YINZ/YIDZ

Wow! can you imagine the halachic issues this scientific development will spur? The Associated Press is reporting that scientists have produced the first living cell powered by man-made DNA. Fascinating stuff; read on!

AP is having a good day at the plate. Read this insightful story about the Jews who are choosing to settle in Arab East Jerusalem. Also from Israel, Israeli troops killed two Palestinian militants who infiltrated from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. It's all here.

Our thanks to Tablet for this story about President Obama's meeting with Jewish congressmen over the Shavuot holiday; good reading. While you're at the Tablet site, better check out its slideshow on the shnozz, "Nosing Around."

Finally, Haaretz has a good story, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, about apparent land concession proposals by the Palestinian Authority to Israel. Read up, and Shabbat Shalom.

 

 

 

These days, organizations fling poll results around all the time to bolster their positions; too often the public is left to wonder which numbers can be believed.

But among pollsters and public alike, the name Gallup has cache, and Gallup released a survey on Feb. 24 showing support for Israel is at a near-record high among Americans. Read on.

 

The Jewish world continues to mobilize to support the people of Haiti following the earthquake Tuesday, Jan. 12, that virtually destroyed the capital, Port au Prince, and much of the country.

The Israeli Consulate in Philadelphia reported that

a 220-person delegation, headed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, left Thursday evening, Jan. 14, for Port-au-Prince. The relief package includes a Home Front Command field hospital and rescue unit, as well as teams from Magen David Adom and Israel Police.

A delegation of the Israel-based ZAKA International Rescue Unit, which was in Mexico assisting in the recovery efforts following the helicopter crash on Sunday, flew to the Haiti  in a Mexican air force Hercules together with the Mexican official aid delegation. (The photo to the right shows a ZAKA volunteer getting vaccinated prior to his arrival in Haiti).

Click to read more ...

We just learned that Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, a declared Democratic  candidate for governor next year, is making his first trip to Israel.

Onorato, and the rest the mission he's on, arrived in the Jewish state on Sunday, Nov. 8. They are visiting sites of Jewish and Christian interest, including Karmiel and Misgav — Pittsburgh sister communities there. They will return home on Saturday.

With Onorato on the trip are his wife, Shelly, United Jewish Federation Chair Billy Rudolph, Giant Eagle Chairman David Shapira and Pittsburgh attorney Jeff Letwin, who is playing an active role in Onorato's campaign. Letwin and Cindy Shapira made arrangements for the mission.

In a brief phone call from Israel Wednesday, Letwin told us that Onorato is not traveling in his official capacity as county executive, and that no county business is planned during the trip.

We'll have more on Onorato's trip in next week's Chronicle. 

Egypt has apparently retracted its decision not to allow Israelis to attend the 15th Annual Multidisciplinary Symposium on Breast Disease, in Alexandria, Egypt, which is sponsored Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Israel's Channel 2 reported that Egypt's Minster of Health, Hatem
el-Gabali, had rescinded invitations to Israeli physicians and scientists on Sunday to attend the symposium. 

This angered American Jews, who are have been strong supporters of Komen — considered the world’s largest breast cancer advocacy organization.

But on Thursday, Komen founder Nancy Goodman Brinker released this statement:

"Breast cancer advocates from the United States and across the Middle East are meeting in Egypt from October 21-27 for breast cancer awareness events. There have been reports that some of the invited participants would not be allowed to attend these events. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has now received confirmation that all advocates, regardless of their country of origin, are invited to fully participate in events to bring breast cancer to the forefront of public discussion in the Middle East.

"After we received the initial report on the situation, we launched a diplomatic effort to ensure they would be able to participate. I am pleased to report that our efforts led to confirmation that all advocates would be welcome to participate in the events.  

"Susan G. Komen for the Cure remains steadfast in our mission to save lives and end breast cancer forever."

Andrea Rader, Komen's director of marketing communications, told The Chronicle that Komen heard Tuesday from Israeli news reports that the invitations were rescinded. Its staff in Egypt then began using diplomatic channels to determine if the reports were true and what could be done abut it.

"Then we received assurances that all were invited," she said.

We'll post updates to YINZ/YIDZ as they come available.