Shin Bet Asking Rabbis to Restrain Jews Ahead of Muslim Ramadan RiotsBy David Israel and Green Mediterranean diet can slow brain atrophy, Israeli-led study suggests and Tracing the History of Tel Aviv Through its Street Names and Liver Jokes and Recovering from COVID-19? This is your chance of being reinfected
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.
Israeli police on the streets of Lod where synagogues, shops, and cars were torched by Arab rioters, May 12, 2021.
The approaching holy month of Ramadan during which last year Muslims in Israel added murderous riots to the dawn-to-dusk daily fasting is making Israel's clandestine police, the Shin Bet, uneasy. Especially since this year, Ramadan falls on the holy Jewish month of Nissan. Call it gunpowder-barrel April. The Muslim folks eat their break-fast meal and go out to the streets, especially in the mixed cities, to show their love for Allah by trying to kill their Jewish neighbors.
But as part of its preparations for Ramadan, the Shin Bet is also closely monitoring what's happening on the Jewish side in the same mixed cities, and last week agents met with Jewish community leaders here, including with the heads of the Torani enclaves, and asked them for cooperation in providing information on local Jewish organizing against the possibility of renewed rioting (לקראת הרמדאן: השב"כ ביקש מרבנים לרסן את היהודים). Back in the old neighborhood, it was called snitching.
"People who introduced themselves as agents of the Jewish Department of the Shin Bet approached us and wanted to make sure that we were all being good children," one community leader told Makor Rishon last Friday. He cited a Shin Bet representative who explained that "they are working very hard to be prepared for next time, in every sense of the word."
Good to know. Perhaps not confiscating defensive weapons from local Jews would be a fitting sense of the word.
A security man in one mixed city in central Israel told Makor Rishon said that the very convening of the meeting for intelligence purposes outraged him: "In a proper reality, I would expect the Shin Bet coordinator to meet with the heads of the Jewish community ahead of Ramadan to present to them the threats and assessment and see how the community can be prepared, and not to prevent alleged illegal activity on the part of the Jews."
"It's annoying and insulting," Keren Esh'har who works as a programmer in Lod and is a member of the Forum of Mixed Cities that's affiliated with the group My Israel, told Makor Rishon. "I don't understand how the system still operates on the notion that we are the attackers. They deserted us in our homes when hundreds of rioters roamed outside and it was a miracle they didn't break in, so when did we become the source of danger?"
Esh'har recalled that after last May's riots, the police wanted to confiscate the weapons of all the city's Jews, but had a change of heart after a furious media campaign. According to her, the recent Shin Bet initiative is reminiscent of those confiscation attempts.
My Israel Chairwoman Sara Ha'etzni-Cohen also recalled how the security forces and the police "abandoned the mixed cities: first, when the Shin Bet did not anticipate this entire event of May 2021, later, when the police failed to protect the lives of Jews, and then when the justice system abandoned the Jews, did not bring the rioters to justice and mitigates their punishment. Now, for the fourth time, the Jews, who were the victims in the mixed cities, are again being turned into the enemy."
The Three Musketeers at the Kotel
Recovering from COVID-19? This is your chance of being reinfected
What is reinfection? How easy is it to get reinfected? All your questions are answered here.
Reports of people being infected with coronavirus a second time are now quite common. What increases the chance of reinfection with the virus, and is it possible to be infected for a third and even fourth time too? The answers are here, and you won't like them.
From popular singers Noa Kirel and Shlomi Shabbat to the assistant in your child's kindergarten, many people in our lives have had COVID-19 more than once, especially with the Omicron variant. Infection and recovery from a virus is supposed to produce natural immunization in our bodies because the immune system is already familiar with the virus and therefore has specific memory cells that can quickly detect the virus and not allow it to replicate in the body again. Why, then, are so many people being reinfected with COVID-19?
What is reinfection?
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Reinfection is getting sick with a virus a second or third time, not dependent on the strain. Various factors cause reinfection. For example, data indicates that in unvaccinated people, there's a greater chance of being infected more than once in contrast to those vaccinated. Also, it's possible that those who contracted it very easily the first time are at risk of getting it again because the initial infection didn't elicit a strong enough immune response.
Different variants have different chances of reinfection. If you had Delta, you are more likely to be reinfected from exposure to the Omicron strain because it's different. If you had Omicron, however, you're less likely to be infected again.
Test tubes labelled ''COVID-19 Omicron variant test positive'' are seen in this illustration picture taken January 15, 2022. (credit: REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION)
If you're vaccinated, the length of time that has elapsed since you received your last dose also affects the risk of infection. Usually, reinfection will be considered as such only if it occurred after 90 days or more from the first infection; this is to exclude from the statistics people who take longer to recover and for the viral load to leave their bodies, leading to them potentially testing positive for weeks after that initial infection.
It's difficult to say exactly how many verified recurrences have occurred. To prove this with a scientific level of accuracy, there must be a genetic sequencing of the virus that infected a person the first time, then sequencing of the second viral infection and comparing them. These procedures are quite expensive and require so many resources that these tests aren't practical.
Prof. Danny Altmann, a lecturer in immunology at Imperial College London, in an interview with the Guardian said that combining a two-year-long pandemic along with a decline in antibodies plus the outbreak of the Delta and Omicron strains even after people are vaccinated means that there's a significant chance of reinfection.
Are some strains easier to be infected with again?
The short answer is yes. Scientists from Imperial College London calculated, after deducting and weighing other factors, that Omicron is associated with a 4.38-6.63-fold higher risk of reinfection compared to Delta. They say that this means that the protection against infection for those who were sick and recovered in the last six months has fallen from 85% before the emergence of Omicron to a rate of 0-27%. The sharp drop in defense is not surprising in light of what is already known about the viral structure of Omicron and its impressive ability to elude the body's defense systems.
Will being reinfected be easier?
Logic says that reinfection with the virus will cause a milder illness, and data shows that the viral load in subsequent infections is lower compared to previous ones. However, the severity of the symptoms and the illness also depend on other factors such as the patient's immune status and the characteristics of the infectious strain.
Data from the UK, for example, shows that as the Alpha variant (remember that one?) became the dominant strain, recurrent infections manifested themselves in fewer symptoms, but the situation was reversed when Delta became dominant. Omicron data now indicates that the chance of experiencing symptoms in the second infection is quite similar to the chance in the first infection. So the answer to this question isn't unequivocal.
How many times can you get infected with coronavirus?
As mentioned, reports of people who have been sick twice are already quite common, and there are also reports of people being infected three and even four times (though much fewer). It's hard to say how many times it's possible to be infected. What's certain is that the longer the epidemic lasts and stays in the environment, the higher the chance and number of reinfections.
Green Mediterranean diet can slow brain atrophy, Israeli-led study suggests
Ben-Gurion University trial shows consumption of green tea, duckweed and walnuts may significantly reduce age-related brain damage, especially among over-50s
Illustrative: A green shake, like the ones in the diet developed by Prof. Iris Shai (id-art via iStock by Getty Images)
Israeli researchers have discovered that age-related brain atrophy can be slowed with a green Mediterranean diet, high in polyphenols — a type of micronutrient naturally occurring in plants — and low in red and processed meat.
The trial was led by Prof. Iris Shai and Dr. Alon Kaplan from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, together with several international teams of brain experts.
The study saw 284 participants aged 31-82 — all employees at the Dimona Nuclear Research Center — randomly divided into three groups that would follow a diet based on set guidelines: a healthy diet, a Mediterranean diet, and a green Mediterranean diet.
Both groups following a Mediterranean-style diet were additionally given walnuts to eat, while those on the green Mediterranean diet were also given three-four cups of green tea daily and a shake made of Mankai, an aquatic plant. Shai has acted as an adviser to an Israeli company marketing the product.
All participants underwent a full brain MRI scan before and after the study. They also received free gym memberships and undertook daily physical exercise.
Prof. Iris Shai (Dani Machlis/BGU)
Researchers found a significant decrease in age-related brain damage among those who adhered to both forms of Mediterranean diet, with a greater slowdown in damage observed among the green diet group.
The most significant improvement was seen in participants over the age of 50 — an age group particularly prone to rapid mental atrophy.
Participants who followed those two diets also showed an improvement in insulin sensitivity, a further example of a slowdown in damage to brain activity.
"The beneficial association between the green Mediterranean diet and age-related neurodegeneration might be partially explained by the abundance of polyphenols in plant-based food sources which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory metabolites," Shai said in a statement, explaining that the micronutrients can reduce inflammation in the brain and increase brain connectivity.
"Our findings might suggest a simple, safe, and promising avenue to slow age-related neurodegeneration by adhering to a green-Mediterranean diet," Kaplan said in the statement.
Shai led similar research, which developed a diet that significantly cuts liver fat by tweaking the traditional Mediterranean regimen to include special greens.
Tracing the History of Tel Aviv Through its Street Names
This street in Tel Aviv was named for King George V in 1935. Photo by Danya Belkin
Named for politicians, poets, heroes and heroines, the streets of Tel Aviv tell a fascinating story.
By: Danya Belkin & Oreen Cohen
Whether you realize it or not, walking the streets of Tel Aviv can provide a compelling history of the city itself.
While most people use the names of the streets simply to navigate from one place to another, if you pause for a moment and take a deeper look, you will discover that the names of the roads, whether it's Herzl Street, Dizengoff, or Sheinkin, all have their very own stories to tell.
Join us on a most unusual history tour of 11 Tel Aviv streets that help preserve the history of this lively, beach city.
Baron Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild. Photo via Wikipedia
Named after French Jewish banker Baron Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild, a supporter of the Zionist cause and donor of land and money to the Jewish community in pre-state Israel.
Originally named Rehov HaAm (Street of the People), it was later renamed Rothschild Boulevard to reflect the generosity of the banker.
Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv. Photo by Danya Belkin
Built over 100 years ago, Rothschild Boulevard is one of Tel Aviv's main tourist attractions and business hubs. Many of the buildings there are also rich in history, like Israel's Independence Hall and Habima, Israel's first national Hebrew theater.
The street also has a central strip with kiosks and bike and pedestrian lanes, as well as numerous coffee shops great for people-watching at the center of all the action. It is one of the most expensive streets in Tel Aviv, featuring the more luxurious shops and upscale housing.
HERZL STREET
Theodor Herzl was the father of modern political Zionism. Photo by Carl Pietzner via Wikimedia Commons
Theodor Herzl, the father of modern political Zionism, was a role model to Polish jeweler Akiva Arie Weiss. It was Herzl who envisioned a city in the Jewish homeland named Tel Aviv.
Herzl Street in the Florentin neighborhood of Tel Aviv. Photo by Danya Belkin
In commemoration of his hero, Weiss chose to name a street in his honor and built his own house on this street as one of the founding planners of Tel Aviv in 1909. The following year, the famous Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium was built on the street, the first coed school to offer all studies in Hebrew.
Though the school was knocked down, Herzl Street is an eclectic street that is still jam-packed with historic buildings, including Tel Aviv's first shopping center, and inside that, the city's first elevator.
Shalom Tower, Israel's first skyscraper, also stands on this street and features colorful mosaics at its entrance.
DIZENGOFF STREET
Dizengoff Street was named after Tel Aviv's first mayor, Meir Dizengoff, and was built during the 1930s as part of the original urban development plan of the city.
Meir Dizengoff, the first mayor Tel Aviv. Photo via Government Press Office National Photo Collection
This iconic street holds much of the city's rich culture and history. This street is so popular that there's a Hebrew slang word l'hizdangef, which means to "stroll down Dizengoff."
Though the street's fortunes have risen and fallen over the years, Dizengoff remains one of the most popular in Tel Aviv, full of boutiques, excellent cafes, and designer shops and wedding boutiques.
Tel Aviv's popular Dizengoff Street. Photo by Danya Belkin
The extensive renovation of the beautiful Dizengoff Circle has brought the street very much back to life. It is always lively and full of young people.
Bograshov Street earned its name from Haim Boger (Bograshov). He was elected in 1921 to serve as a representative to the Tel Aviv City Council and the Assembly of Representatives.
Haim Boger (Bograshov) was a leader of Tel Aviv in the 1920s. Photo by Théodore Brauner, National Photo Collection of Israel, via Wikimedia Commons
Boger helped establish Herzliya Hebrew High School. He also established the Nordic district in Tel Aviv for homeless individuals.
Bograshov Street is a thoroughfare crossing near the Nordic district. Its peaceful urban atmosphere attracts natives looking to live in the city as well as tourists on their way to the beach or heading toward the many quaint restaurants and shops along the way.
Bograshov Street in Tel Aviv. Photo by Danya Belki
Bograshov was a humble gentleman and ultimately Hebraicized his last name to Boger after the street was named in his honor.
BIALIK STREET
Haim Nahman Bialik, who became known as Israel's national poet, was already celebrated in the Holy Land even before coming to Israel from Ukraine, via Germany, in 1924. He wrote poetry primarily in Hebrew but also in Yiddish.
Haim Nahman Bialik, Israel's national poet. Photo by Avraham Soskin, National Photo Collection of Israel, via Wikimedia Commons
This street, formerly known as Bezalel Street, is the site of Bialik's house, a famous building that contains a library with all his books, articles, letters and paintings.
Bialik Street in Tel Aviv is named for Israel's national poet. Photo by Danya Belkin
Apart from its historical connections, Bialik Street is also noteworthy for being one of the most beautiful streets in Tel Aviv. Many of the neighborhoods were built by Jewish immigrants in styles they were familiar with, like columns or arches on the exterior of buildings, which make them all the more elegant!
BEN GURION BOULEVARD
Ben-Gurion Boulevard received its name from the founding father of Israel, David Ben-Gurion. He served as the nation's first prime minister and minister of defense between 1931 and 1953.
Ben-Gurion Boulevard in Tel Aviv. Photo by Danya Belkin
On this street stands the former home of Ben-Gurion, known as the Ben-Gurion House, which now serves as a historic house museum to honor his legacy.
There are also lovely paths for runners, bikers, and walkers featuring rows of shaded trees and petite wooden benches to along the way. Ben Gurion Street is definitely more relaxing compared to the other Tel Aviv streets' usual bustling atmosphere.
HAVIVA REIK STREET
Haviva Reik was a Slovakian parachutist who was sent behind enemy lines by the Jewish Agency and Britain to resist German occupation in Europe in 1944.
Haviva Reik Street in Tel Aviv commemorates a World War II heroine. Photo by Danya Belkin
She established a camp for Russian prisoners of war who had escaped and helped to organize a Jewish resistance unit. She was eventually captured and killed.
Haviva Reik parachuted into German-occupied Europe in 1944. Photo via Wikimedia Commons
In 1952, in commemoration of her accomplishments, her remains were buried in Israel. Numerous streets, such as this one, were named after her.
LEAH GOLDBERG STREET
Leah Goldberg Street in Tel Aviv is named for a beloved poet and children's book author. Photo by Danya Belkin
Leah Goldberg Street was named after a Lithuanian woman who had a love for the Hebrew language from a young age. She became fluent in seven languages which led her to a career as a literature translator.
loads/2022/01/Travel-Tracing-the-History-article-pic-16-274x420.jpg 274w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /> Leah Goldberg, a beloved Israeli writer, in 1946. Photo by David Eldan, National Photo Collection of Israel, via Wikimedia Commons
Goldberg is most known for her children's literature, specifically her poetry, some of which has been put to music. She earned the Israel Prize in 1970, following her death from cancer at age 58. One of her children's books, Room for Rent, is still popular in Israel today.
ESTER HAMALKA (QUEEN ESTHER) STREET
Ester Hamalka Street, known in English as Queen Esther Street, was named after the famous Jewish leader Queen Esther of the Persian Empire. She is known for her significant role in the holiday of Purim and is one of only two women after whom a book of the Bible was named.
The street embodies her royalty in its elegant simplistic buildings and luscious greenery. Unlike most of the apartments in Tel Aviv, the ones lining Ester Hamalka Street are tucked away in quietude with little pedestrian disturbance. However, they are still close to all the action of the city.
HAMELECH (KING) GEORGE STREET
Named after King George V who reigned during the British Mandate of Palestine, King George Street is a well-known Tel Aviv spot due to its central location.
Originally known as Carmel Street in the 1920s after Carmel Market, it was changed to King George Street in 1935 to mark the occasion of the king's silver jubilee. However, Carmel Market still remains an integral point of attraction for this city, and people from all over Israel go there to enjoy authentic Israeli food and some of the freshest fruits and vegetables around.
Many of the buildings on this street are in Bauhaus style, an iconic architectural movement that originated from German-Jewish immigrants in the 1930s.
King George Street is a more affordable option than Rothschild Boulevard. Although rather crowded with people either passing by or visiting the hip new cafes and trendy boutiques, King George Street has a friendly vibe.
SHEINKIN STREET
Sheinkin Street was given its name in 1925 in honor of Menahem Sheinkin, a Zionist who helped to found Tel Aviv in 1909 and supported the integration of artisans as valued pioneers.
Many of the buildings on this street were built in the 1920s in the International (Bauhaus) style.
During the 1980s, many of Tel Aviv's alternative music, theater and dance groups began their careers as street performers on Sheinkin Street. They helped turn this into one of the liveliest streets on Tel Aviv, hosting some of Israel's most unique designers and modern bites to eat.
From insane bakeries to custom jewelry shops, you can be sure to find what you're looking for. But just a fair warning: There are always people crowding this narrow street, especially over the weekend, so be prepared for some jostling!
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE LIVER JOKES OF THE WEEK
A British doctor says: "In Britain, medicine is so advanced that we cut off a man's liver, put it in another man, and in 6 weeks, he was looking for a job."
The German doctor replies: "That's nothing. In Germany, we took part of a brain, put it in another man, and in 4 weeks he was looking for a job."
The Russian doctor replies: "Well, we took half a heart from a man, put it in another's chest, and in 2 weeks he was looking for a job."
The American doctor laughs: "You are all behind us. A few years ago, we took a man with no brain, no heart, and no liver, and made him President. Now, the whole country is looking for a job!"
Vodka with ice damages kidneys, rum with ice damages liver, gin with ice damages heart and whisky with ice damages brain. Why is Ice so dangerous?
A John a white goy, Tyrone his black friend , and Yankel were applying for the same job......
The boss looks over their resumes, sees they are all equally qualified, and can't decide who to hire. He decides to give them a test.
Boss: Fellas, I can't decide who gets the job, you are all equal in every way. So here's a question, whoever gives me the best answer gets the job. Give me your best sentence using the words liver and cheese.
John said : ...... Well, golly. I like liver but I dont like cheese.
Boss:... ok, not bad.
Tyrone said .... aight, I like cheese, but I dont like liver.
Boss:... well, ok, thats not bad.
Yankel got the job when he said : Liver alone, cheese mine.
Why do your heart, liver and lungs all fit in your body? Because they are well organ-ized
My brother once promised to donate me his liver. Turned out he was only kidneying me.
What do you call it when a yellow jacket has inflammation of the liver? Hepatitis Bee
Where did the heart, liver, and kidney go on a road trip for vacation? Oregon
I wanted to order food from a fancy restaurant. I didn't want to leave the house, though, so I had them bring the food to me. I ordered a medium rare steak and foie gras, but when the food arrived my foie gras was missing! Furious, I drove over to the restaurant and demanded they give me my full order. They did, and before I left I asked them why they did not provide me what I asked for.
The chef said, "Well sir, you said you wanted your meal de-livered."
What do you call a person who delivers chopped liver in his car? A livery driver.
Harry was walking down Regent Street and stepped into a posh gourmet food shop.
An impressive salesperson in a smart morning coat with tails approached him and politely asked, "Can I help you, Sir?"
"Yes," replied Harry, "I would like to buy a pound of lox."
"No. No," responded the dignified salesperson, "You mean smoked salmon."
"OK, a pound of smoked salmon, then."
"Anything else?"
"Yes, a dozen blintzes."
"No. No. You mean crepes."
"Okay, a dozen crepes."
"Anything else?"
"Yes. A pound of chopped liver."
"No. No. You mean pate."
"Okay," said Harry, "A pound of pate then and I'd like you to deliver all of this to my house on Saturday."
"Look," retorted the indignant salesperson, "we don't schlep on Shabbos!"
Medical experts from London have published a paper that concludes that Seder participants should not eat both chopped liver and choroses. Their research shows that if they do, it can lead to Charoses of the Liver
An old Jewish man was dying in the hospital. His family - wife,
children, grandchildren - came to see him, but only one was allowed in
the room at a time. Grandson Ben went in first. "Hello, Grampa Moishe. Can I do something for
you?"
"Yes," said Grampa Moishe. Go tell Gramma Sadie I want some of her delicious chopped liver that she made yesterday.
Ben went out and told Gramma Sadie, who said, "Go tell Grampa Moishe he can't have any chopped liver. It would kill him."
Ben went back in and reported what she'd said. "You tell Gramma Sadie I want the chopped liver. I'm dying anyway and it won't make any difference."
Ben went and told Gramma Sadie, who said, "Go tell Grampa Moishe he can't have any. The chopped liver is for the Shiva."
My doctor said I should stop thinking so much, it's bad for my health and could damage my liver
He also say's I'm half deaf
When I promise to come up with an organ transplant pun...I de-liver.
