On the other hand
Many world leaders gathered in Jerusalem to commemorate the 75th. Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and eulogize the millions who were murdered in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany, their allies and collaborators in various countries.
Three-quarters of a century after those events many of the descendants of those murdered and those who survived are transforming the Jewish State into a world power in various fields.
This resurrection of Jewish sovereignty and innovation is indeed a miracle we need to acknowledge and promote.
CLIMATE FORECASTING INNOVATION
Israel’s ClimaCell develops a highly accurate weather forecasting system. It has now partnered with Google Cloud to launch a free high-resolution model in India that predicts the weather for a 2km area in 15-min timesteps for the next 48 hours.
APP DEVELOPED TO HELP VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Students in the Computer Science (CS) department of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology were recently awarded the IEEE International Student Projects Award for creating an app that increases the safety of visually impaired individuals. The award is given to students who contribute to improving quality of life worldwide.
Called “Bionic Eye,” the app helps people with sight impairment to detect stairways and other obstacles in short range. The user feels vibrations on his belt that indicate a potential danger, enabling a quick response.
The app also enables faster navigation to desired destinations following voice commands by visually impaired users. Locations are sent from one’s smartphone to the Cloud. The best path is calculated and the user is then able to navigate directions through belt vibrations.
SIBERIA HERE WE COME
Not so long ago Jews in the old Soviet Union were deported to Siberian gulags for the “crime” of wanting to emigrate to the Zionist State. Others were exiled for demanding freedom. A recent news item demonstrates how far we have come in a short space of time.
S7 Airlines (JSC Siberia Airlines) will begin direct flights between Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport and Novosibirsk, Siberia. S7 Airlines, Russia’s second-largest carrier, is based in Novosibirsk and has a fleet of over 100 planes.
According to Israel’s Tourism Ministry, half of the Russians arriving in Israel come from near Siberia. Until now, those flying between Tel Aviv and Siberia had to fly through Moscow.
Flights will begin on April 2, on the airline’s new A320neo planes. Each flight will last approximately 6.5 hours.
GET ME TO THE CHUPPAH ON TIME
Mordechai Avot, 22, was travelling to his own wedding on Sunday with his friend Uri Yemini, 21, when they noticed two vehicles had crashed. Avot, a volunteer medic with Magen David Adom (MDA), and Yemini, a paramedic and ambulance driver for MDA, immediately jumped into action and ran to help the injured, Arutz Sheva reported.
“When I noticed the accident, I operated automatically, ran to help the injured and did not think about the groom’s suit I was wearing,” Avot told Arutz Sheva. “We administered first aid and an ambulance soon came to evacuate the two, who were lightly injured, to the hospital.”
The two men had been coming from afternoon prayers in Meron, a holy site in northern Israel. They were traveling to the nearby town of Rosh Pina for Avot’s wedding.
“The road conditions and visibility were very difficult, and the treatment was done under challenging conditions, under heavy fog,” Avot added.
Though the groom was wearing a light-coloured suit for his wedding, he and Yemini provided first aid to the injured man and woman.
Avot also stood on the road in the wintry elements to make sure no additional accidents were caused by the stalled cars. “It was important to signal to drivers that there was a hazard along the way,” he said. “We, as MDA workers, are always prepared and will always administer aid, anywhere and at any time.”
The day after his wedding, Avot received “congratulations” from one of the injured, who plans to meet the new groom and thank him personally for providing treatment, despite his impending nuptials.
A “GOOD NEWS” HOLOCAUST STORY
With the 75th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz commemorations taking place in Israel and throughout the world here is the remarkable story of a survivor who eventually made it to Israel and started a new life in the Jewish homeland.
It illustrates the power of hope over despair and the triumph of the Jewish spirit against evil.
Watch and be inspired.
