reviewed before being issued, the EU declared without qualification that Israeli evictions of illegal Arab squatters on Jewish-owned property and demolitions of illegal structures on public land are "illegal under international law." It could be that the EU is unduly distracted by the possibility of a Russian invasion into Ukraine, placing it on the borders of major European nations. But this is no excuse for making unfounded declarations regarding one of the most incendiary hot spots in the world: the holy city of Jerusalem. The subject of the EU announcement was the execution of a five-year-old court-approved confiscation order of land, widely and violently protested by local Arabs. The land has been designated for the construction of six child-care centers and a special-needs school for the local Arab population. Could it be that Israel cares more for its Arab residents than they themselves do? In condemning the eviction, the European Union issued a statement similar to one it issued a year ago when Israel evicted a long-squatting Arab family from Jewish-owned property. The previous statement claimed that Israel is an "occupying power" in Jerusalem, and termed Israel's settlement policy "illegal under international law." In what is possibly the only truism in the statement, the EU said that the continuation of Israel's settlement policy "undermines the viability of the two-state solution… and seriously jeopardizes the possibility of Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both States." This evaluation, seemingly meant as a warning, is welcomed by the majority of Israelis and even, according to polls, many Arabs in Jerusalem. The Jewish people's inalienable right to the Land of Israel is not only biblical but is rooted in internationally recognized legal treaties and documents beginning a century ago. In July 1922, the League of Nations, predecessor of today's United Nations, voted unanimously to approve for a Jewish state the territory outlined for this purpose at the San Remo Conference of 1920. The document begins: "Whereas recognition has been given to the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and to the grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country…" It laid down the Jewish legal right under international law to settle anywhere in western Palestine, i.e., the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. This includes what some today call the West Bank (of the Jordan River), but is widely known as Judea and Samaria. Article 6 actually encouraged "close settlement by Jews on the land, including state lands and waste lands not required for public use." This clearly indicates, as author and expert Eli E. Hertz has written, that not only is Israeli control over these areas not illegal, but that international pressure on Israel to withdraw from them is illegal! The United Nations, after taking over the authorities of the League of Nations upon its formation, then reaffirmed these terms. International law expert Dr. Jacques P. Gauthier of Canada wrote his doctoral thesis on the legal status of Jerusalem. His conclusion, after 1,300 pages and 3,200 footnotes, is that the world community of nations granted the Jewish people irrevocable legal rights to Jerusalem, and to the entire area west of the Jordan River, in a non-broken series of treaties and resolutions beginning with the Balfour Declaration and the San Remo Conference, as well as affirmations by the League of Nations and the UN. As such, all claims that the Arabs deserve a state in Judea, Samaria and Gaza are groundless. For, as Dr. Gauthier often repeats, the legal principle of "la chose jugée" (judged issue) means that once the issue was decided, as it was in the above councils, it becomes irreversible and forever binding in a "sacred trust." After the UN was formed, seven Arab armies invaded the land, seeking not only to wipe out the Jewish presence there, but also to prevent the establishment of a Jewish state, in opposition to the UN's stated intention. "Israel's War of Independence in 1948 was considered lawful and in self-defense," writes Hertz, "as may be reflected in UN resolutions naming Israel a 'peace-loving State' when it applied for membership at the United Nations," by both the UN Security Council and General Assembly. No changes in the legal status of the land were made by the time, less than 20 years later, that Arab armies tried again to destroy Israel. This became the Six-Day War, which finally left Israel in control of, inter alia, Judea and Samaria – and able to implement its aforementioned rights to settle it. Even if San Remo and the UN are ignored, Prof. Hon. Stephen M. Schwebel, former president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), makes it very clear that Israel's military activity during this war was purely defensive, and that "a state acting in lawful exercise of its right of self-defense may seize and occupy foreign territory, as long as such seizure and occupation are necessary to its self-defense." Judea and Samaria were administered by Jordan (recognized as sovereign there only by Great Britain and possibly Pakistan) between 1948 and 1967, during which period it was populated by Arabs with no recognized national entity (nor could there have been, as their national rights to the area were purposely left unrecognized). In light of all the above, Schwebel and other experts agree: Israel has the best legal title and claim to Judea and Samaria. Perhaps the European Union would like to consider no longer repeating the canard that Jewish settlement of the Land of Israel is illegal under international law. One hundred years of history say the EU is wrong. Interested in learning more, helping KeepJerusalem disseminate these facts, and/or signing up for our bus tours of Jerusalem? Visit our site at www.KeepJerusalem.org, or send email to info@keepjerusalem.org. | | | | Cream Of The Crop: 5 Israeli Companies Serving Up Animal-Free Dairy By Eden Bonan, NoCamels -
For innovators in the food tech sector, the ongoing battle among the world's biggest food chains over who can have a better plant-based and dairy alternative menu is great news.
"Dairy is really tasty, it's a comfort food, and we all want it for nutritional reasons or lifestyle reasons. At the same time, we are very interested in animal-free, sustainable, humane, and cleaner products," Jason Rosenberg, head of business development at Remilk, which develops real dairy products with no animals involved, tells NoCamels.
In Israel, a country long identified as a world leader in milk production with the highest milk yield per cow, an innovation-fueled campaign is underway to meet local and global demands as well as to create a new dairy sector.
Local companies – a handful of startups and a mom-and-pop business with global aspirations – are pioneering new ways to improve real milk nutrients, develop animal-free dairy, and produce nonmilk plant-based dairy alternatives. These emerging technologies and foodstuffs may improve food security, agricultural conditions, and sustainability.
"We are not going to replace the dairy industry, but work together," Dr. Eyal Afergan, CEO at Imagindairy, tells NoCamels. The Ashdod-based startup has developed a technology to create milk proteins identical to those from cows.
To date, animal agriculture provides about a third of global food protein, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. But it is also one of the worst polluters. Tomer Aizen, Wilk CEO, makes the solution sound so simple. "We don't need cows," he tells NoCamels. His company is working on cell-grown milk production to cut the need for cattle barns and thus reduce harmful environmental consequences.
The world is looking for a new way "to do" dairy. There is rising awareness of how animal products impact our health, the importance of sustainability, and the ethics of these products. Dairy alternative purchases in the US have increased and this market is projected to hit $53 billion by 2028, according to a report published by Fortune Business Insights.
"I really do think that 2022 is a pivotal year. We are moving in the direction away from traditional dairy farming and animal agriculture to an array of different solutions, Remilk being one of them," says Rosenberg.
NoCamels set out to find how and where Israeli dairy alternative companies are making an impact on the local and world dairy sector:
Precision Fermentation
Imagindairy, an Israeli food tech startup, is reimagining the way we produce dairy, without the need to use even a single cow.
Dr. Eyal Afergan, Dr. Arie Abo, and Professor Tamir Tuller, founded the startup in 2019, with the goal to deliver animal-free dairy products using a process called precision fermentation in a lab.
"We teach microorganisms, either yeast or fungi, to produce identical milk proteins which are then used to create animal-free dairy products with the same texture, flavor and consistency as traditional dairy products," Dr. Afergan tells NoCamels.
While dairy is a unique source of nutrients important for our body, Imagindairy says it focuses on providing the nutritional benefits of cow-based dairy while eliminating the drawbacks, creating products that are "cholesterol-free, lactose-free, and hormone-free."
Additionally, Imagindairy can reduce casein and increase whey protein which Dr. Afergan mentions is the "golden standard of protein in nature" and "one of the biggest advantages of dairy."
While consumer health and product taste are a priority, Afergan says so is the environment, animal welfare, and sustainability.
The company says that compared to traditional dairy production, it only produces one percent of greenhouse gas emissions, without methane, and uses less than 10 percent of the land.
Dr. Afergan also adds that with the global increase in population it will be "impossible to supply all dairy from cows" and that current practices are no longer sustainable for our planet.
"When cows eat plants, they convert 4 percent of what they eat into proteins. Our technology has between 10 to 20 times a better conversion rate, so it's a much more efficient way to feed the world," Dr. Afergan tells NoCamels.
If all goes according to plan, Imagindairy's first product will be launched in 2023 together with the dairy industry, with B2B as Imagindairy's go-to market.
"We, as a business model, believe that the real transformation can happen only through partnerships and working together with the dairy industry," Dr. Afergan says. "We are not going to replace the dairy industry, but work together, as sustainability is something that they're also looking at, and they also would like to be more sustainable."
Remilk
Remilk hit the headlines recently, raising $120 million in a Series B funding round led by Hanaco Ventures.
Founded in 2019, the company uses precision fermentation to develop animal-free dairy products from milk proteins, eliminating the need to compromise on the flavor, nutrition, and functionality of traditional dairy.
After spending the last several years optimizing their production process, the recent investment moved Remilk from "a startup to more of a scaleup setting," Jason Rosenberg tells NoCamels.
"What we see is the really impressive and significant interest that the world has in finding solutions to today's dairy industry and its challenges," Rosenberg says, adding "This is capital that really allows us to expand our production capacity and produce more of the protein."
Remilk says that while there are companies who believe that the solution can come by changing eating habits, Remilk believes that instead, production habits need to be changed and can produce the same thing but in a much cleaner way.
Remilk says it needs a fraction of the resources – in terms of energy, land and water – that cows need to produce the same products. On the output side of things, Remilk says it can minimize greenhouse gases "as well as other waste that would be created."
Providing an example, Rosenberg says, "On the simplest level, we can look at the fact that about 50% of the world's habitable land is currently being utilized for animal agriculture, either growing the animals or the crops for those animals. And by 2050, human consumption of food is expected to double. And so simple math shows that, 50 times two equals 100, and we're out of land to even live on."
Remilk says it has set up production operations across the globe, and we can expect to see commercialization of products "way sooner than you'd expect."
Lab-cultured milk
Wilk (formerly BioMilk)
Wilk, formerly known as BioMilk, produces lab-cultured animal and human breast milk directly from milk-producing mammary cells.
Founded in 2018, the company went public last year on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) and is working to produce animal-free dairy alternatives in parallel with infant formula, which according to the company is a growing market amongst women globally.
Explaining the process to NoCamels, Tomer Aizen, CEO of Wilk, says "The breast tissue, or the udder of an animal, has a variety of cells that are each responsible to carry out their unique capabilities. In our case, the mammary cells are the most important, producing the components a baby needs such as protein, fat, lactose, minerals, etc."
What Wilk does is isolates these mammary cells and feeds them with proprietary technology which causes them to cultivate and duplicate. Once this process is successful, Wilk instructs the cells to begin secreting milk components which can then be used to create dairy products or infant formula, all while still containing the original properties and nutrients of real milk.
"What we're going to be capable of doing is really partnering with both the dairy industry and infant formula companies to make end products for consumers containing real milk nutrients", Rachelle Neumann VP of Marketing & Corporate Affairs at Wilk, tells NoCamels.
The company said it signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Tara, a leading private dairy producer in Israel, and together with them is aiming to produce "the first cell based dairy products by 2024" according to Aizen.
In terms of human breast-milk and infant formula, the company says it will take more time, perhaps a year longer, due to industry regulations, though Tomer says, "in the field of infant formula, we will be the first company that will be able to produce and sell real, natural components from breast milk to global companies."
While many women across the world understand the unparalleled nutritional value of breast milk for their babies, Wilk says that eventually, its technology can even save lives.
"Not many people are aware that breast milk can be life saving nourishment for preterm babies, with scientific evidence showing that preterm babies who are not breastfed have twice as much of a mortality rate as babies that are," Neumman tells NoCamels.
The company says that in the last few years, there is a growing online market for breastmilk, where women purchase breast milk on websites such as Ebay from other women, essentially strangers whom they've never even met.
As the demand for natural formula is clear and growing, Wilk believes it can come in and provide safe, lab-grade real milk components to women across the world and help address this need.
While Wilk focuses on conserving the taste and nutrients of real dairy, sustainability is also a core value of the company, also reflected by last year's name change from BioMilk to Wilk, with the "W" standing for We.
"The We represents that by collaborating with industry partners, we can work together and establish sustainable products and guarantee the consistent supply of milk dairy-based products for future generations to come" Aizen says. "We're gonna significantly reduce pollution by reducing the emission of methane gas, because we don't need cows, which contribute about 4% of the gas emission globally."
Dairy Alternatives
Tamiz
Founded in 2019 by Tami Steinfeld, Tamiz is a family run company based in Ra'anana, that produces non-soy, vegan, dairy alternative products.
The products are primarily almond-based as "almonds have enormous nutritional benefits such as being high in protein and many other vitamins and minerals," Uri Steinfeld, Tami's son and Tamiz business development manager tells NoCamels.
The Steinfeld family has been in the food business for "a very long time" according to Uri Steinfeld, originally manufacturing doughs and pastas such as cannelloni and ravioli to local hotels and restaurants in Israel.
One particular product that changed everything was the vegan ravioli the family manufactured. This product was quickly gaining popularity and an increase in demand, including from Tami's own daughter Sivan who decided to go vegan.
In efforts to provide her daughter with nutritious and tasty dairy alternatives, Tami began creating vegan products for her and slowly, the family business shifted to what it is today.
Tamiz "Mumarella" cheese is 100% natural and is a vegan substitution for mozzarella
Tami feels that the company plays an important role in her community, telling NoCamels, "We really believe that we support people who are lactose intolerant or people who need to stick with very specific diets due to certain health conditions," adding, "Tamiz is really helping these people and we feel it on a daily basis."
Tami's dream is to see their products available at a large scale, telling NoCamels, "We would really love for it to be international and to be able to reproduce and replicate the model that we have today worldwide."
While the company is a local, family-run business, Uri tells NoCamels that the "technology and manufacturing model that stands behind Tamiz is completely scalable" adding, "it is just a matter of time and resources" until they can expand at a larger scale.
While market and media reports show that many people are interested in ditching dairy altogether, no one wants to give up on taste, texture or nutrition. The company says its variety of products, currently available in Israel only, don't scrimp on any of these three.
Tamiz
This year, Tamiz says it plans to launch more desserts, chocolates and their popular mozzarella cheese the family coined "Mumarella" which is currently used in restaurants. Tamiz says that this cheese is 100 percent natural and is a vegan substitution for mozzarella that can be used to make pizza, as a topping for lasagna, and other common household dishes.
The company says that Mumarella has a very similar taste, texture and feel to traditional mozzarella, crediting the almond for its taste and natural white color, aligning with traditional cheese.
While hoping to expand in the future, Uri tells NoCamels, "We operate with sustainability in mind with almost everything that we do, from saving water, to recycling everything that comes out of the factory and even reusing packages from customers for their next product orders."
"Sustainability is a value that is close to our hearts," Uri says.
Yofix Probiotics
As demand for plant-based dairy alternatives continues to increase, companies such as Yofix Probiotics are helping to provide consumers with a broader range of options and flavors on a global scale.
Founded in 2014, Yofix Probiotics produces vegan and soy-free plant-based dairy alternative products using a proprietary combination of cereals, lentils, grains and seeds. In addition to being completely dairy-free, Yofix's products contain prebiotics and probiotics typically found in traditional yogurt.
According to Yofix, their products are made from completely natural ingredients, contain a high nutritional value and are also cholesterol free. Additionally the company says it leaves a low ecological footprint.
Yofix was elected as one of the 50 most innovative companies in 2019.
"Over the next few years, we will focus strategic efforts on expanding our line of dairy alternatives — which also includes oat yogurt shakes — into the global market," Steve Grün, CEO of Yofix, said in a press statement, noting the company's plans to develop "more clean-label plant-based offerings that extend into alternative cheeses, frozen desserts, and milk alternatives — the prospects are boundless."
Yofix was the first company to join The Kitchen, a leading local food-tech incubator and seed investor in Israel. Last year, the company secured $3.5 million in a funding round led by the Millennium Food-Tech, Israel's largest food tech R&D partnership and investment firm. The company sells its products in Israel as well as Europe. | | | | 13 Facts About Jewish Leap Years By Menachem Posner 1. Declaring a Leap Year Is Part of the First Mitzvah In Exodus 12 G‑d commanded us to observe Passover in the spring. The Hebrew leap year ensures that the Jewish calendar remains true to the solar cycle so that the holidays are celebrated at the right time. 2. A Month Is Added Unlike the Gregorian (and Julian) leap year, in which an extra day is added, the Jewish leap year has an entire extra month. 3. Called an "Enlarged Year" On the secular calendar, the date drifts by one day per year. So if January 1 is on Sunday this year, it will be on Monday next year, and so on. In the event of a leap year, the extra day will cause it to "leap" from Sunday to Tuesday, hence the name "leap year." This, of course, does not apply to the additional month added to the Jewish calendar. The Jewish leap year is known as a shanah me'uberet, a "pregnant year," or perhaps more properly an "enlarged year," since it is temporarily larger than usual. 4. The Secret The various calculations that go into determining the length of each year are known as sod ha'ibur. Sod can be translated as either "secret" or "council." 5. It Was Done By the Central Court Declaring a leap year was the domain of the highest rabbinical court—the Sanhedrin. According to Rabbi Meir, it was conducted by a panel of three judges. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, however, taught that three sages would begin the conversation, two more would join for the deliberation, and another two were added for the final declaration. 6. The Sages Were Expert Astronomers The primary factor, which overrode all others, was the spring equinox. If it were to fall later than the first half of Nissan (i.e., on the 16th or later), then the year was automatically declared a leap year. Spring-like conditions also needed to be evidenced. If the barley in Israel had not yet ripened, and the trees were not yet blossoming with seasonal fruit—that, too, was sufficient reason to delay Nissan by adding a second month of Adar. 7. There Were Other Factors Too The Sanhedrin also considered several non-season-related factors. If the roads or bridges were in disrepair due to the winter rainy season, for example, that would impede the ability of the pilgrims to travel to Jerusalem for Passover. Declaring a leap year would give crews time to get everything in order. 8. It is Now Fixed to Happen 7 out of 19 Years In the 4th century CE, the sage Hillel II foresaw that the central courts would soon crumble and ad hoc declaration of leap years would no longer be viable. He and his rabbinical court established the perpetual calendar which we follow today, with nineteen-year cycles, each cycle comprising seven leap years. 9. It Can be 385, 384, or 383 Days Long The longest possible year is 385 days. At times, however, a leap year can be only 383 days. This is because the months of Cheshvan and Kislev can each have either 29 or 30 days. 10. Contracts Can Be Complicated If a rental contract specified a price per year, and then a leap year was declared, the 13th month was included in the set rent. If the contract specified the price per month, however, the 13th month must be paid for separately. In the event that the contract listed both (100 per month, 1,200 per year, for example), the renter is at a disadvantage and must pay for the 13th month. 11. The Added Month is Adar I How does a 12-month calendar suddenly become 13 months long? The last month of the year, Adar, becomes Adar I and Adar II. It is questionable which Adar is considered the Adar. All agree, however, that Purim (held annually on Adar 14 and 15) is celebrated in Adar II, so that is just a short month away from Passover. 12. 60 Days of Joy Our sages say, "When Adar enters, we increase in joy." Increasing in joy every day, an additional Adar means that there is so much more joy. That's something worth celebrating! 13. We Have Tons More For You to Read About the Jewish Leap Year That was all just a taste. Want to learn more about the leap year, its significance, and application? Here are some articles where you can explore the Jewish leap year in depth: | | | | | See you tomorrow bli neder We need Moshiach now! Love Yehuda Lave
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