xt7vmc8rg834 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7vmc8rg834/data/mets.xml Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Kentucky Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass 2003-11 Newspaper of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, previously named the Central Kentucky Jewish Association and Central Kentucky Jewish Federation. Published ten times annually. The Federation seeks to bring Jewish community members together through holiday parties, lectures, Yiddish courses, meals, and other celebrations of Jewish heritage and culture. They also host fundraisers and provide financial assistance for Jews in need, both locally and around the world. This collection is part of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records, 2016ms010. newsletters 2016ms010 English Central Kentucky Jewish Federation Inc  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records Jews -- Kentucky -- Lexington Jews -- History Shalom, November 2003 text image Shalom, November 2003 2003 2003-11 2025 true xt7vmc8rg834 section xt7vmc8rg834  

  

NOVEMBER 2003

haMlom

Serving the Central Kentucky Jewish Community Since 1962

I

Newspaper of the Central
Kentucky Jewish Federation

$\$h Federabbo

(Elma! Ken“) L_—](’

HESHVAN-KISLEV 5764

Teens Take Action in Preventing Drug Abuse

Workshop on Substance Abuse Prevention to be Held on Dec.7

By Fran Moms, JFS Director

Jewish Family Services of the Central
Kentucky Jewish Federation, in cooperation
with the local congregations, is pleased to
sponsor an informational workshop on drug
and alcohol abuse prevention. We know that
parents and teens alike are concerned about
the dangers of using drugs and alcohol, and
would like to learn more about what they can
do to protect themselves.

The workshop‘will be held on Sunday

December 7, 2003 from 12:30 - 3:30 PM in the
social hall of Temple Adath Israel. Join us
after religious school for a complimentary
lunch, and then an interactive discussion on
this very important topic. We are pleased to
have secured excellent speakers for the
afternoon, including a representative from the
Lexington Police Department and certified
professionals from the Bluegrass Prevention
Center. The afternoon is structured so
participants will have the opportunity to

share their concerns and experiences in small
group sessions.

Stay tuned to your mailbox for a personal
invitation to this event. Please share the news
about this program with anyone you think
may be interested but may not receive a
notice. Please reserve your space in the
workshop by December 1, 2003. Call 269-8244
for more information, or send an email
message to jfs@jewishlexington.org.

 

Ninth Annual Winter Dinner is on

the Schedule

Community Activities Committee Plans Events for Corning Year

RV PI Irn Polev

M" "ATWT‘lbul‘e year of
events is now in
the planning stages
as a result of the
recent meeting of
the Community
Activities
Committee of the
Central Kentucky
Jewish Federation.
Starting with the
Winter Dinner in
December and
ending with a

 

Winter Dinner photofrom last year!!!

We will begin the
evening with the
lighting of the sixth
candle of Hanukkah,
and we’re asking all
families to bring a
chanukiah and candles
to participate in the
candle lighting. We
have a wonderful
vegetarian menu
planned (including
latkes) along with
musical entertainment

 

tasting of local
wines in June, many delightful events are in
store for the Lexington Jewish community.

Our annual Winter Dinner, and this year a
Hanukkah party as well, start at 6:00 PM on
the evening of December 24 at the Four Points
Sheraton on Newtown Pike near the I-75
interchange.

and supervised children’s activities. This will
be the ninth year for this popular event, and
it’s always a terrific evening. Relaxed
socializing, enjoyable entertainment, and
good food are the hallmarks of this party; if
you haven’t attended until now, make this the
year you join us. Look for the reservation

see Winter Dinner, page 15

 

Central Kentucky Jewish Federation
l050 (hinoe Road 0 Suite 203 0 Lexington, KY40502

Change Service Requested

 

llonAProlit Org.
ll.S. Postage

PAID

Lexington, KY

 

 

Permit It 719

 

 

Calling All Teens:

We Want Your Opinions On
Jewish Issues
By Rachel Be/I'n

You may have heard the grumbles before. [a
Shalom is for old people. Nobody my age reads it.
I t’s written for my grand (pause for effect) mother.

Well, we here at Central Kentucky Jewish
Federation have to
concede—you have a
point. It is an
embarrassing fact
that not only do
local Jewish youth
not regularly I
contribute to

Shalom, but the

vast majority of you
don’t even scan the headlines when it is
delivered, free of charge we might grouchily
add, to your house each month.

 

All that may be about to change. As of this
writing, Shalom is putting all Jewish youth on
official notice: We are willing to give you
some serious space in this newspaper.

The idea is to give you a place to freely
express some of your deepest thoughts on
what it means to be Jewish in Central
Kentucky. From anti—semitism to the value of
Hebrew education to interfaith families to
Middle East politics—no subject is off limits.
If all goes according to plan, your space in
Shalom will stimulate honest discussions

see Calling All Teens, page 10

 

 

 

  

IN THIS ISSUE:

On Preserving Freedom; ................ 3
President's Message ................... 4
November 29th, 1947 ................. S
Crossword .......................... 5
From the Executive Director ............. 6
New Memory Principle ................. 6
UK Children’s Hospital Needs Your Help ..... 7
Israel First to Develop Alzheimer’s Guide Dogs 7
Rabbi's Corner ....................... 8
A Taste of lsrael ...................... 9
Jewish Day of Giving ......... ' ......... 9
2003 Hanukkah Stamp ................. 9
Spellbinders Continue Learning .......... 10
L5 Sukkah Celebration ................. l0
JewLS Bets on More Great Programs ...... l 1

Wise Jewish Dateline Has Fans and Plans . . .12

Jewish Population Study ............... l3
B’tay Avon ......................... 16
Ask JFS About ................... ». . .17
Temple Adathllsrael News .............. 18
Ohavay Zion News ................ h. . .l9
Community Calendar ................. 20

 

Condolences to...
0 John and Joy McDonald on the death of Joy’s mother, Carol Boyle.

0 The Stein family on the death of Ann Stein.
0 To the families of the late Howard Eldot.

Mazel Tov to...

0 Congratulations to Jason Heymann and Leah Martin for being chosen to
represent Sayre School at the 2003 People of Color Conference. Leah and
Jason will travel to Hawaii to join a diverse group of people to share the
rewards and challenges central to their experiences in an independent school.
The focus will be on strategies for success and leadership in the arena of
equity and justice.

0 National Merit Semifinalist Elizabeth (Becky) Grossman, a senior at
Lafayette High School, is a 2004 National Merit Semifinalist. Her proud
parents are Michael and Kathy Grossman.

Refuah Shlemah (Get Well Wishes] to...

' Bea Milner ° Rose Rita Wurmser ° Sandy Berger
' Mark Halleck ' Ernie Cohen ' Francie Chassen-Lopez
' Larry Goodman ' Gail Cohen ° Larry Goodman

Good News from Community Member...

My family, friends, and I want to wish you all a Happy New Year and tell you
that I am doing better. I want to thank you for all the lovely cards, notes,
presents, and flowers. It is impossible to personally write to everyone, so
please accept my gratitude through Shalom. If you would like to Visit me,‘
please call Fran Morris at Jewish Family Services, 269-8244, to find out when I
am accepting Visitors.

Sincerely,
Bea Milner

 

 

 

sbALom

Published ten times annually by the
Central Kentucky Jewish Federation, Inc.
1050 Chinoe Rd., Suite 203, Lexington, KY 40502
Phone (859) 268-0672 0 Fax (859) 268-0775
e—mail: shalom@jewishlexington.org

November 2003, Volume X, Issue 13

David Feinberg, President
Daniel Chejfec, Executive Director
Fran Morris, Jewish Family Services
. Jana LaZur, Activities Director

Editorial Board
Gay Adelstein, Marcia Blacker, Evelyn Dantzic Geller,
Judy Levine, Ruth Foley, and Stan Saxe

Production Services by Direct Response, Inc.

The editorial staff has the right to edit all articles submitted
for publication in sbALom. The appearance of any
advertising in this publication does not represent a kashruth
endorsement on the part of CKJF or any other agency or
organization. sbALom is supported by the advertisements
appearing in the paper.

© 2003 by Central Kentucky Jewish Federation

 

2 . novemBeR 2003 sbAlom

 

 

 

 

S'bALOH) I W Central Kentucky Jewish Federation
" . oerLtne '

Deadline for articles for,
the December Shalom is
November 10.

Executifi Committee
David Feinberg, President
Phil Berger, Vice—President
Marcia Blacker, Secretary
Ginger Knight, Treasurer
Stanley Saxe, Imm. Past—President i

E-maii articles to: Martin Barr, At-Large

shalom©jewishIexington.org CKJF B d
_ 7, , . oar ,

Articles submitted in hard Roy Archer TAI

 

 

 

 

 

 

shalom @jewishlexingtonorg

 

 

 

 

 

copy should be double-spaced. Rachel Belin At-Large
Aviva Bowling At—Large

r """""""""" 1 Gail Cohen At—Large
I DON’T MISS 0 TI I Vicki Doukas Havurah
I U . I Stan Isenstein OZS
: . . _ : Steve Kesten At-Large
I Get this paper delivered I Judy Levey OZS
I F R E E I Art Lieber TAI
I I Zoya Orlov At-Large
I to your home ten times annually. l Ruth Poley At-La rge
| Mail your name and address to: l Gloria Rie Ai-LO rge
I | Walter Salomon OZS
I SbAlom [CKJF l David Sogin At-Large
: 1050 Chinoe, Rd., Suite 203 : ’99"? szffe'” 3"?th
I Lexington, KY 40502 I mo e I 50:,» We»). a 0550
| or e-mail at | “a? (’5 W
I I

C. 4s
6b”? J Kmfiufi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 . . . On Preserving Freedom

By Elise Mandel and Di Sobel, C o—Pres/dents, Hadassah

On the eve of the American Revolution, the
man who would become the second President
of the United States, John Adams, received a
letter from his wife, Abigail, in which she
wrote, "I desire you would remember the
ladies . . . We will not hold ourselves bound to
obey any laws in which we have no voice or
representation."

Her insightful and perceptive words were
indeed prescient, but it was not until 1884 at
the historic convention at Seneca Falls that the
call for women's suffrage received national
prominence. Then, it was only after a long and
arduous struggle that women finally received
the right to vote in 1920.

It is always surprising to us that voter turnout
in the United States has traditionally been

lower than one would expect in a vibrant
democracy such as ours. In recent years, this
has been true among Jews, as well. Over the
decades, Jews have been a vocal and
participatory electorate. However, sociologist
Steven M. Cohen suggests that . . where
Jewish immigrants gloried in the chance to
vote and have full citizenship rights, their
grandchildren take these rights for granted."

We have worked too hard for our individual
freedoms to let them dissolve and disappear
before our eyes because of apathy. As the
issues become defined and women’s
awareness and influence strengthens, we are
increasingly aware that women's participation
in the voting process can have a sizeable
impact on the final decisions. We all have a
responsibility to be part of the process and to

TIKKUN LEXINGTON
JEWISH. DAY OF GIVING

DECEMBER” 25TH

 

 

 

Help us to give back to our community by signing up for one of a variety of
Tikkun Volunteer Projects from the following:

*St. Joseph Hospital East

*St. Joseph Hospital West
Work in the giftshops
Deliver gifts to patients 9-3 PM

*Deliver “Meals on Wheels” dinners
2nd Presbyterian Church 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM
(5 routes available)

*Pack & Deliver Moveable Feast dinners
(Moveable Feast packs & delivers meals to shut-in AlDS patients)
St. Augustine Episcopal Church 5 PM

 

Tikkun Lexington is a program of the Central Kentucky Jewish Federation

F‘Niera
,.
Q be

(has; WW

. sh
“is
‘84

 

 

 

 

I
Name

SIGNMEUP!!!
Phone
Age _____ Email Address
Shift A.M.___P.M.____ Either/Both What task would you prefer? ___________ Any____

Would you be willing to drive your vehicle?__

If you are available to help. please contact Jana at 268-0672 ext. 4#

or tikkun@jewishlexington.org
III------------II--------------------------

make our voices heard on the issues. Among.
them are a woman’s right to choose;
protecting the separation of church and state;
protecting the abused woman and her
children; and supporting legislation that will
protect us against insurance and employment
discrimination based on genetic information.
Now more than ever, we must be well—
informed and vocal participants in our
nation’s work as anti-Semitism and anti-Israel
sentiments surge across the globe.

Brave women and men struggled to gain the
precious freedom to vote in a free democracy.
You have a Vital responsibility to protect these
priceless rights and hard-won legislative gains.
As a woman, a role-model, an activist, a leader
and a citizen, vote to make your voice heard.

 

 

EAUTIFUL.

AND WE PLAN
To KEEP IT THAT WAY.

The Lexington Cemetery is more than a pleasant
cemetery. Many consider the grounds to be beautiful in
their own right.

We are proud of this, and take seriously the
responsibility of maintaining its natural and artistic
beauty; that’s why we insist on setting aside 60 percent
of the cost of a burial site for perpetual care. It’s one
part of our commitment to keeping The lexington
Cemetery as beautiful and affordable in the future as
it is today.

We invite you to visit, and to inquire about
interment options, perpetual care endowments and
interest-free financing for pre-need purchases of burial
lots, mausoleum crypts and columbarium niches.

Leidngton Cemetery

lstahlnhed ma
Grounds Open 8am~5pm Daily I 833 West Main St. ' 25575522

Website, www lexcemorg

.mu lHlelllKWlllKlt mow:

 

 

 

novemBeR 2003 sbAlom - 3

 

 President's Message

 

Calling all writers, editors, and newshounds.
Shalom needs you! You could be the next
Susan Stamberg or Nina Totenberg. Do you
have strong opinions? Do you have a Daniel
Schorr autographed picture in your room?
Are local media personalities your idols? You
might be the next Lisa Kaplan or Jerry
Sanders. Shalom is offering the chance of a
lifetime. We are looking for creativity and
passion.

Among the issues discussed at the most
recent CKJF Board meeting was the need for a
teen or young people’s page or section in
Shalom. We have not done a very effective
job of representing the interests, news, and
opinions of our young people. While we are
doing an increasingly effective job at reaching
our adult readers, the lack of writing directed
at our future community leaders is a problem.

It is very safe to assume that we have plenty
of budding literary talent out there just
waiting to be discovered. Certainly the recent
Shalom articles by Andrew Grossman, Penina
Goldstein and Becky Grossman illustrate that
we have the talent. I am asking the

David Feinberg

community to assist us to identify writers,
reporters and editors for this new section. I’ll
bet there are already Jewish students who
write for their school newspapers.

Should the writing come from our youth
groups? Would it be better if the religious
schools were the center of information
gathering? Is a teen advisory board the way
to go? Is it advisable for Hillel members to
contribute articles on a regular basis? All
ideas and perspectives are welcome in our
process of developing a newspaper section
that will be interesting and relevant to our

young people.

Thus far I have met with a universally
positive response to this idea. What needs to
be worked out is the structure. I know that
there are terrific writers out there among our
young people. My experience has been that if
you‘have a group of Jewish young people you
have no shortage of opinions about the topics
of the day. Who are you? You can let us
know at the Federation office directly, or
submit the names of others that may be too
modest to nominate themselves.

 

What are some ways
we can go about
gathering our news
and features articles?
Would it be best if we
had a reporter who would gather individual
opinions and compile them as a topical issue?
Is there interest in doing fashion or movie
reviews? Should it be oriented to current
events? Could we do a Shalom edition on
interfaith dating or being Jewish in a non-
Jewish community? The possibilities are
endless. Our imaginations and willingness to
work can make this happen. Do we have
adults out there with a special interest in the
problems and feelings of our youth? Should
we do this new section every month or every
other? Do we have the interest for a regular
column? Other communities have web sites
devoted to the thoughts and concerns of
Jewish young people. Is there sufficient
interest in Central Kentucky to have such a
site? Mostly we need energy and ideas. Call
us, we want to hear from you. Don’t be shy!

 

 

V9“ sedate
‘4’"; 6) #0

0%031 KM

LEISUR.E CLUB

coming up in 2003 Jfg

Maw Yamih’ yarn/4.4.4.»;

 

 

Location:

 

 

Cost: FREE

Thursday. November 20‘“, 2003 — 12:15pm Bingo and pizza party

A Leisure Club favorite,

Ohavay Zion Synagogue. 2048 Edgewater Ct-. Lexington -
off Alumni Drive between Chinoe Rd- and New Circle Rd.
RSVP by November 18‘“. 2003

 

 

 

 

Location:

Temple Adath Israel;

Cost: FREE

Thursday. December 18‘“. 2003 — 12:15pm Hanukkah Get Together

An annual LeisuredClub event

124 N. Ashland Ave., Lexington ~
near corner of Main and Ashland Ave.
RSVP by December 16th , 2003

 

Thursday, January 15 2004 - 12: 15pm Lunch Outing

(weather permitting)

Location: The Coach House; 855 S. Broadway, Lexington -
near corner of Broadway and Red Mile Road
Cost: Your own lunch

RSVP by January 13. 2004

 

 

Cost: FREE

Thursday. February 19, 2004 - 12:15pm Lunch and Discussion with Rabbi Kline

(weathe r permitting)

Location: Temple Adath Israel; 124 N. Ashland Ave, Lexington -
near corner of Main and Ashland Ave.
RSVP by February 17th. 2004

 

 

4 - DOVE’mBGR 2003 shalom

 

 November 29th, 1 947

The United Nations approves the partition of British Palestine

After more than two decades of violence and
counterviolence between Arabs and Jews in
British Mandatory Palestine, the British
government announced to the United Nations
that they wanted out. The United Nations
constituted a special

media attention. Many of these refugees ended
up in the British prison camps on Cyprus. The
UNSCOP, based on their findings on the
ground, and probably influenced by the
Exodus incident, presented a proposal for the
partition of British Palestine

 

 

committee known as
”United Nations
Special Committee On
Palestine." This
committee, chaired by
the Uruguayan

”The resolution for partition was
just the beginning of a long
fight for the re—establishment of
an independent Jewish State..."

into three areas: a Jewish
State; an Arab State; and an
international area including
Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

The proposed solution was

 

representative, was to
review the situation on the ground and make
a recommendation to the General Assembly.

At the time that the UNSCOP visited the
British Mandate, a ship full of Holocaust
survivors, known as "Exodus 1947," with a
mostly American crew, was attacked by the
British and sent back to Europe amidst strong

 

Hair! by tunnel an

eve of Arab invasion
- imitated Jewish
settlement

Amhnfl‘y

 
   
     
 
 

 

‘. -' 9 a 0892! Sheva :

. . . ,3“,
Samantha“ ‘ .
firm;- 9:"
“

  

 

 

 

 

Jewell/s
figure foyer?

pecinlists

233-1173

 

neither unique nor original.
Prior attempts to solve the issue by peaceful
means led to several proposals for partition,
such as the Peel Commission recommendation
of 1939. Also, in the Indian subcontinent, the
British colony was divided between Muslims
and Hindus, leading to the independence of
India and Pakistan (which then included also
Bangladesh).

The Zionist representative to the United
Nations, Abba Eban, managed to secure a
majority in favor of the partition, and on
November 29th, 1947, the United Nations
approved the recommendation. The resolution
was met with guarded optimism by the
leaders of the Jewish community in Palestine
and the outright rejection of the Arab
countries and the Arab community of 7_

Palestine. The Jerusalem Post (then called the

Palestine Post) greeted the resolution with
enthusiasm.

The resolution for partition was just the
beginning of a long fight for the re-

 

   
 

o
Be'er Sheva

 

UN. General Assembly Resolution 181

establishment of an independent Jewish State
on the Land of Israel. To this day, the
Palestinian Covenant states in Article 19 that
"The partition of Palestine in 1947 and the
establishment of Israel is fundamentally null
and void. . .”—In spite of the fact that the PLO
made a commitment to eliminate that article
from its constitution.

The November 1947 resolution was followed
by the armed invasion of the area allocated to
the Jewish state by the armed forces of five
Arab Countries/yet Israel prevailed and after
more than a year of war, was able to sign an
armistice, in 1949 with the Arab aggressors. It
would take 30 years for that armistice to
become the first peace treaty between Israel
and any Arab state.

 

BBBSSWUBD

 

 

 

“Us

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENIGMRION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On November 29, 1947, The United Nations voted on the partition of Palestine which resulted months later in the
Declaration of Independance of the State of Israel, and the occupation of Arab areas by Jordan and Egypt.

1. (down) Initials of the special committee of the United Nations which recommended the partition of the British mandate of Palestine.
2. (David) Leader of the “YISHUV” (Jewish community in Eretz Israel) in 1947.

3. Zionist Representative to the United Nations in 1947.

4. City which, according to the partition plan, was to be under Intemational control.

5. Rank held by Yitzhak Rabin in 1947.

6. Jewish community, south of Jerusalem, to be included in the International zone. Destroyed by Jordanian forces in 1948, was rebuilt in 1967.

Answers on Page 19

DovemBeR 2003 sbAlom - 5

 

 From the Executive Director

 

This Month in Jerusalem

While growing up in Buenos Aires, I was
active in the Youth Zionist Movement "Dror."
In one of our activities, I remember the madrich
(counselor) sharing with us a tale for
discussion. It was called "My Grandfather’s
Ghost." The story was about a young
Argentinean Jew, sitting in his living room,
who suddenly received a visit from his
grandfather’s ghost. Considering his ‘
grandfather had died in Europe before World
War II and he had never met him, the youth

. was frightened but also exhilarated at the
opportunity to talk to him. So a dialogue
between grandfather and grandson took place:

— "So Motl, how’s life these days?"

— "I don’t go by Motl, Grandpa — my name is
Fernando."

— "Fernando Schmernando, how does a Jew
live these days?"

- "Jews today are not very observant, but
rather modern. Many of our people attended
universities and earned degrees as doctors and
lawyers,"

— "Jews allowed in gymnasiums? Wonderful! -
So Jews are finally accepted and there is no

Daniel Chejfec

anti—Semitism?"

- "Well, not exactly," -stammered the
grandchild. "There are some anti-Semites 0n
the loose, and some neo-Nazis."

- "What’s a ’neo-Nazi’?"

— ”Well, Zayde, it is a long story. After you
died, this crazy German guy started a war to
exterminate the Jews and dominate Europe.
He killed 6 million Jews before he was
defeated."

— "A German guy? Six million?"

- "Yes Zayde. His followers were called
"Nazis", so those who sympathize with his
ideas today, are called neo-Nazis."

— ”You mean they are still around?. Gevalt!
How does a Jew survive?"

- "Well, not everything is so bad, Grandpa. We
have now Israel."

- "Israel?"

- "Yes, a Jewish State."

- "You mean there is a place where the Czar is
Jewish?"

~ "Well, it is a Prime Minister, but yes, he is
Jewish. So are the soldiers and the police and
the manual workers and the scientists. Even
the thieves are Jewish."

 

- "You mean Jews have
a place of their own,
where they are a
majority and control
all the affairs of society?"

- "Well, yes."

The ghost laughed and vanished.

 

Many times we are like Motl — Fernando. We
have come to take Israel and the security it
brings to Jews all over the world for granted.

This month, 14 members of our community
will join thousands of others to make a
statement, we don’t take Israel for granted,
and we support it because our destiny is a
common one. We support the Jewish State and
what it represents for Jews everywhere. We
are going to Jerusalem to participate in a
community mission followed by the General
Assembly of the United Jewish Communities.
As the motto of this international meeting
says, we are going to Jerusalem, to be "With
Israel, in Israel, shaping our common future."

 

New Memory Principle May Help Treat Psychological Trauma

Everyone has stored in his brain at least one
traumatic experience, such as the death of a
loved one, a horrific road accident, a'terrorist
attack, or a Holocaust experience. Now Israeli
neurobiologists, working on rats and fish,
have discovered a new principle that guides
memory dynamics and may eventually make
it possible for people to intentionally erase or
at least dim specific memories from their
minds without affecting the other ones.

A team of neurobiologists at Rehovot's
Weizmann Institute of Science headed by
Prof. Yadin Dudai have published their
findings in a recent
issue of the
prestigious journal
Science. Their
discovery is
regarded as an
important step
towards reaching
the goal of wiping
out or dimming
unpleasant memories.

Every memory that humans and lower
animals acquire undergoes a "ripening"
process (called consolidation) immediately
after it is formed. In this process, it becomes
impervious to outside stimulation or drugs

a - DOV€mB€R 2003 sbALom

 

 

...evidence came to light that
a memory is open to
disruption for a short period
following each time this

memory is recalled. . ’

 

that would obliterate it. Until recently, the
accepted theory was that for each separate
item of memory, consolidation occurs just
once, after which time the window that
allows for "memory erasing" closes usually
about an hour or two after the memory is acquired.

But recently, evidence came to light that a
memory is open to disruption for a short
period following each time this memory is
recalled. If this is true, it would be possible to
recall a memory and immediately after the act
of remembering, activate a "memory eraser"
and wipe it out, even though years may have
passed since the
original memory
was formed.

Research into the
subject carried
out in leading
labs around the
world produced
inconclusive
results: In some cases it was found possible to
erase old memories upon recall, while in
others no evidence for this was found.

But Dudai and colleagues have now identified
a new principle guiding the activity of the
brain's memory systems that sheds light on

how memories are recalled and stabilized. It
can also explain the puzzling discrepancies in
the previous findings. This principle points to
the conditions in which the recalled memory
becomes re-sensitized to the activity of the
"memory erasers."

Bits of information are stored in memories,
each with many associations, some of which
conflict with others. For instance, a certain
food can bring up memories delicious or
distasteful; in another example, an individual
can be remembered in pleasant or unpleasant
contexts. When we next taste the food or see
the person, all of the associated memories are
called up in the blink of an eye, but in the
end, only one of those memories will become
dominant and determine the reaction to the
recollection.

This memory will decide whether we will eat
the food or reject it, or whether we will smile
at our acquaintance or ignore him. Dudai’s
team found that onty the recalled memory
that won the competition for dominance was
re-exposed to the time window of sensitivity
to "memory erasers," and it is this memory
that must be consolidated once again before
being reinstalled in the long-term memory. In
other words, the winner, in the appropriate

see-New Memory Principle, page 15

 

 UK Children's Hospital Needs Your Help

By Judy Baumann

To paraphrase a well-known axiom, now is
the time to come to the aid of the UK
Children's Hospital Resource Center and -
Library! It is imperative that we have
volunteers to do this important work —— the
library can only be open when a volunteer is
there. If you work part-time or do not work
outside your home, please consider
volunteering twice a month or one day a week
——- Monday through Friday —— for
approximately three hours. (Sundays are also
a possibility).

The library is well-established; there are
always requests for books from staff, patients,
their siblings, parents, and other care-givers.

Volunteers are needed to stay in the library
(UK Children's Hospital Library is on the 4th
floor of the UK Hospital) and/ or to take our
much beloved library cart to patient rooms. It

is difficult to express in writing the joy that we

bring to children and the gratitude expressed
by their parents when we appear in their
rooms with our book cart, when we take time
to read a story, or when we just stop to chat.

As the New Year just past reminded us to
observe "the Jewish tradition of g'milut
hassadim, good deeds, I look forward to
hearing from members of our community
interested in being a volunteer at the UK
Children's Hospital Library.

  

B'Shalom,

Judy Baumann,
Hadassah liaison with UK Children's Hospital
223-1299

 

Israel Is First to Develop Alzheimer's Guide Dogs

By ISRAELZIC Staff October 5, 2003

Polly may look like a regular collie dog, but in
fact, she represents a revolution. Polly is the
first dog to be trained as a guide dog and
companion for people suffering from early-
onset Alzheimer's disease, the result of four
long years of patient work by a team
comprised of an Israeli
social worker and a
professional dog trainer.
She is the first dog in the
world to be trained
specifically to improve the
quality of life for
Alzheimer's patients.

 

Yehuda, 62, depends on Polly as a safety net
for when his memory fails him. Polly
accompanies Yehuda wherever he goes, as she
has done for the past year. She knows his
routine and his habits. If he becomes confused
or disoriented, all he has to do is utter the
word, "Home," and Polly leads him back to his
house.

The concept of an Alzheimer's guide dog
began when social worker Daphna Golan-
Shemesh was introduced to professional dog
trainer Yariv Ben Yosef.

"We sat in a room and talked about what we
did and immediately a light bulb went off
over our heads," recounts Ben-Yosef. "It was
clear to us that Daphna's expertise in
Alzheimer's and my expertise with dogs could
result in something new. We asked ourselves
why couldn't we train dogs to help these
people, and not just as therapy dogs, but as
real, practical, daily assistants."

Ben Yosef is confident that Alzheimer's dogs
will some day be as common as guide dogs
for the blind. For now, a second dog is being
trained in upcoming weeks to be given to

 

' ”Unis; is the first dag in the
world to be trained specifically

another patient, and the pair hope to train 30
dogs annually.

Their personalities complement their
professional partnership: Golan-Shemesh is
maternal and nurturing, and Ben Yosef is
energetic and driven.
Golan-Shemesh was a
pioneer in geriatrics when
it was new in Israel. In
1989, she founded "House
of the Sun" — a home for
those suffering from
Alzheimer's and dementia
located in Petah Tikva that will soon move to
new quarters and will house 90 patients.

  

According to world statistics, 10 percent of all
elderly suffer from some degree of
Alzheimer's, and as life spans increase, the
number is rising dramatically every day. The
goal of the Alzheimer's patient guide dog
project is an attempt to make the patient's life
easier, and in turn, to make life for the rest of
his family more manageable.

In the beginning, the concept of an
Alzheimer's guide dog seemed like an
impossible dream. It had been tried
unsuccessfully in the past. The biggest
challenge was finding the right dog for the ’
task. "We unsuccessfully tried this with many
types of dogs, until we got Polly, who is a
collie shorthair that came to us from Finland,"
said Ben-Yosef. "These dogs seemed
appropriate for