Sharing Jewish traditions, cultures and values through books
Reading to children is vitally important: study after study has shown its impact on a child’s development. Even the mere presence of books in a home increases the level of education they can reach.
But finding the right books and making the time to read as a family can be hard. That’s where PJ Library comes in.
A program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library sends free Jewish children’s books to families across the world every month. Over 15,000 books a month are sent to PJ Library families in Canada.
Something magical happens when parents sit down together to read with their children.
Something magical happens when parents sit down together to read with their children. PJ Library shares Jewish stories that can help families talk together about values and traditions that are important.
Families with kids ages 6 months through 8 years old with Judaism as part of their lives are welcome to sign up. PJ Library encourages all Jewish families to participate, whatever their background, knowledge, or family make-up, or observance may be.
PJ Our Way
What
happens after children in the PJ Library program turn 8?
PJ Our Way is for kids aged 9 to 11. It is kid-driven: they choose their own books, creating a totally tailored experience based their own interests and reading level. To make the choice easier, the PJ website includes summaries and author bios, along with ratings, reviews, and video trailers created by members themselves. Kids can also take polls and quizzes, participate in monthly interviews and challenges, post their own reviews, and comment on blog posts.
The PJ Our Way site is a completely safe and moderated space, perfect for acclimating older kids to using the web independently. It even has a blog for parents, where they can read about the books on offer for their child, and find family discussion questions for each book. Parents can also find out what values or topics are covered, as well as any content advisories parents or children should know about before choosing a book.
Funds for Fun for First-Time Campers
The
Azrieli/PJ Library Campership Incentive Grants are encouraging more families to
send their children to Jewish overnight camp for the first time. The program
offers grants to offset camp registration costs for PJ Library participants
living in cities without first-time camper programs.
Harold Grinspoon, founder of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the PJ Library, says, “We believe that the 24/7 camp environment provides a natural extension of the PJ experience, giving young people the opportunity to develop lasting friendships, explore Judaism, and try new things in a safe, nurturing community.”
As a
2018 Azrieli/PJ Library Campership participant enthusiastically said, “I had a
very good time at camp and I especially enjoyed going on the go karts. The daily
learning was amazing and especially the extra learning on Shabbat. I’m excited
to go back next year and have another great summer.”
The
Azrieli/PJ Library Campership Program is proud to help a new generation of
families send their children to Jewish overnight camp.
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On the cutting-edge of scientific research in Canada and Israel
Canada’s International Development Research Centre, in partnership with the Azrieli Foundation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Israel Science Foundation (ISF), is supporting cutting-edge biomedical research through the Joint Canada-Israel Health Research Program.
The program is a 7-year, $35M CAD effort that draws on the unique scientific strengths of both countries and facilitates networking opportunities with peers from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The program is funding up to 30 research projects with a focus on the neurosciences (2015), immunology (2016), cancer (2017), neurobiology (2018) and metabolism in health and disease (2019). Priorities for future calls will be announced as they are determined.
Throughout this 7-year study, the teams will integrate researchers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Mexico and Nepal to further their scientific capacity. As collaborators or trainees, these researchers will contribute to, and benefit from, their involvement in the program with the overall aim of strengthening research capacity in their countries, promoting research excellence, and building long-lasting international scientific relationships.
“A nation’s support of its arts is a matter of both national pride and cultural survival.”
– Theodore Bikel
Cultural Exchange Trips
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s first-ever tour to Israel in May 2017 was a resounding success. Distinguished Israeli-Russian violinist Maxim Vengerov, celebrated Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki and dazzling Canadian soprano Carla Huhtanen joined the TSO as featured soloists. The orchestra also gave Canadian composer Jordan Pal his first performance in Israel with his work, “Iris.” Unique to the tour was a cultural exchange for TSO musicians with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and a TSO Patron’s Tour to key cultural sites in Israel.
Emerging Artists: Israel’s Scholarship Program
The Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation is dedicated to the mission of supporting and developing artistic life in Israel, as well as showcasing Israeli culture in Canada. Since 1963, CICF has played an important role in developing many of Israel’s largest cultural institutions, as well as the artistic development of Israel’s finest artists in every discipline.
One of the programs supported by the CICF and the Azrieli Foundation is the Sharett Scholarship Program.
The Sharett Scholarship Program provides tuition assistance to gifted young Israelis who demonstrate a significant talent and potential in the arts, and assists in their professional training and public exposure. The program covers all areas of the arts, including music, fine arts, dance, theatre, television and cinema.
Recipients have included internationally acclaimed musical giants like Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman and Shlomo Mintz.
Emerging Artists: Calgary Opera
The Calgary Opera has made its name based on a commitment to the development of both Canadian talent and new opera works, as well as by bringing opera to all ages in the community on a broad scale. For the last ten years, the Opera’s Emerging Artist Development Program has helped launch the careers of young opera singers by providing them the opportunity for intensive professional training, performance and touring. The Azrieli Foundation has partnered with Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust to support the Opera in piloting an international expansion of this program, inviting Israeli soprano Nofar Yacobi as its first Visiting International Emerging Artist.
She is now one of the selected concert artists of the prestigious Rebanks Family Fellowship at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto.
Blogs by Dr. Lawrence Rudski, Montreal Jewish General Hospital, and Professor Ehud Raanani, Sheba Medical Center
Update from Dr. Lawrence Rudski, Jewish General Hospital’s Azrieli Heart Centre
This month I had the privilege of travelling to Tel Aviv to represent the Jewish General Hospital’s Azrieli Heart Centre at the Israel Heart Society’s Annual Scientific Sessions. Walking back from the faculty dinner in Sarona, talking to the Senior Leadership of the American College of Cardiology, we came upon a beautiful view of the signature Azrieli Towers, and with great pride, I told them that those were the Azrieli Towers, told them about our Heart Centre, but stopped short of saying that the towers were named after our centre.
The Azrieli family from patriarch to matriarch to children have provided the world with many gifts in the arts, in remembering history – as I write this, it is Yom Hashoah – , in addressing everyone’s special needs, and of course in health care. My personal world touches on all of these, but institutionally, the JGH is blessed to have been given the gift of the Azrieli Heart Centre. It’s funny – as Director of Cardiology who is responsible for growth but also quality, when I learned that our request was granted – walking back to the airport after presenting to their Canadian and Israeli Board of Directors some 3 years ago in Toronto- I wondered if we were “good enough” to receive this exceptional gift. I was able to “sell,” but was I able to “deliver.” What I should have appreciated was that donations like this are not meant to reward excellence but to grow excellence. I was finally greatly relieved when the JGH this year was ranked the top hospital in Quebec and amongst the best in the world.
The Azrieli Heart Centre, through the Azrieli Foundation’s donation, has grown in all key domains in healthcare – compassionate, innovative and expert clinical care through a unique method of care delivery; outstanding teaching to local and international residents and fellows through endowed fellowships and to nurses and allied healthcare professionals through continuous education and training; and cutting edge research that aims to improve the lives of so many, and particularly the frail elderly to whom the JGH provides special care. We support one of the leading programs in pulmonary hypertension in the world. We have initiated a new and unique program in geriatric cardiology, translating basic science to clinical risk prediction to actually modifying one’s risk before invasive procedures. We have initiated a structural cardiology program to complement our leading robotic cardiac surgery program. We will soon be increasing our access to advanced cardiac MRI imaging to make more rapid and accurate diagnosis. And we will be investing in integrating our complex information technology platform through a digital transformation strategy that will bear fruit over the next couple of years, transforming how and where care will be delivered. The central theme of all this is the outstanding patient experience that matter so much to patients and their families.
The Azrieli Heart Centre, the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, and the international community are so lucky to join the Azrieli Foundation in its 30-year (and counting) mission that we all share – that of Tikun Olam – leaving the world a better place. Toda Raba, Yashar Koach and Mazal Tov on your 30th anniversary.
Update from Professor Ehud Raanani, Director of the Leviev Cardiovascular and Thoracic Center Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
Founded in 2008, the Azrieli Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, is one of the largest and up-to-date of its kind in the country, having been designed to provide optimum continuous care. Comprising of nine critical care beds, it is an integral part of the Cardiac Surgery Department which is one of the many departments making up Sheba’s state-of-the-art Cardiovascular and Thoracic Treatment and Research Center and is academically affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine of the Tel Aviv University. Its current Director is Dr Alexander Kogan.
Some of the most up-to-date treatments include:
Organ Transplantations: The unit serves as a referral center for heart, heart and lung, and lung transplantations, and has treated thus far many transplant surgeries.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO): is a life-saving artificial heart and/or lung machine. This is used for recovering heart failure patients, or lung failure or heart surgery or as a bridging option to further treatment, when physicians want to evaluate the state of other organs such as the kidneys or brain before performing heart or lung surgery and to assist during high-risk procedures in the cardiac catheterization lab, as a bridge to a heart assist device, such as left ventricular assist device (LVAD), or for patients awaiting lung transplant. The ECMO helps keep tissues well oxygenated, thereby making the patient a better candidate for transplant.
LV Assist Device: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are another standard treatment that are used in the unit to treat heart transplant candidates.
Hot-off-the-press 2019 publications on novel and exciting research include:
The of the implications of early recurrent 1R rejections for long-term outcomes after heart transplantation (HT) and evaluation of the prognostic significance of 1990 International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) grading 1B/2 versus 1A. The Transplant Immunol publication revealed that early recurrent grade 1R rejections negatively affect long-term outcomes. Adverse outcomes are experienced mainly by 1R patients subcategorized as1B/2 and not 1A.
Is Axillary Better Than Femoral Artery Cannulation in Repair of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection? This study concluded that emergent surgery for both stable and unstable patients with acute type A aortic dissection demonstrated similar survival rates and significantly less renal impairment when using the femoral cannulation approach
Another study concluded that Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is an independent predictor for long-term mortality after isolated AVR surgery.
Another 2019 publication in the European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery suggests that in a real-world setting, only approximately one-half of diabetic patients with multi-vessel disease are referred to surgical revascularization despite guideline indications. Surgical compared to percutaneous revascularization in this population was associated with improved long-term survival that became evident 7 months after the revascularization procedure.
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What’s the common denominator between providing food, funds and a community centre? Each provides an individual with dignity.
The Azrieli Foundation has been helping strengthen communities in Canada and Israel since the foundation began.
In Toronto, one of our community recipients is
Jewish Free Loan Toronto. In Montreal, we proudly support Ometz, and in Israel,
we are helping Leket Israel.
Meet an incredibly talented violinist and learn
about how Jewish Free Loan Toronto, with a multi-year donation from the Azrieli
Foundation, is helping Daniel Temnik achieve his dream.
Jewish Free Loan Toronto was founded in 1924 with the sole purpose of helping people help themselves. JFLT provides 0% interest loans to help individuals in need navigate trying times, reach academic goals and actualize their dreams. Today, they have more than 800 loans worth over 3 million dollars circulating in the community.
Leket Israel is a national organization that takes a common sense approach to hunger, by rescuing donations of fresh, surplus food and redistributing it to people in need. The Azrieli Foundation has been supporting Leket since 2010.
Ometz (the Hebrew word for “courage”) is an organization that merged three best-in-class agencies in Montreal (Jewish Immigrant Aid Services, Jewish Employment Montreal, Jewish Family Services) into one, reaching more than 13,000 people annually.
However, hundreds of vulnerable young Quebecers
were slipping through the cracks; “aging out” of the public system without
coordinated community support.
In March 2019, Ometz announced a new centre, with lead funding by the Azrieli Foundation, which will offer comprehensive services and programming in an inclusive and community-based environment.
The centre will encourage 16 – 35 year olds to
connect and form supportive relationships as well as provide advocacy,
training, education, employment and empowerment opportunities. At Ometz, many
of the young people who seek help have complex backgrounds that include
poverty, undiagnosed learning and intellectual disabilities, Autism Spectrum
Disorder, low literacy levels, mental illness, loss of a parent, poor
parenting, lack of positive adult role models, physical and/or sexual abuse,
and time spent in Youth Protection Services.
https://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/3.jpg6841024Marie Bergeshttps://azrielifoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo.svgMarie Berges2019-05-07 20:23:332023-02-01 14:18:28Nurturing and Nourishing our Community
There is growing awareness of the challenges that children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, such as an intellectual disability, autism or Down syndrome, face. But something is missing: these children with neurodevelopmental disabilities grow up, and these disabilities don’t disappear. Adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities are often ignored by society, and that includes scientists and health care professionals.
Coupled with this lack of research and support is the fact that people with neurodevelopmental disabilities are at much higher risk of developing mental illnesses like depression, anxiety and psychosis. The statistics are startling: about 45 per cent of adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities also have a mental illness or addiction – which is more than 30,000 people under age 65 in Ontario alone.
“If you can improve the quality of care upstream at the primary care level, and by working more closely with people with disabilities and their caregivers, then you can address health issues early and prevent more serious health issues from emerging.”
– Dr. Yona Lunsky, Director, Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, CAMH
As a result of not
knowing how to offer appropriate support, these adults are more likely to end
up either in the criminal justice system and/or in the emergency health care
system. In addition, those with NDD and mental health issues are far more
likely to be overmedicated or to turn to self-medication.
The first steps in
helping those with this dual diagnosis lies in teaching those on the front line
– for instance family doctors and emergency room staff. That is what the
Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre at CAMH is doing.
Directed by Dr. Yona Lunsky, this centre is built upon four pillars: Clinical Innovation, Research Excellence, Education and Training and Knowledge Exchange.
Dr. Lunsky explains, “To start to change the way we deliver care, we have to train the mental health providers of tomorrow—nurses, doctors and a range of health students. Through this Centre, we’ll actually see people trained with new skills in the next 10 years and working across the country.”
She continues, “If you can improve the quality of care upstream at the primary care level, and by working more closely with people with disabilities and their caregivers, then you can address health issues early and prevent more serious health issues from emerging.”
How accessible are mental health services to autistic people? The research tells us that mental health issues are quite common, but that mental health providers don’t feel competent to provide them. It might be okay for clinicians to say: “I can’t provide this sort of service, you need to see a specialist,” as long as there are specialists. But what happens when there is no one else to go to? Either we need more specialists, or we have to become more specialized ourselves.
CAMH is both advocating and building the capacity for more mental health specialists in autism, and at the same time improving staff skills. The starting point is learning directly from those with autism and their families.
Identify that autism is part of the presenting picture
We need to be more skilled at recognizing autism in mental health care. Not all individuals will have a diagnosis pinned to their sleeve. And if they think making this diagnosis known will prevent them from obtaining services, they will not want to share that information. It is ok to ask about autism in our assessments, especially if patients understand that sharing this information will lead to a more supportive encounter.
Recognize mental health issues early
Autism in itself should not be thought of as a mental health problem. But having autism in environments that are not accommodating can lead to mental health problems. About 70% of autistic youth have an associated emotional or behavioural problem, or would meet criteria for a psychiatric condition. These issues are also prevalent in over 50% of adults, with depression and anxiety being the most common presenting concerns. We need to talk about and promote mental health before serious issues develop. This means being responsive to family needs, making our schools safe and supportive places, nurturing friendships and preventing isolation. It is about building on strengths, and not just focusing on problems.
Be aware of overlap between physical and mental health concerns
Mental health and physical health issues overlap with one another. Long term use of psychotropic medications, commonly prescribed to people on the spectrum, can lead to physical health problems, and so can inactivity, and poor diet. Left untreated, physical health problems like an ear infection or an abscessed tooth can lead to some distressed behaviours in someone who is not very skilled at communicating their internal experiences. Mental health assessments need to recognize how closely tied the physical and emotional can be.
Treat every interaction as a therapeutic encounter
It is hard for anyone to ask for help, but having a traumatic health care experience can make asking for help a second time even harder. In our research with families we learned that parents of youth don’t seek mental health services because the steps to do so are too overwhelming, and because they hope that things might resolve on their own. In contrast, parents of adults don’t see mental health services because of how poor their experience was previously. As clinicians, we need to recognize that every interaction with the health care system is a therapeutic intervention. There are a few simple things we can do, even if we don’t feel like the expert, that can make an experience more positive and promote future service use.
Be sensitive to the senses and reduce overstimulating environments, particularly when someone with autism is under stress
Take note of lighting, sounds, and crowds. Allow for and encourage different tools to cope with sensory overload (sunglasses, headphones).
Make more time
This doesn’t mean speaking slowly or louder but means checking that what you are saying is understood and that you are understanding what is said.
Listen: you aren’t the only expert in the room
Because people on the spectrum experience the world in unique ways, they can teach us about what works best for them, and so can their loved ones.
Admit what you don’t yet know
If you have seen one autistic person, you have seen one autistic person. Mental health presentations are complicated and require knowledge of what is typical and atypical for that one individual. You might feel a pull to have a quick answer or solution, but recognizing that it will take some time to figure out, communicating that and creating a space to do so can be very validating for the person, and serve them better in the long run.
Healthcare tools and guidelines can help providers offer more proactive care for this vulnerable and under-served population. Some of these tools can be found here:
“I think the world’s greatest resource is its human capital. The Azrieli Fellows Program identifies, catalyzes and ignites this capital by creating an elite group of academics who, through their research and shared experiences in Israel, are establishing a network of leading professionals committed to raising the country’s profile while maintaining strong academic links between Israel and the rest of the world.”
– Naomi Azrieli, Chair and CEO, The Azrieli Foundation
“My father’s way to learn was to explore,” Haim recalls,
when describing how he came to love physics.
When Haim speaks with his trademark humility, one would never know that he is one of the world’s leading minds in physics today.
When not researching the physics of ultrafast nonlinear optical phenomena and light travelling at the speed of 0.00000000000001 km per second, Haim teaches others at Tel Aviv University how to instruct the next generation of emerging talent from marginalized communities. He helped develop a new curriculum for accelerated learning that shatters barriers and created a new kind of rapid system for missed years of education.
Ori Katz, Azrieli Faculty Fellow, 2015
Ori was one of the first individuals to be named an Azrieli Faculty Fellow. An award-winning academic, Ori was “always fascinated by the universe.” He received the book Coming of Age in the Milky Waywhen he was 13, and meticulously studied its contents.
After serving for nine years as a Research and Development Officer with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, he continued in the field of R and D by combining his love of optics with practical applications, discovering new ways of “making things work.”
Today, as a professor and the Head of the Advanced Imaging
Lab at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ori deconstructs technological
systems such as iPhones as a way to teach his students the importance of
practical aspects of physics and electrical engineering.
Together with his students, Ori is exploring how to develop
better microscopes to generate three-dimensional images for biomedical and
industrial applications.
Every day, Wisam Sedawi asks Bedouin students at the Abu Kaf
School to explore.
The students are participating in place-based learning as
Wisam researches how the observations of their environment influence their
sense of home, their attachment to nature and their desire to improve their
surroundings. By doing this, Wisam is helping her students develop an in-depth
understanding of authentic environmental phenomena while tackling a real environmental
problem.
Wisam’s research focuses on the residents of Bedouin villages by the bank of the Hebron Stream, which is known for its precarious waste management practices. These practices are a hazard and have a direct, negative impact on the residents of the villages.
The study that Wisam is undertaking is critical. Ultimately,
by working with the Bedouin community to raise awareness of the region’s environmental
issues and by encouraging changes, she hopes to build stronger, healthier and
environmentally sustainable communities in the Negev.
During her first year in Israel, while completing the joint
bachelors degree in law and economics, Deborah discovered her interest in
understanding how individuals make decisions.
As one of the directors of a state-of-the-art facility
called Ratiolab at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, Deborah helps to lead the study of interactive
decision-making.
The Azrieli Fellowship allowed Deborah to push her research into the intersection of effective neuro-science and the power of the brain to develop emotional responses. With this interdisciplinary and interactive approach, Deborah hopes to unlock some of the mysteries of the brain, such as how to transform the perception of regret.
Mor Nitzan, Azrieli Graduate Studies Fellow, 2012
Mor is both a mathematician and a biologist. Her doctoral
thesis focused on the dynamics of complex biological networks, a
data-analytical and theoretical approach that applies mathematical modelling to
the study of complex biological behavioural systems.
Computational biology merges Mor’s desire to research “theoretical ideas to solve complex problems and produce tangible results.” Ultimately, Mor’s research will help her to infer simple rules of interactions based on real-world dynamic data.
As an Azrieli Fellow, Mor, along with researchers Paz Beniamini and Amir Weissbein at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, developed a program called A Taste of Science, which introduces young scientists at the high school level to diverse role models who represent the many faces of science. Since the creation of the program, thousands of Israeli students have enthusiastically participated and been able to imagine themselves working in a lab one day.
Itay Remer, Azrieli Graduate Studies Fellow, 2013
Itay is tackling one of the largest global public health
issues the world faces today: he is working to revolutionize the monitoring of
abnormalities in the malaria parasite, and he is doing this using a simple
mobile phone.
Microscopic examination remains the gold standard for
laboratory confirmation of malaria. With the support of the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, Itay is part of a team of optical biomedical engineers who
are optimizing the camera of a mobile phone to develop a microscope that is
both portable and low-cost for clinics in the developing world. By detecting
abnormalities – specifically by studying the velocity of red blood cells – this
new microscope will monitor the progression of malaria and provide more
appropriate treatments that will help save lives.
“Seeing children reach a point of self-expression and
self-empowerment is remarkable,” says Meytal, whose doctoral research in
education led her to volunteer with the Azrieli Institute for Educational
Empowerment.
Meytal used the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a primary case study, exploring the impact that respect and conversely, disrespect, have on conflict escalation, moderation and reconciliatory outcomes. Her work ultimately emphasized the importance of education in respectful engagement of “the other.”
Meytal credits the Azrieli Fellowship, which includes a core component of volunteering in the community, to thinking about education through a wider lens. “When one truly opens their mind to the power of learning and inspires and teaches children in such a way that they begin to believe in themselves, this is the moment that you can acknowledge the power of education as a means to advance society.”
“Iftach is one of the world’s leading neuroscientists. He will change the course of how we study the brain.” Professor Shai Efrai at the Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center (formerly known as the Assaf-Harofeh Hospital), where Iftach evaluates and treats patients with debilitating brain trauma in the world’s largest hyperbaric chamber, describes the young doctor.
Iftach is developing a new technology using a combination of
non-invasive technologies to create images of the brain based on our
understanding of the regional brain network.
“By mapping the functional aspects of the brain and
developing a means for tracking changes in the brain before, say, a blood
vessel bursts, we might be able to see an aneurysm or a stroke early enough to
prevent it or at least decrease its effects,” he says, describing one of the
end goals of his research.
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