From the Consulate

Israel Update
Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest
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In This Issue:
Lunch & Learn
Chanukah Party presented by Club 1948 - Featuring J.Viewz
Israeli Study Improves Doctors' Reports
Stiller, Rock, Braff enjoy Israel
Israeli Blog
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David Ben Gurion's Vision & Reality: 60 Years Later
"Lunch & Learn"

American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Great Lakes Region
invites you to
hear Prof. Natan Aridan
Tuesday, December 16 11:45 am
Offices of Veritext
1 N. LaSalle, Suite 400
Chicago, Illinois

Kosher lunch provided. Reservations required.
R.S.V.P. by December 12 to Judy Rosen at jrosen@aabgu.org or 847-325-5009

With special thanks to the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest.

Prof. Aridan's teaching and research focus on the relationship between Israeli diplomatic missions and overseas Jewish communities. He has
authored three books and numerous articles








Upcoming Events Israel Homecoming Conference
IsraelEconomy12.09.08

Chanukah party
Chanukah Party

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The Biggest Party of the Year
Wednesday, December 24
Religion Club
Chicago
Featuring J.Viewz. Click here to listen to tracks, watch videos and register for the party




Mumbai Victims Remembered at Memorial Service in Skokie

Mumbai memorialMumbai memorial
More than 1,000 people gathered at the Holiday Inn in Skokie Wednesday night, December 4, to pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India last week.

Speakers included Rabbi Gedaliah Dov Schwartz, head of the Beit Din (Rabbinical Court) of the Chicago Rabbinical Council (CRC); Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz, regional director of Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois; Dr. Steven B. Nasatir, president of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest, Gershon Kedar.

The following are excerpts from the speech of Gershon Kedar:

"Israel has shown that the most decisive and effective response to terrorism is not deterrence, for how can terrorists willing to commit suicide be deterred? But rather through a pro active synergy of both defensive and pre-emptive activities with intelligence gathering at its heart. And Israel is, of course, ready to share her expertise with all other countries facing scourge of terror.

But it is also poignant to ponder how each and every one of us can meaningfully respond to terrorism. And the appropriate response comes from the very values cherished by the victims themselves--- Life, respect for every human being, love for every fellow Jew and above all Jewish unity. This is what the terrorists wanted to snuff out, but the deaths of the victims command us to promote these values even more. The terrorists want to destroy- we will answer through "tikkun olam."

Terrorists want us to live in continual fear, but we refuse...And we will all carry on celebrating life, and later this month on Chanukah, we will, with the help of Chabad, publicize the victory of light over darkness all around the world."

Read the full text of the speech by clicking here.

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The articles in this newsletter (with the exception of Israeli Government statements) reflect the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs website - Click for the latest news, official statements, videos, and presentations relating to the current conflict as well as views of the Israel behind the headlines.
Israel and the Palestinian Authority

Economic Surge for Palestinians in West Bank - Yaakov Katz (Jerusalem Post)

There has been an economic surge in the West Bank in the past year, according to an internal Israel Defense Ministry Civil Administration report obtained on Monday. Palestinian unemployment has dropped 3% since the beginning of the year, while average daily wages are up 24%. In addition, since the beginning of the year, the IDF has removed 113 roadblocks and dirt mounds throughout the West Bank, enabling easier travel between Palestinian cities.
The value of the olive harvest jumped from NIS 200 million in 2007 to NIS 517.5 million in 2008. There was also a 10% increase in the number of workers employed in settlements, as well as a 10% increase in permits issued for Palestinians working in Israel.
Intriguing Israeli Study Shows Photos Help Improve Doctors' Reports


Patient Photos Aid Docs Reading Faceless CT Scans (AP)
Imagine sitting in a dark room all day, evaluating CT scans and other medical images on a computer screen but never actually seeing real patients. That's life for many radiologists.

But an intriguing Israeli study found adding photos of patients' faces to the file made these doctors more meticulous when looking at the X-rays. They reported more details and said they felt more empathy for patients who were otherwise strangers.

Adding patients' photos is a simple, low-tech way to reap rewards for both doctors and their patients, the researchers concluded.

The study involved 15 radiologists at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem and 318 patients who agreed to be photographed before undergoing CT scans. The color photos appeared automatically when the doctors opened the patients' computer files.
Entertainment

Hollywood Actors Say They Love Israel

Zach Braff
'Scrubs' star Zach Braff falls in love with Tel Aviv

Ruta Kupfer (Haaretz)
Braff says that when you come here (Israel), "you just feel this amazing sense of community. We hear so much about Israel and politics with the Palestinians and you feel so separate from it. So I really wanted to see for myself." He says he was "lucky" to be able to come and see things firsthand and to talk to Israelis. "As a Jew I think it's really important to come to this place. There is such a tremendous sense of community, tremendous bond for obvious reasons. I don't know if Israelis have a sense of it because they live here, but I love it."


Chris Rock and Ben Stiller Enjoy visit to Israel
BenStiller,ChrisRock
U.S. film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, left, U.S. actor Ben Stiller, second from left, U.S. actress Jada Pinkett Smith, second from right, and U.S. actor Chris Rock, right, in Israel to attend the Israeli Premier of "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa". (AP Photo)

Actor Chris Rock says Israel is better than Hollywood. Ben Stiller agrees.The two Hollywood stars were in Israel for the premiere of their latest movie, "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa." The premiere was in the coastal Israeli city of Netanya on Saturday. Stiller says it's a good place to roll out a new movie. He said, "This is better than any premiere we have had so far."
Rock expanded on that. He said, "It's much better than Hollywood. They don't like us in Hollywood, but here they love us."