By Vicki Cobb

Here, he is a household name, a national hero in the eyes of these bright students. Nine years after his untimely death, Ilan Ramon, the first and only Israeli to travel to space, is a powerful inspiration for the hundreds of Israeli students reaching for the stars.

On my recent trip to Israel, I witnessed the dedication of the Frank Family Aerospace Center at The Zimmetbaum High School in Arad, one of the schools in the ORT network. Dr. Charlotte K. Frank, a board member of the America –Israel Friendship League and Senior Vice-President of McGraw-Hill and its generous benefactor, launched a fully equipped computer classroom, planetarium and roof observatory to encourage today’s high school students to dream big.

Highly advanced telescope at the ORT School. Part of their innovative planetarium.

Today, February 1^st, 2012 is the ninth anniversary of the shuttle Columbia’s ill-fated reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere after a fifteen-day mission at the International Space Station.  All seven of its astronauts perished, including payload specialist Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli Astronaut. Ilan’s mission sadly was never completed. On that Saturday afternoon, as two nations were holding their collective breaths, the Columbia mission came to its tragic end.

Ramon has become a contemporary Jewish hero and a symbol for Israel’s prominence in science and technology. For Israelis, they see Ramon’s legacy as a continuation of its founder, David Ben-Gurion. Ben-Gurion’s vision for Israel emphasized excellence in science and technology as essential for the survival of the Jewish State.  He felt that Israel’s place in the world would be defined by its achievements in science..

Today, Ben-Gurion’s vision is realized in Israel’s high-tech entrepreneurship, second only to Silicon Valley. The recently announced partnership between Cornell University and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology to create a state-of-the-art applied sciences campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City is just the latest example of foreign investment in Israel’s “Silicon Valley East.”

Ilan Ramon was a product of the Israeli education system, and a model for the nation’s values.  From my recent visit to Israel I learned that when it comes to being pioneers, Israelis are not only cultivating the arid land, but also not afraid to reach for the stars. Ilan Ramon’s legacy lives on.

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Israel’s Olympic windsurfing hopeful Lee Korzits readily admits to being a hyperactive thrill-seeker. Only on the water is she truly able to focus. “I can’t concentrate anywhere else, so it’s like a meditation place for me,” she says. “I learn to be quiet - really quiet. I listen to the sea, and the sound of the waves is like a mantra.”

The 27-year-old Israeli became the youngest windsurfing world champion in 2003. In September, she earned the silver medal at the RS:X European Windsurfing Championships in Bulgaria and on December 11 Korzits captured the gold medal at the Women’s RS:X World Championship in Australia, in the second of four qualifying rounds for next summer’s London Olympics.

“Windsurfing for me is everything,” says Korzits. The challenging sport combines elements of sailing and surfing with gymnastic jumps, loops and spins.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJku4TrqWnA

The daughter of a swimmer and a lifeguard, she was raised in the beach town of Michmoret, between Tel Aviv and Haifa, along with sister Bar and brother Tom. Her siblings also are windsurfers of note, and Tom was her first coach. Nearly every child in Michmoret learns to windsurf, says Korzits, who still lives near her childhood home. “I grew up in a place where everybody went to the [Emek Hefer Sailing] club together as kids, and the good ones stayed. A lot of good athletes come from this village of mine.”

An Israeli Olympic sport

Korzits follows in the footsteps of Gal Fridman, an Israeli windsurfer who won a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and captured the gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

There was one point in her career when it seemed like she’d had enough. In 2006, following a board-surfing injury, Korzits had a well-publicized run-in with the national team consultant and quit competing for a couple of years. But she came back with a deeper love for her sport. Korzits took on a new coach last year - a childhood friend who knows her well - and she’s in the water three hours a day. She does lung-strengthening activities such as biking and swimming for another six hours, taking just one day per week to cut back a bit.

“It’s all about getting to the Olympics,” she says. “That’s the dream and we work very hard for it from the time we are young.”

She doesn’t consider her training regimen a burden, even though her schedule leaves little time for a social life. “I cannot rest if there are good waves,” she says. “I want to be in the water.”

Risk-taker

Korzits may specialize in windsurfing but she also enjoys sunboarding and other extreme water sports. “I look for the danger. I like risks,” she admits.

In her many travels around the world - six different countries this year alone - she sometimes faces risks of a different sort, as a living symbol of Israel. “You kind of get used to it, from traveling the world,” says Korzits. “I try to stay in a bubble. But I feel proud that I was born here and I live here. I know I’m Jewish and I love representing Israel. When you hear the national anthem that’s playing just because of you, it’s a feeling you cannot imagine.”

She says that during the qualifiers in Bulgaria, one of the best aspects of finishing in second place was seeing the Israeli flag posted on the results board. When the athletes came ashore in Australia, Korzits draped her flag around her shoulders and said she was ecstatic to win gold for her country.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ6ZoKOiO7I

Korzits writes songs, and has broad interests despite never finishing high school (she took equivalency exams for her diploma). “I’m not a person who likes studying, but I like to know stuff.”

After her competitive days are over, she plans to stay close to shore. “I would like to teach windsurfing, to show kids what the sport can give them. In the sea, they have to handle something stronger than themselves. I want to give the power I got from nature to other people.”

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He arrived in Israel with one purpose in mind–contributing to the establishment of the Israeli Air Force. He was the second Commander of the “101 Squadron” and a one of a kind pilot. The IAF is saying goodbye to one of the most influential people to ever serve the State of Israel.

Sid Cohen was born in South Africa into a large family, joining seven brothers. When World War II began, 19-year-old Sid decided to join the South African National Defense Force. In 1941 Sid received his “Pilot Wings” pin after learning to fly on the “Avro Anson” and the “Hawker Hurricane”.

A month after completing his Pilot Training Course, Sid was sent to Cairo, where he participated in an operational flight in the Western Desert, with a South African Squadron who was a part of the Royal British Air Force. Sid and two of his brothers (who were also serving the South African National Defense Force) participated in the Battle of El Alamein in 1942, and during which Sid lost one of his brothers.

Once the battle was over Sid got a certificate from the King of England and the Chief of Staff of the South African National Defense Force, symbolizing their deep appreciation for his actions during the war.

A New Homeland
After the war, Sid returned to South Africa and began his medical studies.
Cohen took a leave of absence from medical school in order to go to Israel in its War of Independence in 1947, and came aboard a volunteering delegacy that was on its way to Israel.

On June 1948, Sid arrived in Israel and was drafted to the “101 Squadron” of the Israeli Air Force. The Commander of the Squadron at the time was Mordechai “Modi” Alon and some of Cohen’s friends were Lou Lenart, Milton Robenfeld, Eddy Cohen, Ezer Weitzman and many other Pilots from England, Canada, the United States of America and South Africa.

In September, Cohen took part in the operation “Velvetta” which began in order to transport aircrafts from the Czechoslovakia to Israel. In the middle of October, the Squadron lost its Commander who crashed with his plane before landing at the Herzeliyah Airport.
On that same day, Aaron Remez, Commander of the IAF at the time, requested that Sid Cohen take over Alon’s position.

The Commander
On November 1948, The Squadron moved from Herzeliyah to the “Hatzor” IAF Airbase, under the command of Cohen who served as Commander of the Airbase and of the “101 Squadron”.

After a short period of time, four new Pilots joined the Squadron and Cohen had the duty of improving their aviation skills. He called them to his office and told them that their training wouldn’t only be about aviation matters but will also cover how they could be successful commanders.
The four Pilots were, Moti Hod, Isaiah Gazit, Dani Shapira and Tibby Ben Shachar. On February 14, 1949 Sid presented the pilots with “Pilot Wings” pin in the first Pilot Training Course completion ceremony in the IAF along with Commander in Chief of the IDF at the time, Lieutenant General Yaakov Dori.

Doctor & Pilot
Several years back, some of the founders of the IAF visited its museum along with an IAF Magazine reporter. The first airplane they all crowded around was the “Messerschmitt BF109″ who is also called “The Czechoslovakian Knife”. The Messerschmitt was the first combat aircraft of the IAF.

Dr. Sid Cohen, a South African Pilot, leaned over the antique aircraft, which has the symbol of the Squadron all over it, and reminisces: “We began flying in the area of Mishmar HaYarden in order to patrol and find abandoned aircrafts. On our way I was shooting the cannons. At that moment I started feeling very odd vibrations in the plane. I was sure that is was one of the common problems old planes have but when we landed, I found out that there were holes in the plane’s blades”. It was eventually figured out that the fire coming from the Messerschmitt was what pierced the holes in the blades since the canons weren’t aimed correctly. Sid Cohen almost brought himself down.

When Sid decided to move back to South Africa to finish his medical studies, he was shown an aerial demonstration directed by Ezer Weitzman as a goodbye gift. The flyover was done with four “Spitfire” airplanes escorting the passenger airplane that took off from Lod’s airport. In 1950, Cohen married Adeline and they had three daughters.

In 1965, with Ezer Weitzman’s encouragement, Cohen decided to return to Israel with his family.
Cohen worked as a doctor in “Tel-Hashomer” Hospital, though he wasn’t done with his military life. He remained a part of the “El-Al” Aerial Medical Unit until he retired at 85.

During the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War, Cohen operated as a Aerial Doctor, and as a military reserve man was one of the founders of Emergency Aerial Medicine in the IAF, saving many lives.
On December 2nd 2011, Sid Cohen passed away in his house in Ramat HaSharon at age 90. Leaving his wife Adeline and three daughters: Liora, Keren and Janet.

Many say that Sid was a quiet man, his actions speaking for themselves. He was a Zionist in every meaning of the word and loved by everyone who knew him.

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On Monday evening, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed a long-overdue ban on the act of “declawing” cats. Declawing involves the surgical removal of all claws of the cat, and they cannot grow back. Declawing is not only painful (it involves the cutting off of the cat’s last knuckles), but can adversely affects cats’ balance, agility, and of course, mobility. For stray cats or those that are later abandoned, it also leaves them defenseless.  As any pet owner can tell you, if you want your cat to avoid leaving big scratches on the furniture (or your arms), routine trimming of the nails is perfectly harmless and effective.

The bill outlines a few cases of “medical exception” in which declawing would be allowed, but generally speaking, not only is declawing banned, the penalties are nothing to scoff at. Violators may face up to 1 year in prison or a NIS 75,000 fine.

The legislation was backed by a wide coalition of political parties, sponsored by Knesset members Eitan Cabel of Labor, Yoel Hasson of Kadima, Dov Khenin of Hadash and Nitzan Horowitz of Meretz. Last week, the Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee voted unanimously to push the bill through, with the support of Israel’s Agriculture Ministry, which is also responsible for animal welfare.

Over the last few years, “declawing” has become a major advocacy campaign in the world of animal rights. The U.K. recently outlawed declawing as a part of the Animal Welfare Act of 2006. They are just part of a list of  a dozen European countries which have banned declawing, as well as Brazil and New Zealand. In the United States, California became the first state to ban declawing for wild and exotic cats in 2004, and in 2009, many municipalities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and Berkeley banned declawing outright.

Thanks to Ynet for this story.

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Atomic model of an Ag-Al (Silver-Aluminum) quasicrystal

It was a German philosopher who famously said, “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” Time and time again, great scientific minds see this process in action, as Israeli scientist Daniel Schectman lived it first hand over the last three decades. In April 1982, Professor Schectman made a dramatic discovery, one which has now rewritten chemistry textbooks and finally earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

But his road to acceptance, let alone recognition, was not easy. In 1982, Schectman looked under his electron microscope and saw that the crystal he had formed stood in direct violation with the accepted laws of nature. Until recently, it was believed that every crystal contains a unique pattern of the arrangement of atoms, a pattern that repeats itself perfectly and consistently. Almost any solid material, from ice to gold, is made up of ordered crystals. What the Israeli professor found that spring day is a pattern that was once thought impossible, proving that atoms could be packed into a pattern which did not repeat itself. The crystals were named by subsequent researchers as “quasicrystals,” but that didn’t stop Professor Schectman from being ridiculed as a “qausi-scientist.” One of his coworkers even presented him with a basic-level textbook on crystallography, suggesting he read it.

“His discovery was extremely controversial. In the course of defending his findings, he was asked to leave his research group,” said the Nobel Committee for Chemistry at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which announced the award earlier Wednesday morning.

“However, his battle eventually forced scientists to reconsider their conception of the very nature of matter,” it added in a statement. “Scientists are currently experimenting with using quasicrystals in different products such as frying pans and diesel engines.”

In a poetic note, understanding the Israeli scientist’s research was aided by analysis of Islamic architecture, specifically the arabesque style. The beautiful mosaics which dominated the Middle Ages across the Near-East are of the same mathematically regular but infinitely varied patterns as the quasicrystal.

From the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. An example of aperiodic mosaics.

Ten years after Professor Schectman’s findings, the International Union of Crystallography changed their definition of what a crystal actually is, removing the idea that the atoms must be packed in a “regularly ordered, repeating three-dimensional pattern.”

Today, quasicrystals are not only accepted as truth, but are seen as miracle compounds, having been used in, among others, ultra-strong thin needles used for delicate eye surgery.

“The main lesson that I have learned over time is that a good scientist is a humble and listening scientist and not one that is sure 100 percent in what he read in the textbooks,” said Shechtman at a news conference Wednesday at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel.

In addition to the Technion, Schectman is also a a professor at Iowa State University in Ames, Iwoa.

The Nobel Prize, perhaps the most prestigious award anyone could ever receive, has now been awarded 10 times to Israelis, a source of tremendous pride for such a small nation. The prize (10 million kronor, or $1.5 million USD)

Said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “I would like to congratulate you, on behalf of the citizens of Israel, for your award, which expresses the intellect of our people. Every Israeli is happy today and every Jew in the world is proud. I also congratulated your institution, the Technion, on the centenary of its founding.”

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Yesterday, U.S. actor Jon Voight surprised patients at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba with a heartwarming visit to those injured in the recent rocket and terrorist attacks across Southern Israel.

A native New Yorker (born in Yonkers), Voight’s resume is staggering, ranging from his Oscar winning performance in “Coming Home” and his roles in”Gunsmoke” and “Deliverance” to “Mission: Impossible” and “24.” Most importantly for those being treated at Soroka Hospital, he is a great friend of the State of Israel.

While Jon Voight thought he knew everything there was to know about Israeli society, one thing did surprise him during his visit – the hospital was also treating Palestinians who had been injured by the same rocket attacks which have killed Israelis.

Over the weekend, over 100 rockets were launched by terrorists in Gaza towards Israeli cities. One man was killed and dozens more were wounded, including a 4 month-old baby.  Almost one million Israelis have been spending the nights in bomb shelters, never knowing when the next barrage will be launched.

“During my previous visit to Sderot I went looking for shelter, so I know the danger here is real,” Voight said in an interview with Ynet. “It is uncomfortable walking the streets here these days. I pray for all of you.”

“People from abroad do not understand the reality in Israel until they come here,” Voight concluded. “The American public thinks Israel is strong, tough, and smart, but needs to remember that it is also humane, vulnerable, and surrounded by enemies.”

Thanks to Ynet for this story.

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This Saturday, June 25^th, marks the five year anniversary of the kidnapping of one of Israel’s sons, Gilad Shalit. Gilad’s abduction was a part of a cross-border attack by Hamas, who used tunnels to launch an attack against Israeli soldiers, killing Staff Sergeant Pavel Slutzker and an officer, Lieutenant Hanan Barak, before taking young Gilad Shalit hostage. The slender Israeli boy was only 19 years old at the time of his abduction. The terrorist group Hamas which has kept Gilad hostage for five years does not provide him with even an ounce of humanitarian aid, and his continued imprisonment is a violation of every law of nations, and humanity. He has never been allowed access to medial treatment by the Red Cross, or even visits mandated by international law. As The New York Times reported today, the International Committee of the Red Cross publicly demanded that Hamas provide proof that Gilad is still alive. Hamas has refused. Not only do we not know how Gilad is doing, but since October of 2009, there’s been no proof that he is still alive.

Despite all of this, we continue to be hopeful that he will one day be released. Five years is a long time – and a very special campaign called “What Gilad Missed” by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs sums it all up. Besides missing everything from the rise of Barack Obama to Bret Favre retiring multiple times, Gilad has tragically missed 1,825 sunrises.

Watch the video below, and share Gilad’s story with your friends and loved ones. On June 25th, we are all Israelis.

What Gilad Missed from JCPA on Vimeo.

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Dear Friends,

As we celebrate 63 years of statehood, we can look back on the historic miracle of the birth of a nation – the State of Israel. And we can laud one of our greatest leaders, David Ben-Gurion, for declaring the establishment of a Jewish state – a homeland – one momentous day in May 1948. Immediately afterward we were attacked – outmanned, outnumbered, outgunned.

From the debris of the War of Independence arose one of the best and most moral armies in the world. The desert turned into a model of state-of-the-art agriculture admired by all. Israel’s development in fields such as hi-tech, science, technology and medicine has placed her at the forefront of advances in these areas the world over.

On the day of the proclamation of the State of Israel, it was stated that this newly founded nation would be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel. We abide by the Jewish code of moral values instilled in us.

We are still facing evil forces, especially those that emanate from Iran. This call, by a regime that is a danger to the entire world, should be met by an uncompromising mobilization of the international community. We are determined, together with our supporters everywhere, to fight anti-Semitism and delegitimization.

The State of Israel is prepared to do its share, even at a painful cost, to achieve peace with our neighbors. We are hopeful that the winds of change sweeping our region will herald new opportunities of peace, security and prosperity for all.

We all share the hope that Gilad Shalit will be reunited with his family immediately.

The bridges of kinship that link the Jewish state with the Jewish communities around the world are vital to us. You are full partners in our success. Looking back, we have much to be proud of. Looking forward, we still have much to achieve. Together we can accomplish anything and everything. Together we can prevail. And together we shall celebrate many more independence days to come.

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The IDF Home Front Command and Medical Corps. Aid delegation to Japan opened an advanced medical clinic this morning. The opening ceremony was preceded by a minute of silence in honor of those who perished in the natural disaster. The mayors of Kurihara and Minamisanriku, whose towns suffered severe loss and destruction in the tsunami, attended the ceremony. During the ceremony the mayors thanked the members of the delegation for volunteering, and for their desire to help the people of Japan by providing medical care for the ill and injured.

The clinic’s first patient was the mayor of Minamisanriku, who had recently been injured. He was examined by the commander of the medical delegation, deputy to the IDF Chief Medical Officer, Col. Dr. Ofir Cohen-Marom.

The IDF aid delegation to Japan arrived at Minamisanriku in the Miyagi Prefecture early Monday morning after a 14-hour flight and 8-hour bus ride. They held their first operational briefing with GOC of the Home Front Command, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, and the Head of the IDF Medical Corps, Brig. Gen Nachman Ash.

The city where the IDF field clinic is being established is attracting many displaced persons and the IDF aid delegation has been distributing and setting up the medical equipment in order to have the field clinic operational. As of Tuesday morning, march 29th, the field clinic features:

X-ray
Pediatrics ward
Surgical ward
Maternity and Gynecological wards
Otolaryngology (Ears, Nose and Throat)
Optometry department
Laboratory
Intensive Care Unit
Pharmacy

Seven Japanese nationals who speak Hebrew joined the delegation on Monday in order to provide translation services and serve as liaisons with the local population.

Radiation levels in the area where the IDF aid delegation has deployed are being followed carefully by experts from the Atomic Energy Commission and by experts from the IDF Medical Corps in order to ensure that there is no danger posed to delegation members or patients in the area.

Check out a video of the delegation arriving below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HDfLfegVVI

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Yesterday, the world lost one of its greatest stars as Elizabeth Taylor passed away at the age of 79. While she will go down in the history books as an Oscar winner and remembered for her iconic role as Cleopatra, her connection to the State of Israel played a significant role throughout her life.

Thanks to researchers pouring the archives at JTA, we now see a picture of a woman who worked tirelessly to defend the Jewish State, even if it meant putting her life in jeopardy. In an amazing story lost for years but not forgotten, it turns out that Elizabeth Taylor offered herself up as a hostage during the Entebbe hostage crisis of 1976!

Why did the Hollywood star seriously consider risking her life to save 100 passengers aboard the hijacked Air France plane? For starters, she converted to Judaism to 1959 before marrying one of her (many) husbands. Since becoming a Jew, she had a great passion for defending Israel. In 1975, she was one of the 60 female signatories who condemned the misguided UN resolution claiming Zionism is a form of racism.

Her support for Israel, which included buying Israel bonds to help the young country support itself, did not earn her much love in the Arab world, where her films were almost universally banned. One of the exceptions was Egypt, who removed her from the blacklist after seeing her in “Cleopatra.”

She frequently visited Israel and met with heads of state, including Prime Ministers Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Rabin.

To read more about Elizabeth Taylor’s history with Israel, click here.

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