Rockets Fall...as We Save Hearts

Despite rockets falling in Sderot, a major school strike that has all but crippled the junior and high school studies this year, and many other problems, Israelis continue to reach out to others that desperately need our help.

Although there are many organizations and people who are trying to help others both here in Israel and abroad, this group (Save a Child's Heart), has a focused goal and does an incredible job - and all without dealing with politics. The place where a child is born, the child's gender or religion mean nothing to this organization. It's an incredible goal - and almost more impressive is their quest to bring their knowledge and expertise to local doctors. There is a concept in Judaism that better than to give one a fish dinner, is to teach them to fish.

Fixing a child's heart is so important it transcends location and politics - this is the message of this incredible Israeli organization - and even more impressive is their willingness to bring doctors to Israel so that they can learn, so that they can save. During a week in which dozens of rockets and mortars were launched against Israel, we would have every right to turn to our own needs, to worry about our own population that is being terrorized daily by rocket attacks from Gaza, and yet this organization and these doctors cared enough to go to a far away country to save the lives of children who desperately needed them...this is Israel.

According to YNET News:

Save a Child's Heart" (SACH) organization sent a medical mission to Moldova's capital, Kishinev, to provide emergency medical care to a group of young cardiac patients. The mission headed by Dr. Lior Sasson Director of Cardiothoracic Department at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, operated on seven local children whose life were in danger – and saved them.

In addition, mission members examined 30 other young patients who due to complications, will be transferred to Israel for further treatment. The surgeries were performed jointly by the Israeli doctors and their Moldovian colleagues. Some of the local doctors were invited to Israel for training in pediatric cardiology. The local media referred to the Israeli doctors as "the Israeli angels."

SACH has been working in Moldova since 1996 and is responsible for saving the lives of some 50 children and for training local cardiac surgeons. The organization is a part of an international humanitarian project, based in Israel, dedicated to performing live-saving cardiac surgeries and providing medical treatment to children in developing countries.

Victory on the Board

The chessboard, that is. Israel was well represented by 12-year-old Marsel Efroimaski from Kfar Saba this past week - as she sailed to win the 2007 World Youth Chess Championships for girls 12 and under. It's a wonderful testimony to the peaceful activities many Israelis encourage their children to undertake. Most cities and villages offer after-school activities such as ballet, art, music, English lessons, sports of all types and much more. It's what a normal, peace-loving country does - because it means we want our children to focus on the important things in life, despite the violence that all-too-often surrounds us.

So this week, as we celebrate with Marsel's family, we celebrate a victory for our children and for us - we are doing something right!

Excerpt from the Jerusalem Post:

Marsel Efroimaski, a 12-year-old from Kfar Saba, is the new world chess champion for girls 12 and under. She won the title after eight rounds of play at the 2007 World Youth Chess Championships held this week in Antalya, Turkey.

Efroimaski, who returned to Israel on Thursday, is still trying to grasp her huge victory. "At the moment I knew I got first place, it was exciting and confusing and it was hard to believe that I had won," Marsel told The Jerusalem Post. "I was overtaken by emotion."

The young chess champion started to play after-school chess when she was eight. She continued to play in the Kfar Saba chess club, and now plays in Ashdod.

There's A Helicopter Over My Head...

Circling and circling. They are waiting, as many of us are...for a boom, for the moment when the terrorists succeed. Sometimes it seems inevitable; sometimes it seems we are winning the battle. The pressure is high here now in Israel as we wait for the Annapolis Summit to begin...knowing that there are forces trying to derail it. Sadly, the only way, or perhaps their favorite way of doing this is by murdering Israelis and so our security forces have raised the warning level and put all forces on alert. It's disconcerting to have a helicopter flying over head, making large circles, disappearing for a few minutes to some other side of the city, and then returning here. Being on alert, even high alert, is another part of life in Israel. It can go away for months at a time...but usually, especially when the world believes the opportunity for peace might be at hand...those who would see otherwise choose to act. And we, who sit at our desks and try to work...listen to the helicopters and simply pray that this is yet another day when they don't get through, when nothing explodes. No matter what happens in Annapolis or in the weeks and months and years to come...at this moment...I hope the helicopter pilot is vigilant and that when he goes home tonight, he can say to his wife, "Nothing happened...except I got to fly over the most beautiful city for hours, around and around...and then I came home...in peace."

From Israel National News:

Jerusalem on High Alert

Jerusalem went on high alert on Sunday after security forces received a warning early on Sunday afternoon that a terrorist group plans to carry out an attack in the city. Two terrorists are reportedly on their way to the capital.

Forces are stationed in eastern Jerusalem in particular, near the entrances to the city. Witnesses say police have blocked the entrance to Hizme and the bridge at French Hill. Additional roadblocks have been set up near Adam and Shaar Binyamin. Police Special Forces are mobilized, wearing helmets and bullet-proof vests.