innovation

Birth control even easier now

A new vasectomy method is faster to perform, does not require cauterization, may make future reversals easier, and could expand availability to vasectomies in places where cost and accessibility are barriers.

The Pollock Technique™ has garnered Vancouver’s Dr. Neil Pollock kudos in a major medical journal.

Earlier this year, The Journal of Urology featured a study by Pollock and colleagues Jack Chang, Eliana Onishi, Arthur Chatton and Michel Labrecque.

The paper explained how the new approach differs from traditional vasectomies by leaving both ends of the vas deferens – the tube that carries sperm – open while using a layer of tissue as a barrier. This is different from traditional methods, where the tube is sealed or partially removed. This “double open-ended” approach reduces pressure buildup, tissue damage and inflammation – key causes of post-vasectomy pain – while maintaining effectiveness, according to the study.

The doctor, whose Vancouver-based Pollock Clinics has performed an estimated 75,000 procedures, is now offering the new approach, which can take as little as five minutes.

“My mindset has always been to try to improve on the status quo and reserve mind space to try to continually innovate,” Pollock told the Independent. “For the last 30 years, every time I’m in surgery, I ask myself: ‘How can I take this to the next level? Further reduce complications and improve outcomes?’ I woke up one morning at 3 a.m. with the idea for this technique.”

photo - Dr. Neil Pollock — Dr. Neil Pollock (photo from Pollock Clinics)

When Pollock ran the idea by a colleague who is head of urology at a leading hospital in New York, he was told it wouldn’t work.

“But I saw it differently, and wasn’t discouraged,” said Pollock. “Our publication in The Journal of Urology outlines our retrospective clinical study of almost 6,000 procedures performed between 2021 and 2024. The data proved we can achieve gold standard results and effectiveness, while eliminating what was once thought a critical step: significantly damaging and blocking the inside of the vas deferens through thermal cautery [burning of the tissue] or suture obstruction.”

The Pollock Technique™ minimizes inflammation and the fact that it is faster is not just a matter of speed – it reduces infection risks often correlated with length of operating time. Because the tube itself is interrupted without damaging it, successful vasectomy reversal is more likely.

“The Journal of Urology is the American Urological Association’s premier publication,” Pollock said. “Having our work peer-reviewed and published there elevates this technique as an evidence-based innovation in vasectomy surgery that provides the medical community with a simpler, safe and faster pathway to deliver gold-standard vasectomy care.”

This is not the first innovation Pollock has introduced. Pollock Clinics was among the first in Canada to adopt the no-scalpel vasectomy.

“The no-needle, no-scalpel approach focuses on maximizing comfort and minimizing trauma,” said Pollock. “During a no-needle, no-scalpel vasectomy, we locate the vas tubes under the skin and hold them in place. Instead of making a traditional incision with a scalpel, we use a specialized tool to make a tiny entry point, through which we can carry out the surgery. The no-scalpel technique, because it’s minimally invasive, has a lower risk of bleeding and infection, faster healing and a smoother recovery. No stitches are required to close the wound because it’s so tiny. Instead of using a needle to deliver the anesthetic into the scrotum, we use an air-pressure applicator to pass the freezing solution through the skin without an injection.”

Pollock compares the latest innovation as similar to folding one sleeve over your hand.

“Think of the vas deferens, the tube that carries sperm, as a hose,” he said. “In a traditional vasectomy, physicians plug the hose using cautery or tying a knot around both ends of the cut tube. This can create back-pressure leading to congestive pain in the testicle, like tying a knot in a hose while the tap is still on. Our technique leaves both ends of the hose unblocked, but physically separated. We take a thin layer of natural tissue that already surrounds the tube – the fascia, or sleeve – and pull it and secure it over the exit end. It is exactly like pulling a sleeve over your hand. The sperm cannot reach the other side because there is a physical wall of tissue in the way. This allows pressure to dissipate naturally from the testicular end while maintaining the effectiveness of the vasectomy.”

It’s a significant development.

“One of my colleagues called me when he read about it saying it’s a game-changer,” Pollock said. “The vasectomy is considered the ultimate form of male birth control, and we’ve created a faster, less invasive way to do it without compromising effectiveness. This is huge for men and their loved ones who are looking to complete their families, especially because birth control options for women are less safe.”

That’s a big deal for men, said Pollock.

“We like to tell men that the vasectomy is a loving way to step up in the family and alleviate the burden of birth control for their partner,” he said.

It is also significant for doctors.

“It’s safer for them because they don’t have to inhale the cautery smoke, and possibly for their patients, who avoid thermal damage and subsequent inflammation to their vas tube,” he said.

It’s also significant, he said, because this technique can be used in resource-limited settings around the world, expanding access to safe contraception for millions of men.

There are, however, barriers to adoption of the Pollock Technique™.

“The biggest barrier for other doctors to adopt this is getting meticulous training,” he said. “Our technique requires precision in execution and significant practice under supervision to master and then execute safely.”

A change in mindset among medical practitioners is also necessary, he warned.

“Surgeons have been taught for decades that the more damage they do to the vas deferens – by cutting out large segments, burning it or tying it – the more likely the procedure is to succeed,” Pollock said. “We’ve demonstrated that isn’t accurate. Our data supports that fascial interposition [the sleeve analogy] is likely the most critical element for a successful vasectomy, eliminating the need for a more invasive, damaging approach.”

Now, more than ever, Pollock insists, a vasectomy is not something to be feared.

“Techniques are available that are no-scalpel, no-needle and, now, no thermal damage,” he said. “This is a new era of gentle men’s health, where procedures are faster, recovery is easier, and more and more research is constantly coming out documenting the evolution and improvements in vasectomy, as well as other areas of medicine.”

Unexpected discoveries

Prof. Brian Berkowitz, Sam Zuckerberg Professorial Chair in Hydrology, at his lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science. (photo from Weizmann Institute)

Prof. Brian Berkowitz of the Weizmann Institute of Science recently visited Vancouver and Calgary for meetings with members of the Weizmann Canada community.

Berkowitz, who was born in Edmonton, joined the staff of the Weizmann Institute in 1993. He received his bachelor and master of science degrees from the University of Alberta and his doctorate from the Technion-Israeli Institute of Technology. He worked as a research hydrologist for Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture for several years and as a visiting professor at the University of British Columbia for two years before joining the Weizmann faculty. A former head of the department of environmental sciences and energy research (now the department of earth and planetary sciences), he is the incumbent of the Sam Zuckerberg Professorial Chair in Hydrology.

Berkowitz’s research centres around the experimental analysis and computer modeling of ﬂuid and chemical transport in geological formations, with emphasis on soil and groundwater systems. He and his colleagues are developing new models that realistically describe pollutant migration patterns; these models show conditions under which groundwater contamination can occur. He is also developing experimental methods for environmentally friendly chemical treatment of contaminated water.

Recently, he has become involved in research related to urology and treatment of kidney stones, and to the active treatment of lymphedema and related tissue-swelling disorders, including the development of biomedical devices.

Berkowitz – who is married and the father of three children – was first motivated to apply his physical science expertise to the medical field when his son was diagnosed with a serious kidney condition. Because what is the kidney if not a water filtration organ?

He applied his knowledge of fluid dynamics and chemical transport to the development of a ureteral stent that allows urine to drain from the kidneys to the bladder when there are blockages. The preexisting stents often caused pain and irritation in people who relied on them, and Berkowitz was able to develop a much-improved stent that was more comfortable and effective.

Building off that success, the professor has turned his attention to the development of a device that can treat lymphedema and related tissue-swelling conditions. Lymphedema is a condition in which fluid is not effectively drained by the lymphatic system and instead builds up in bodily tissue, often in the arms and legs. This is a common condition following some cancer treatments, among other causes.

Berkowitz worked with Yeda, the commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute, and a medical technology company called Sub-Q Bionics was formed to develop a device based on his research.

Sub-Q Bionics recently received the funding needed to further develop what is a sort of bionic lymph node that has the potential to transform how lymphedema is managed. The device will essentially be a drainage system that is implanted under the skin to help with the painful swelling caused by lymphedema. It would be the first treatment to actively drain lymphatic fluid from the limbs, offering relief to the more than one million people who suffer from lymphedema in Canada alone.

At the Weizmann Institute, which is ranked sixth in the world for research quality, scientists are given wide latitude to follow their curiosity and interests, even across scientific disciplines. As Berkowitz’s research exemplifies, this cross-pollination of ideas can often lead to unexpected and exciting discoveries that might not otherwise be possible.

In addition to being an acclaimed scientist, Berkowitz is an accomplished musician, having played bassoon professionally in the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and in numerous chamber ensembles in Canada and Israel.

– Courtesy Weizmann Canada

Study’s results hopeful

Hebrew University researchers have discovered that non-psychoactive cannabis compounds reduce liver fat and improve metabolic health in obese mice. (image from HU)

A study led by Prof. Joseph (Yossi) Tam, Dr. Liad Hinden, PhD student Radka Kočvarová and Tam’s team at the School of Pharmacy in the faculty of medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has found that two compounds from the cannabis plant could help treat fatty liver disease. The research, conducted on obese mice, suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG), which are non-psychoactive and do not cause a high, can improve liver health by changing how the organ manages energy and cleans itself.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is currently the most common chronic liver disorder in the world. It affects approximately one-third of the adult population and is closely linked to obesity, high blood pressure and insulin resistance. While lifestyle changes like diet and exercise are important, they can be hard to maintain, and there are very few approved medicines available for this condition.

The researchers used advanced tools to show that CBD and CBG do more than just reduce fat. They help the liver function better internally through a unique process of “metabolic remodeling.” One of the most important findings was the impact on the liver’s energy reserves. These compounds increase levels of phosphocreatine, which acts like a backup battery to help the liver stay healthy under the stress caused by a high-fat diet. This is a new discovery.

Additionally, the study showed that CBD and CBG restore the activity of cathepsins. These are enzymes that act like a cleaning crew within the cell’s recycling centres, known as lysosomes. By getting this cleaning crew back to work, the liver is better able to break down and clear out harmful fats and waste. The researchers also found that both treatments significantly reduced harmful lipids, such as triglycerides and ceramides. Ceramides are particularly dangerous because they are known to contribute to insulin resistance and liver inflammation.

The study observed that, while both compounds were effective, they each provided slightly different benefits. Both CBD and CBG were able to normalize blood sugar levels and improve how the body clears glucose. However, CBG appeared to have a more pronounced effect on certain metrics: it reduced body fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity more than CBD. CBG was also particularly effective at lowering total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels.

While these results are encouraging, the team notes that more research is needed to understand how these findings can best be applied to human patients.

The research paper, which was published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, can be accessed at doi.org/10.1111/bph.70387.

– Courtesy Hebrew University of Jerusalem

BGU fosters startup culture

Left to right, at Ben-Gurion University’s Spark to Start-Up gala in Vancouver April 12: David Berson, Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, Michael Fugman, Martin Thibodeau, Caroline Desrosiers, Andrea Freedman and Adam Korbin. (photo from BGU Canada)

Israel is set to catapult into an unparalleled era of economic and creative growth, according to Saul Singer.

Singer is co-author, with Dan Senor, of the bestselling book, Startup Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, and their most recent book, the The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World.

Singer made an analogy to a workout regimen in which people run with weights attached to them.

“The idea is, if you’re running with weights and you take those weights off, it’s really easy to run,” he said. “That’s what’s going to happen with Israel.”

Singer foresees something no less than “an opportunity to re-found the country.”

The generation that has fought in Gaza and in Lebanon are going to return to civilian life and feel like weights have been lifted from their shoulders, he said. “You’re going to see tremendous growth,” Singer said. “A tremendous force of building and optimism.”

Singer was in conversation with Niels Veldhuis, president of the Fraser Institute, at a gala event April 12 for Ben-Gurion University (BGU) Canada. Spark to Start-Up: Resilience Ignites Leaders took place at Beth Israel Synagogue and honoured community leader Michael Fugman. Revenue from the event supports Yazamut 360° Entrepreneurship Centre at Ben-Gurion University (jewishindependent.ca/creating-entrepreneurs).

Like Canada, Israel is a nation of immigrants, Singer pointed out. “Immigrants are natural entrepreneurs,” he said, noting that moving from one place to another takes drive and involves risks.

In their books, Singer and Senor credit mandatory military experience with instilling entrepreneurial skills in young Israelis. Singer has three daughters in the army right now, and one was put in charge of liaising with suppliers around complex weaponries, a subject in which she had no background.

“She said, ‘How am I going to do that? I can’t do it, any of this,’” Singer recounted. “And, sure enough, a year later, she was doing it. Israelis go through this experience time and time again, and it really helps make them entrepreneurs.”

Israeli society also benefits from being a unique hybrid of individualism and collectivity, he said. Most Western societies are becoming more polarized, with citizens dealing with mental health problems, depression and other consequences, which Singer puts down to, in part, “the unbridled march of individualism.”

“What is unique about the Jews is that they’re able to balance these two things: to be individual and yet have community,” he said. “That’s kind of our superpower. I think it’s a big chunk of why we survived for 2,000 years … and I think Israel has doubled down on it.

“You understand that you’re part of something larger than yourself,” he said, something that is emphasized by national service. “Service, by definition, is not just about you.”

The evening’s emphasis on entrepreneurship was underscored by Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, president of BGU. Under his leadership, the university launched a 10-year, $1 billion US global development campaign to double BGU’s physical footprint in Beersheva and expand its research capabilities.

Chamovitz described BGU’s venture capital initiative Cactus Capital, which provides funding to undergraduate students. “What’s unique about it,” he said, “is the advisory committee, which is dealing out the money, are also undergraduate students. We take our undergraduate students … train them as analysts and then give them the venture funds for them to fund different undergraduate ventures.”

Last year, three graduates of BGU’s women entrepreneur program addressed the problem that women in religious, traditional communities, whether Muslim or Jewish, tend not to get routine mammograms. The students developed a wearable app that monitors breast density and uses an algorithm to alert a doctor to call the woman in for a mammogram. The company received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, and garnered seed funding of $26 million.

Chamovitz summarized the ethos of David Ben-Gurion and of his eponymous university: “The possible we can do. The impossible takes a little bit longer.”

Given the closure of Israeli airspace due to ongoing conflict, organizers had a backup plan if Singer could not make it to Vancouver. In the end, attendees got a double bill, with Nuseir Yassin joining the evening’s lineup.

Known online as Nas Daily, Yassin is a social media influencer with 68 million followers. He promotes peace and understanding with one-minute videos that focus on stories that highlight humanity and transcend political conflict.

Yassin was the first Arab Israeli to attend Harvard University.

“After 19 years of being alive,” he said, his arrival at Harvard was an awakening. “I made my first Jewish friend, my first Israeli friend, my first female friend, my first gay friend, my first Black friend and my first Canadian friend. And, to be clear, these are not the same person.”

Attending Harvard in the shadow of Mark Zuckerberg, entrepreneurship was in the zeitgeist, Yassin said.

After an unsatisfying time as a software engineer in New York, Yassin quit the 9-to-5 and started pumping out videos. He made a splash posting 1,000 videos in 1,000 days.

“I made a video and I put it on the internet,” he said. “It failed. Nobody saw it. I made another video, it failed. I made another 270 videos in 270 days, and they all failed until video 271 – and that became the beginning of what we know today as Nas Daily.”

In the past 10 years, Yassin has visited 100 countries, but, when he is looking for fascinating story subjects, he realizes, he keeps coming back to Israel.

“Every time I was looking for people who think different to make videos about, I found them in Israel,” he said. “A vegan steak company: Israel. A technology to make cars drive: Israel. A security startup to hack your phone: Israel. Even my Singaporean team asked me, ‘What’s in the water in Israel?’ And I told them, ‘Nothing. It’s not the water, you fool, it’s the air.’ The air in Israel is really different. If everyone around you is thinking of a startup idea, you think of a startup idea, too. If everyone is into tech, you are into tech. Humans are memetic animals. We mimic the people around us. It’s as simple as that. And, clearly, the startup culture is super-contagious.”

Yassin is now moving away from video creation and has launched a new venture. “It’s an AI business platform,” he said. “It helps anybody start a business just by taking a picture of what they want to sell. AI creates the store, it creates the marketing contents, the videos and the pictures and finds the customer.”

Entrepreneurship – and Israeli entrepreneurship in particular – is an antidote to the negativity evoked by world news, he said.

“Open your phone and it’s all depressing,” said Yassin. “But, in these moments, I remember Canada’s greatest contribution to the world: hockey. And, in hockey, you don’t skate to where the puck is. You skate to where the puck is going. That’s what we’re doing today – we’re skating to where the puck is going. Even if today is super-depressing, the puck is going towards more peace, more collaborations, more entrepreneurship, less death, more prosperity…. So, the only option we have is to pick the damn puck up and push it forward together – and that, we can do.”

The Spark event honoured Michael Fugman, a community leader who has served on the boards of many organizations, including the United Way, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, Richmond Country Club and the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. A former president of his family’s apparel business, Fugman managed more than 100 staff and oversaw $100 million in annual sales. He is now in business development with PearTree Canada, a financial firm that created a system to help people donate to charities in a tax-efficient way. PearTree and RBC Royal Bank were the event’s presenting sponsors.

Honorary co-chairs of the event, Caroline Desrosiers and husband Martin Thibodeau, who is regional president of RBC in British Columbia, presented Fugman with the BGU Canada Award for Outstanding Leadership. They were joined for the presentation by Chamovitz, BGU Canada chief executive officer Andrea Freedman, BGU Canada regional president Adam Korbin and BGU Canada regional director David Berson.

Fugman credited his family – going back to his immigrant grandparents – for instilling in him Jewish values, devotion to family and commitment to Israel. He noted his cousin Mordechai, who died, at age 17, in Israel’s War of Independence. Fugman acknowledged his family in the audience, including wife Kathi.

Simon Margolis, who has known Fugman since Grade 1 at Vancouver Talmud Torah, was emcee.

Next-gen orthotic wins

Henry Chodos, a Grade 6 student from Vancouver Talmud Torah, won ADI’s sixth annual Make the Change Challenge and received the $1,000 grand prize. (photo from ADI)

In its sixth year, ADI’s Make the Change Challenge STEM accessible design contest drew more than 379 entries from students across North America – and Vancouver Talmud Torah sixth grader Henry Chodos won the contest’s $1,000 grand prize.

Chodos’s award-winning vision is a lightweight and slim-fitting orthopedic brace that automatically adjusts to provide users with rigidity and flexibility as needed.

Having struggled for years with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), a rare autoimmune disorder that causes muscular weakness and sensory loss in the limbs, Chodos set out to help himself and others by designing NeuroStride, an orthotic with built-in micro sensors that would intuitively correct gait irregularities and allow users to make adjustments via an easy-to-use app, with no medical professional required.

The Make the Change Challenge is run by ADI (adi-israel.org), Israel’s network of specialized rehabilitative care for those touched by and living with disability, to mark Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month. The contest promotes “selfless STEM” (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and encourages students to hack the modern world to help people with disabilities overcome the challenges that hinder their independence and inclusion.

Instead of developing prototypes, entrants were asked to prepare compelling presentations that clearly explain how their solutions would solve the persistent accessibility issues they chose to tackle. In his contest submission, Chodos, who wears braces 24 hours a day, noted that the orthotics currently available are very uncomfortable, take a long time to mold to one’s body, don’t allow for growth and are prohibitively expensive. What’s more, they spotlight his condition and keep him from doing the things he loves.

poster - Henry Chodos’s NeuroStride took ADI’s top prize — Henry Chodos’s NeuroStride took ADI’s top prize. (image from ADI)

“When my CIPD flares up, I can’t ride or play basketball with my friends, and I can never sit on the ground in class or during assemblies, because I can’t stand back up in my braces,” he explained. “I don’t like feeling different, and I wanted to create an orthotic that would provide me and others living with CIPD, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida and other conditions with the support we need, just without all of the unwanted strain and attention.”

Upon reading Chodos’s presentation, the contest’s judges – which included members of ADI’s professional staff, innovation journalists and specialists in the field of accessible design – were overwhelmed by the young inventor’s maturity, creativity and attention to detail, and inspired by his desire to draw from his own experiences to change the world.

“To be honest, Henry’s presentation left us speechless. We work so hard promoting our ADI Bechinuch disability inclusion programming and helping students develop an empathetic worldview, but Henry flipped the script and became our teacher. His life experience has molded a passionate and compassionate educator and innovator, and he put on a masterclass in perseverance, perspective and vision throughout this competition,” said ADI’s North American director of advancement . “We are thrilled that we were able to provide Henry with a stage upon which to shine, and we truly believe that his brilliant design has the potential to become a reality and make the world a kinder and more accessible place.”

Nearly 50 Jewish schools across North America – including many affiliated with JNF-USA – used the ADI Bechinuch programming last year, employing the in-class activities and disability simulations, virtual tours and STEM contest to encourage the next generation of Jewish leaders to see the world through the eyes of others.

As February ended, ADI’s panel of experts met with the contest’s top five finalists, their parents and their teachers via Zoom to discuss the entries in greater detail. Following some discussion, the proceedings concluded with Chodos being crowned the contest winner and presented with the $1,000 grand prize, a gift from the Avraham and Esther Klein Young Entrepreneurs Fund.

The “Final 5” also included entries from students at the Ramaz School in New York, NY; Brauser Maimonides Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Hochberg Lower School (Posnack East) in Hallandale, Fla.; and the Bornblum Community School in Memphis, Tenn.

To learn more about ADI and to donate, visit adi-israel.org.

– Courtesy ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran

Jews who’ve left their mark

In a March 2 lecture called Jewish Innovators Who Changed the World, Jonathan Bergwerk spoke about the lives and psychology of prominent historical figures.

“I’m especially interested in what makes these people tick,” said Bergwerk, the author of the Audacious Jewish Lives series, which covers a diverse selection of individuals who have left their mark on the world.

photo - Jonathan Bergwerk, author of the Audacious Jewish Lives series, spoke March 2 as part of Kolot Mayim Reform Temple’s 2024/25 Zoom series Kvell at the Well — Jonathan Bergwerk, author of the Audacious Jewish Lives series, spoke March 2 as part of Kolot Mayim Reform Temple’s 2024/25 Zoom series Kvell at the Well. (PR photo)

Bergwerk was the latest speaker in Kolot Mayim Reform Temple’s 2024/25 Kvell at the Well Zoom webinar series. He began his talk by referencing the number of Nobel Prize winners who have been Jewish – at least 214 of 976 individuals (and 28 organizations), with Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman and Jonas Salk among them.

“They have received over 100 times the number of Nobel Prizes than might be expected. That’s astonishing,” Bergwerk said, noting that Jews comprise just 0.2% of the world’s population.

Across fields, one finds seemingly inexhaustible lists of influential Jewish contributors: literature (Franz Kafka, Arthur Miller, IB Singer), cinema (Louis Mayer, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick) and music (George Gershwin, Barbra Streisand, Leonard Cohen).

Bergwerk argued that, to understand the Jewish drive for innovation, one might have to go as far back as the Hebrew Bible and the story of Jacob encountering a “man” (angel, perhaps) who tries to stop him from returning home.

“The act of wrestling enabled Jacob to confront his stealing and lying, and to accept responsibility for who he had been,” Bergwerk said. “He learned that it was through struggle, and not by running away from conflict, that he could become the person he was meant to be. So, our life’s purpose – our Jewish challenge – is to discover who we truly are.”

In Bergwerk’s view, the Torah is replete with innovators who had a clear vision and swam against the tide of society’s expectations. Moses, though unable initially to speak clearly, became an inspired and decisive visionary, developing the fundamentals of monotheism and condemning idolatry.

Other “audacious innovators” include Judah, Jacob’s fourth son, the first person not to blame others when things went wrong; Ruth, the Moabite, who went against the norms of a patriarchal society by leaving her people and supporting Naomi; and Elijah, who discovered “that God’s presence and guidance came through quiet, intimate moments of reflection and humility.”

Bergwerk included Jesus of Nazareth in his talk.

“Jesus was an observant, but unconventional, Jew, who was driven by profound beliefs in God, ethics and social justice. He was independent, courageous, an inspirational and charismatic revolutionary, who attracted committed followers,” Bergwerk said. “His teachings challenged religious and societal norms. He tried to be a radical reformer, but always operated within the boundaries of Judaism.”

As Bergwerk moved from the Hebrew Bible through history to present times, a lengthy catalogue of Jewish innovators was provided. Baruch Spinoza, the Rothschilds, Karl Marx and Theodor Herzl were but a few, though scores of others could have been chosen.

Having researched more than 100 such people, Bergwerk suggested possible reasons for the seemingly disproportionate level of Jewish success.

First, Jews are perfectionists, he argued. Though perfectionists are often disappointed, by setting unrealistic goals and expectations, they carry the drive to improve the world in the face of setbacks.

Next, he said, finding themselves as outsiders and not fully accepted has, at times, served as an advantage.

“Oppression, migration and desperate poverty were often creative forces,” said Bergwerk. “They also led to a focus on study. Jews have often been successful in the secular world because Judaism so strongly values learning.”

His third argument was the encouragement in Judaism to challenge tradition and to think independently. Here, he shared the anecdote of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Isidor Isaac Rabi, whose mother, instead of wondering if he received good grades in school, wanted to know, “Did you ask a good question today?”

“Judaism, at its best, is a challenge to the world on how it can be improved. Many Jews dared to ask difficult questions, challenged the status quo and strove to leave the world better than they found it,” Bergwerk said. “Their story is truly inspirational. The message I take from these audacious Jews, is that we are being properly Jewish when we, like Jacob, are wrestling with our own challenges, and so contributing in ways we never thought possible.”

Bergwerk emphasized that this wrestling should not only be with ourselves, however, as that does not build community. Rather, one needs to take personal responsibility, as well as act as part of a community and take collective responsibility.

“We should live the Jewish values of learning, justice and tikkun olam – to strive to shape society for the better,” he said. “That’s what we have done for the last 3,000 years, and the world definitely needs us to carry on providing that hope today.”

The final speaker in this year’s Kvell at the Well series is Mordechai Pinchas, a scholar and scribe who serves communities in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Pinchas will share stories from his career on April 6, 11 a.m., in a talk called Torah Tales: Adventures in Scribal Art. To register for this free Zoom webinar, visit kolotmayimreformtemple.com.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

Ways to defy dementia

Dr. Allison Sekuler of Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation. (photo from baycrest.org)

On June 5, National Council of Jewish Women Canada (NCJWC) welcomed Dr. Allison Sekuler of Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation as the featured speaker in the Zoom webinar titled Defy Dementia: Learn How to Reduce Your Dementia Risk.

photo - Dr. Allison Sekuler of Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation — Dr. Allison Sekuler of Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation. (photo from baycrest.org)

Sekuler is the Sandra A. Rotman Chair of Cognitive Neuroscience at Baycrest’s research institute and the president and chief scientist at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education. She is known for her foundational research in perception, cognition and brain function, as well as her clinical and translational work on age-related sensory and cognitive decline. She is the inaugural Canada Research Chair on Cognitive Neuroscience and has received numerous national and international honours, including being named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network in 2019.

The recent webinar began with an introduction from Monica Simon, chair of NCJWC’s ageism committee. Then, with the help of AI-generated images, Sekuler presented attendees with an optimistic view of what she hopes the future holds. “We want to see a world where every single person is living a life of purpose, fulfilment and dignity,” she said.

Baycrest is at the forefront of a new field called predictive neuroscience for precision aging – an individualized approach that examines one’s brain, body and environment to detect the best ways to prevent the onset of dementia or delay it for as long as possible. This approach not only encompasses the pre-diagnosis stage, but helps medical professionals and loved ones navigate caring for someone with dementia.

“If you think about what precision medicine has done for cancer, that’s what we want to do for aging, brain health and dementia,” said Sekuler.

Through innovations in predictive neuroscience, the Baycrest team is working toward a goal of no new cases of preventable dementia being diagnosed by the year 2050 – currently, 750,000 Canadians are living with dementia, and that figure is expected to more than double by 2050.

“What we want to do is nip that in the bud as much as possible,” Sekuler said, acknowledging that, while they cannot entirely eradicate the condition, they can do more to decrease the risk for those who do not already have dementia. Research suggests that, if the onset of dementia can be delayed by even five years, the prevalence of the condition can be decreased by 50% worldwide, she said.

While there are several risk factors – such as age, sex and genetics – that cannot be controlled, Baycrest’s Defy Dementia program raises awareness of the lifestyle changes people can make to reduce their dementia risk and improve their cognitive health.

“At least 40% of the risk factors for dementia are things that we can change by changing our lifestyle,” said Sekuler.

On the podcast Defy Dementia, co-hosts Sekuler and Jay Ingram, one of Canada’s leading science journalists, cover a different risk factor every month. Each episode features a guest with lived experience with dementia and an expert on the risk factor under discussion, such as stress, sleep, diet, exercise and environment.

There are currently 12 episodes available on the website defydementia.org, or any streaming platform. Many episodes have accompanying infographics and minute-long videos summarizing the topic at-hand, also available on defydementia.org.

“Whether you like to listen to things, read things, watch things or look at things, we’ve got you covered,” Sekuler said.

Sekuler gave a high-level overview of the risk factors, sharing how each correlates to one’s dementia risk and what one can do to manage them. She reminded attendees that genetics are not the be-all and end-all, but, rather, a piece of the puzzle that can often be counteracted by managing the risk factors.

Regarding sensory loss, Sekuler explained how strains on one’s hearing and/or vision can negatively impact cognitive abilities. She pointed to tools such as Baycrest’s free online hearing test and the importance of regular check-ups for hearing and vision loss. Further, she explained that loneliness has been proven to increase dementia risk by 50%, and that social engagement in any form is key to maintaining cognitive health. She emphasized that a healthy balance of diet, exercise and sleep helps, as does lowering stress as much as possible and embracing opportunities to try new activities and learn new things.

Sekuler also turned the group’s attention towards the vital role of caregiver. She shared that “one in every two people” will assume this role, if they do not get dementia themselves. However, caregivers often sacrifice a healthy diet, proper sleep and social engagement, she said, making them six times more likely to develop the condition. Sekuler stressed that “a caretaker cannot take care of someone else if they are not taking care of themselves,” and that inviting more professionals, caregivers and loved ones into the equation lessens the burden on one individual and may be a saving grace for that person’s health.

During the question-and-answer period, which was moderated by NCJWC’s Rochelle Garfinkel, Sekuler was asked what organizations like NCJWC can do to fight dementia. She highlighted the importance of sharing information and resources widely, and encouraged involvement in dementia research wherever possible. As well, she said, promoting tools like Baycrest’s online cognitive assessment test to “get your baseline” – as one would do with a regular vision test – is crucial for early detection.

According to Sekuler, when it comes to protecting your cognitive health, “everyone can make these changes. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to start somewhere.”

Alisa Bressler is a graduate of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. She is an avid reader and writer and will be pursuing a master’s of journalism at Boston University in the fall. Bressler is a member of the Vancouver Jewish community, and was the inaugural Baila Lazarus Jewish Journalism Intern.

Israel’s best revenge

In an email briefing this week, the English-language news platform Times of Israel declared: “UN releases 2nd damning report on Israel; real estate soars.”

These were two unrelated stories. The United Nations had unveiled another in its persistent condemnations of the Jewish state and, on a completely different issue, it reported that Israeli housing prices have spiked 19% this year over last – the largest jump in recorded history.

As curious as this combination of stories was, it could hardly compete with an adjacent mashup about two of Israel’s leading far-right politicians, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the latter of whom, in an apparent effort at humanizing himself, appeared on a cooking program: “Ben-Gvir stuffs peppers and Smotrich proposes legal reforms.”

But, returning to the first items. The connection between UN condemnation of Israel and soaring real estate prices in Israel may be remote but perhaps not random. In any country, high real estate prices indicate a demand for housing that is larger than the supply, a situation due in part to rising economic prosperity (which is not generally shared equally, it should be said, and is too complex to fully discuss in this space).

The larger issues, for our purposes, are the curious parallels between this fact and the accompanying story, about yet another of the UN’s broadsides against Israel. Late last week, a report by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory declared that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is illegal. Not a surprise considering the commission’s mandate, to say the least. Leaving aside whatever legitimacy that investment of resources may or may not have on the ground, it is safe to say it will have little impact on most Israelis beyond a déjà vu. UN condemnations against Israel come fast and furious.

In their 2009 book Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, Dan Senor and Saul Singer argue that Israel’s economic miracle is not despite the external and internal challenges the country and its people have faced but, to a large extent, because of them. Political and economic isolation bred a degree of self-sufficiency. Military and terrorist threats demand enormous investments, which have had the largely unintended consequence of building a range of high-tech and other industry sectors. The imposition on young adults just out of high school with life-and-death decision-making authority accounts in part for the risk-taking that drives Israel’s entrepreneurship.

On a daily basis, Israelis may not make the connection between their broad economic successes and the incessant rhetorical assaults it receives from the UN and self-appointed arbiters of righteousness worldwide. Even in times of war and other existential threats, Israelis have traditionally continued building their individual and collective futures. What is more, they are consistently ranked in surveys and studies as among the world’s happiest people.

Fighting inflation and inequality, resolving the ongoing conflict, addressing infringements of human rights and all of the other challenges facing Israel must be addressed – and, in the seemingly endless successions of national elections the country is mired, there is no shortage of inventive and outlandish suggestions for resolving every issue.

There is a saying: living well is the best revenge. The world, including the world’s ostensible parliament, can rail all it likes. We should not ignore criticism. But we should celebrate the achievements that others ignore or defame. The arrows aimed at Israel, whether we or the slings that shot them like it or not, seem to strengthen rather than weaken the resolve of its people.

The climate is in our hands

Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it, goes an old saying often attributed to Mark Twain. This was funnier a century ago, when humans were unaware that, in fact, our behaviours are altering the weather and the climate. The ring of truth now is that gatherings like the United Nations Climate Change conference in Scotland this week, despite all the good intentions, may very well end up changing almost nothing.

To confront the dangers we face, not just governments but every organization, business and household on the planet will need to change the way we operate. The volume and type of foods we consume, the methods of transportation we employ, the consumer goods we purchase and discard, the ways we build our homes, the very expectations we have of what defines the “good life” – all these things will need a fundamental reconsideration.

Almost all nations and people acknowledge the problem and our individual and collective roles in it. But the steps needed to effectively combat climate change are often viewed as a step too far.

Look at Greta Thunberg, the Swedish environmental wunderkind. To visit North America, she traveled on a carbon-neutral sailing ship that took 14 days to reach the American shore. By contrast, attendees at the Glasgow huddle almost all arrived by air, some on private jets. Outrage at the hypocrisy is muted because most of us understand the balance of options. The world’s top government officials and scientists cannot afford, say, two weeks on a sailboat to attend a few meetings. On a much smaller scale, each of us makes similar choices based on a range of considerations every day.

The profit motive is, in many ways, how we got into this mess. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, maximizing profits has often come hand-in-hand with destroying the environment – dumping refuse into waterways rather than disposing of it appropriately, exploiting non-renewable resources, encroaching on animal habitats to expand human settlement, manufacturing products with deliberately short lifespans to ensure a perpetual market for the commodities. This is not nearly a comprehensive accounting.

Is it too much to imagine that the human motivation that got us into this mess can get us out? Could capitalism save the planet? Given the litany of optimistic promises made and broken by governments around the world on this issue, trusting in businesses may be no more or less misplaced than relying on the basket of government into which we have put the eggs of our collective future.

Israel, the “Startup Nation,” seems to be an incubator for private sector climate solutions, which often involve partnerships with academia.

In one instance, Aleph Farms is creating synthetic beef that, according to a study, “reduced the carbon footprint by 92%, water footprint by 78% and land footprint by more than 95%, compared with conventional ways of producing meat.” That said, reducing or eliminating any kind of meat in our diets is a better environmental solution.

Another firm, Wiliot, has developed a smart tag – a label, basically – that can be placed on any transportable item, sending signals to a designated recipient to know whether the shipment (fresh produce, say, or pharmaceuticals) is getting to the right place at the right time at the right temperature. In addition to reduced spoilage and the lessons the comparatively simple device can provide on shipping more efficiently, the product makes it easy to measure exactly the carbon footprint of any item transported.

Beewise is a computer-assisted, automated process to ensure that bees are provided with the ideal habitat, nourishment and security needed to thrive, massively reducing the number of bee colonies lost every year due to pesticides, global warming, disease and other threats.

EcoPeace Middle East brings together Jordanians, Palestinians and Israelis to create shared water solutions, recognizing that human-created borders have no meaning in the climate conversation.

These are a tiny sampling of a universe of ecological initiatives taking place in Israel, primarily in the private sector. Closer to home, environmental activism is flourishing, too. There are climate activists like those in Extinction Rebellion, which is a very visible group that does not shun controversy, and there are far more activists working quietly toward climate justice. Individual members of the Jewish community are among the activists and communal agencies that are, to varying degrees, active on the issue.

Interesting, too, is the role of the private sector here. West Coast Reduction Ltd., a multi-generational family business owned by the Diamond family, is combining business with environmental improvement. Serving restaurants, butchers, farms, feedlots and supermarkets, WCRL collects byproducts and food waste, then transforms them into components for animal feed and renewable energy, among other things.

Realizing that what is good for the environment can also be good for the economy may be key to realistic solutions to the climate crisis. “Going green” is not all about sacrifices without immediate benefit. It can create jobs, manufacture new products and technologies and draw a new map for a sustainable economy.

Developing carrots as well as sticks is crucial because, in a democracy, convincing people to give up things we take for granted can be political suicide. For our governments to be successful in this fight, they need to know that voters are prepared to accept the steps. For businesses to be successful in this endeavour, they need to know that we will pay a little (or a lot) more for products that do not destroy our habitat and imperil our future.

This brings the onus back to us. Individually and collectively, it is we who will determine whether government and business will do what is necessary to combat climate change. Each of us makes dozens of choices every day that affect the situation we are in. We vote. We shop. We drive and fly. We walk and cycle. We recycle. We….

Whatever our leaders decide in Glasgow this week, the success or failure will depend on the response of the people who sent them there: us.

Asper donation to HU

Left to right: Richard Leipsic, David Asper, Leonard Asper and Gail Asper. (photo from CFHU)

The Canadian Friends of Hebrew University has received $5 million from the Asper Foundation. This gift upholds a tradition of exceptional philanthropic support and collaboration between the Asper Family, based in Winnipeg, Man., and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Israel (HUJI). It will allow Asper HUJI Innovate to expand its footprint and professional-led startup accelerators to develop significant external partnerships.

The Asper Foundation was founded in 1983 by Israel Asper (1932-2003) and Babs Asper (1933-2011), who believed that philanthropy is a driving force behind positive change in people’s quality of life. It supports major initiatives in the areas of Jewish charity, as well as culture, education, community development and human rights locally, nationally and internationally.

A portion of the recently donated funds will be used to establish an annual Asper Innovation Prize, valued at $35,000 US. The prize will be awarded during a juried competition, intended to encourage and recognize outstanding and promising student-led startups. The public event will also be used to showcase the university as a central force for global innovation within the Jerusalem ecosystem. (Jerusalem is currently ranked sixth in the new Global Startup Ecosystem Report).

“It was the entrepreneurial spirit and wisdom of our late parents, Israel and Babs, that established ties with the Hebrew University close to 60 years ago. We are very proud of our longstanding partnership and connection to innovation that began with the creation of the Asper Centre for Entrepreneurship in the Jerusalem School of Business Administration, in 2001,” said Gail Asper, president of the Asper Foundation. “We are excited to witness, through Asper HUJI Innovate, new generations of students and academics lay the groundwork for advancing ideas, for generations to come.”

The Asper HUJI Innovate platform encourages the entire university community, including students, faculty and alumni, and the Jerusalem community at large to develop their innovation and entrepreneurial capabilities. Established in 2018, it was created as a platform to ensure that graduates are best prepared for the challenges brought about by disruption, inherent in an evolving workplace.

“The HUJI Innovate program is highly prized by the entire university, and the Asper Foundation’s agreement to name and support the centre will surely lead to a great leap forward in the Hebrew University’s entrepreneurial enterprises,” said Prof. Asher Cohen, HU president.

The Hebrew University itself was founded in 1918, and officially opened its doors in 1925. It is ranked internationally among the 100 leading universities in the world, with six campuses, 200 majors and programs, and more than 5,000 courses.

“For over 100 years, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has upheld the vision of its founders, including Albert Einstein, Martin Buber and Sigmund Freud, being at the forefront of creating Israel’s most significant and cutting-edge research, leading to inventions that serve our global community,” said Rami Kleinmann, president and chief executive office of Canadian Friends of Hebrew University, which was founded in 1944 by Canadian philanthropist Allan Bronfman.

CFHU provides support for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to maintain its standing as one of the world’s leading academic research institutions, as well as aid in its continual pursuit to impact real change. CFHU is headquartered in Toronto and has six chapters across Canada, including here in Vancouver.

“This incredible gift will positively impact thousands of students, faculty and alumni,” said Kleinmann, “essentially shifting the course of research and engagement between the university and myriad business communities at large – it is extraordinarily profound.”