medicine

Organ donation saves lives

Jordan Zwicker and Debbie Litvack after Zwicker’s kidney transplant last November. Litvack donated the organ. (photo from JMABC)

When Debbie Litvack found out her longtime friend Jordan Zwicker needed a kidney, her decision was instant.

“Jordan needed one. I had two. It felt like the right thing to do and not a big deal. Every single donor I speak to feels the same way,” Litvack said. “I have such good fortune with my health, that I wanted to share it. In addition, the community has been very kind to my family over the years. It’s a case of what goes around comes around.”

Litvack found out her friend was in need of a transplant shortly after she noticed his medical alert bracelet. He explained he is a Type 1 diabetic and, as a dialysis social worker, knowing the link between Type 1 DM and kidney disease, she asked about his kidney function. He denied any concerns although later learned he was in kidney failure and needed a transplant.

Zwicker is a “good guy” and someone who has had an outsized impact in the Vancouver Jewish community, said Litvack. As a DJ, he has mentored many of the community’s teens by hiring and training them in the event and DJ business.

Litvack said some people, like her, donate to someone they know. Others donate to family members. Others give the gift of life to someone they don’t even know. Either way, she sees it as pikuach nefesh, an active, sacred duty per halachah (Jewish law) to save a life. If you save one life, you save an entire world.

It took a battery of tests over the course of a year, including multiple and repeat blood tests, X-rays, mammogram, CT, renogram and more. There were also meetings with a nephrologist, a urologist and an anesthesiologist, as well as a comprehensive social work assessment. These assessments are vital to ensure both Litvack’s health and that she was a match. In fact, the transplant team had never seen such a strong match between a recipient and an unrelated donor.

“From the moment I decided to donate, I knew we would be a match,” she said. “It wasn’t a question of if I would donate, it was when.”

A potential donor and recipient go through the process separately. Because Litvack and Zwicker are friends, they shared a lot of their journey that is not normally shared. They also spoke often and at length about the “what ifs” in case the transplant was unsuccessful and about advanced care planning.

The transplant went ahead on Nov. 24, 2025, at Vancouver General Hospital, where Litvack works. The experience was quite different than being a professional at work and it has helped her connect in different ways with patients. She and Zwicker realized that there was an entire community of support that made the whole donation process possible.

Zwicker summed up his experience as life-changing.

“It’s given me the opportunity to continue my passion of working with people, an opportunity to be there for my son and family and a real opportunity to have the next 30 years of quality of life,” he said.

Litvack’s life-saving donation inspired the Jewish Medical Association of BC to highlight their member’s story by partnering with Temple Sholom, King David High School, BC Transplant, the Kidney Foundation of BC/Yukon and the Jewish Federation of BC to host an event that will look at organ donation from multiple angles – religious, ethical, medical, as well as personal perspectives from Litvack and Zwicker and other donors and recipients. The session will include information on how to become a donor.

The Gift of Life: Organ Donation from a Jewish Perspective takes place June 17, 7:15 p.m., at Temple Sholom. Registration is required for the free event: templesholom.ca.

Litvack encourages everyone from the Jewish, medical and local community with an interest to attend. “I really hope we will inspire someone at our event to donate,” she said. “And give the gift of life.”

– Courtesy Jewish Medical Association of British Columbia

Donors needed

There was an organ donation awareness and swab drive held at Beth Tikvah Synagogue May 25. It highlighted the work of Renewal Canada, which helps match people in kidney failure with donors to save their lives. An inspiration for the event was Jewish community member Robert Moutal’s need of a living donor kidney transplant. If you or someone you know is interested to learn how to be a living donor, visit transplant.bc.ca/organ-donation/living/kidney-donation, email [email protected] or call 604-806-9944. You can also contact Renewal Canada for more information: renewalcanada.org/moutal.

Other community members are also in need.

Temple Sholom member Libby Goszer has been diagnosed with end-stage renal failure requiring a kidney transplant. Her blood type is A+, which corresponds to an ideal donor of A+ or O blood type. Even if you do not have these blood types, it is still possible to pursue donation through the Living Donor Paired Exchange Program, where you donate to another person in exchange for a matched kidney for the recipient. If you or someone you know is interested in investigating being a living donor, go to renewalcanada.org/libbygoszer.

Additionally, last year, Daphne was diagnosed with myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN), a rare blood cancer, and her only hope for a cure is a stem cell transplant from a matching donor. All that’s needed is a simple cheek swab to see if you are a match. To order a kit, go to blood.ca/en/stemcells/donating-stemcells/stem-cells-questionnaire (ages 17-35) or giftoflife.org/dc/daphne (ages 36-60).

– from various community organization enewsletters

Fall fight takes leap forward

For many people, dizziness is not a fleeting sensation but a persistent and debilitating condition. Vertigo, imbalance and concussion-related symptoms affect an estimated 30% of the population and they increase with age.

For decades, patients have been given generalized exercises that may or may not help. For high-performance athletes, the consequences can be career-ending. For older adults, the costs can be even more serious, as falls remain a leading cause of injury and mortality.

The science of diagnosing inner-ear-related balance issues has progressed, but treatment has not similarly advanced. It is this unaddressed space – between diagnosis and meaningful treatment – that Dr. Eytan David encountered repeatedly over 25 years in practice.

Some young people collect stamps, others are into video games. For David, dizziness, vertigo and imbalance were early interests.

“The whole idea of what we call in science ‘sensory transduction’; that is, how physical phenomena in the outside world interact with our brain,” he explained.

photo - As Dr. Eytan David looks on, writer Pat Johnson tries out Bertec, a force-sensing platform and virtual reality system that measures how well a patient’s brain integrates signals from three sensory systems — As Dr. Eytan David looks on, writer Pat Johnson tries out Bertec, a force-sensing platform and virtual reality system that measures how well a patient’s brain integrates signals from three sensory systems – vision, the inner ear, and the body’s joint and pressure receptors – to maintain balance. *(photo by Audrey Chan)*

Senses conjure memories and emotions, he said, “like a smell will bring you back to your grandparents baking in the kitchen.”

“What is the chemical interaction that happens in the smell nerve, then interacts with the brain, that revives these memories?” David asked. “Similar things happen with vision and similar things happen with hearing. Properties of sound waves and that mechanical transduction into chemical and then nerve impulses was an interest of mine. On a very, very basic level, the inner ear is the ultimate original gyroscope. It is the reason why we’re able to stand upright and evolve out of the primordial slime. The idea of a gravity sensor and how that was so basic to brain function and out of which came hearing function was evolutionarily interesting to me.”

David came to Vancouver as a young child, when his American-Israeli parents moved here after studies in Oregon, where he was born. He attended Vancouver Talmud Torah and Eric Hamber Secondary School, then McGill University, before graduating from the University of British Columbia’s medical school, where he is now a clinical instructor.

His early interest in balance issues would eventually collide with a growing professional frustration. Over decades of practice, David saw patient after patient arrive with similar complaints – dizziness, vertigo, imbalance – and leave with limited options.

Even as diagnostic tools improved dramatically over the past two decades, allowing physicians to identify specific inner-ear dysfunctions with increasing precision, treatment methods lagged. Put plainly, medicine had advanced in its ability to identify the problem, but not to fix it.

Traditional rehabilitation for balance disorders has long relied on exercises such as standing on one leg or tracking a visual point while moving the head. These techniques, developed decades ago, can be effective in some cases, but are rarely tailored to the specific underlying cause of a patient’s symptoms. As a result, outcomes vary widely.

There had to be a better way, the doctor believed. During the COVID pandemic, while many people were withdrawing, David was beginning a research marathon that eventually led to StabilityLAB, his storefront clinic on West Broadway in Vancouver. StabilityLAB has already become one of Canada’s most advanced facilities for addressing vertigo, dizziness, concussions and balance disorders.

Every patient begins with a comprehensive baseline assessment – using virtual reality and advanced balance platforms to identify the underlying cause of symptoms. David’s diagnoses are grounded in objective, measurable science, which is a shift from the more subjective way things used to be done.

Using a force-sensing platform and virtual reality, the system, called Bertec, measures how well a patient’s brain integrates signals from three sensory systems – vision, the inner ear, and the body’s joint and pressure receptors – to maintain balance. By systematically removing or distorting each sensory input across six conditions, David can pinpoint which system is failing, rather than relying on a patient’s description of symptoms. A second test then maps how far and how confidently a patient can shift their body weight in eight directions, revealing asymmetries and neuromuscular weaknesses that may never show up on an MRI or standard physical exam. Together, the two assessments produce hard data where there was previously only guesswork, giving clinicians a precise, reproducible baseline to guide treatment and track recovery.

Originally developed for diagnostic purposes, the system allows clinicians to control both the physical and visual stimuli experienced by the patient.

Where others saw a diagnostic tool, David saw potential for solutions to what he and his colleagues were seeing in patients.

To prove his hypothesis, he began a five-year process of experimentation, iteration and validation – a research project layered onto an already demanding clinical practice. David effectively built a new therapeutic protocol from the ground up, using decades of clinical experience and his understanding of vestibular biology, the sensory network in the inner ear and brain that controls balance, spatial orientation and eye movement. The outcome was a new type of treatment: computerized vestibular retraining therapy. In a typical session, a patient stands on a platform that subtly – or, as I discovered, not so subtly – shifts or tilts while visual environments change around them.

In my firsthand experience with the process, the doctor harnessed me into the enormous half-egg device, then tracked my motion as I was surrounded by sometimes funhouse-like undulating lines projected on the inner wall. Then the floor moved beneath me. Then I was navigating an outdoor obstacle course. Then I was engaged in video game-like challenges.

It was fun, perplexing and fascinating. The science behind it, though, is absolutely serious.

According to data from David’s clinic, most patients experience reductions in dizziness and measurable improvements in balance function. Most importantly, there are significant decreases in fall risk among patients after the regimen of a dozen or so sessions.

More than 85% of patients show measurable improvement in balance and dizziness. Patients experienced a 47% reduction in fall risk. Dementia risk for patients with vestibular dizziness declined 8%. Studies found a 27% reduction in dementia risk and mortality from all causes when vertigo is treated using David’s system.

While the outcomes are dramatic, the remaining question is whether these improvements reflect compensation – relying more on vision or muscle awareness – or something deeper.

David’s research suggests the latter, that there is neuroplasticity in the vestibular system and it can be manipulated to heal. If confirmed through broader research, this would challenge a longstanding assumption that the inner ear has limited capacity for recovery once damaged.

General practitioners, ear, nose and throat specialists, and sports medicine doctors across Canada see these cases every day. What has been missing, David believes, is a reliable, evidence-based pathway to rehabilitation.

StabilityLAB, which opened in April 2025, represents an attempt to fill that gap – bringing technology used in advanced research environments into a clinical setting accessible to the public.

The system is currently unique in Canada, and the protocols developed by David and his colleagues are supported by peer-reviewed research. Expansion plans are already underway, beginning with Toronto.

Falls are a leading cause of injury worldwide, particularly among older adults. Dizziness is also associated with increased risk of dementia and early mortality. Even modest improvements in balance can translate into meaningful gains in independence, safety and quality of life. Measuring progress allows both doctor and patient to identify successes and challenges.

“For the first time, we’re able to drill down … and show people how they’ve done over time and whether they’re at risk or if they’re improving,” said David.

As complicated as the science may be, the goal is simple.

“We’re aiming to decrease fall risk and get people more active and back to their day-to-day goals,” he said.

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

A light for the nations

Linor Attias, deputy director of international emergency operations for United Hatzalah, inspired Raquel Esrock’s bat mitzvah project: Maple Syrup and Mitzvahs. (photo by Robin Esrock)

In a critical medical emergency, life and death depend on the help one receives and how quickly it arrives. By the time an ambulance shows up, it can be too late to stabilize the victim of a heart attack, apply a life-saving torniquet or deliver CPR. However, United Hatzalah, a rapid medical response service in Israel, can get trained medics on site within 90 seconds of an emergency call.

Linor Attias, the deputy director of international emergency operations for United Hatzalah, addressed a small fundraiser at a living room in West Vancouver on Dec. 2. She wore the orange vest of a first responder, shared stories of everyday heroes, tearing up over the tragedy of Oct. 7. As the emcee for the event, I knew there was much to discuss, but I started with a simple fact. Founded in Jerusalem in 2006, United Hatzalah has responded to more than seven million medical emergencies and saved the lives of tens of thousands of people.

Supporting both patients and Magen David Adom, UH has become an integral part of the Israeli cultural fabric. A lifesaving group of more than 8,000 unpaid volunteers, including Jews, Arabs, Druze and Christians, treat everyone and anyone in need, without charging a penny.

After a six-month training period and on-call internship, volunteers use an app that geo-locates their proximity to a medical emergency. When someone calls one of Israel’s three emergency numbers for help (instead of one number, 911, for all emergencies, Israel has different numbers for medical, fire or police) United Hatzalah’s system immediately locates the nearest five volunteers. It pings their app, and they can be on site in three minutes with a fully stocked medic bag. The paramedic volunteer stabilizes the patient, performs life-saving first-aid if needed, and remains until an ambulance arrives.

photo - United Hatzalah’s volunteer paramedics can be on site within 90 seconds of an emergency call — United Hatzalah’s volunteer paramedics can be on site within 90 seconds of an emergency call. *(photo from UH)*

“It’s not just about the person who is not well or injured,” explained Attias. “Everyone surrounding them feels calm and safe knowing someone is handling the situation. When the ambulance arrives, they take over.”

If a volunteer happens to be at work that day, they could be back at their desk within 20 minutes.

Volunteers sign up from all backgrounds: rich, poor, religious, secular, shopkeepers, teachers, accountants, surfers, mechanics, students, and retired grandparents, too. If they’re unavailable, they simply toggle a switch in the app and the algorithm automatically moves to the next volunteer.

UH volunteers are registered, well-trained and passionate to help. Like Attias, many found their way to UH after being impacted personally by a medical emergency. In her case, it was hearing how an ambulance showed up too late to save her uncle, the victim of a bombing attack. For an Arab volunteer, it was the Jewish UH volunteer who saved his father during a heart attack. Two books have been published filled with incredible stories of universal compassion and head-scratching rescues.

At UH’s headquarters in Jerusalem, there are Haredi staff and volunteers working alongside Muslim and secular colleagues. Attias also has directed UH volunteer groups to disasters abroad, rushing to underserved areas after earthquakes in Morocco and Türkiye.

“They hate Israelis in Türkiye,” she told those gathered. “Then they see the Israeli flag on the vest of the rescue worker saving their life, and it’s ‘thank you Israel, thank you!’ We saved 19 people from the rubble.” She still keeps in touch with the family of a 7-year-old girl she saved in Türkiye; the father sent messages of support on Oct. 8.

Attias suffers post-traumatic stress disorder from what she witnessed during the Hamas attack in 2023. She was on the ground, a first responder, her own life at risk; other UH volunteers were murdered and kidnapped. She was part of a UH team that set up critical triage camps to treat the wounded. When a UH volunteer livestreamed the number of bodies, Attias could not believe it was real. Today, UH operates a psycho-trauma unit to help volunteers and the public deal with what they experienced that day.

Attias spoke about how United Hatzalah is preparing for the next Oct. 7. United Hatzalah plans to be better prepared to save more lives. They are running simulated training exercises for volunteers, complete with smoke machines and make-up artists, hoping to acclimatize responders to the chaos that would exist. In the aftermath of Oct. 7, UH has seen a boost in volunteers. People are signing up to give something back, to show their appreciation and to feel less powerless, said Attias.

The ubiquitous orange vests of UH volunteers are seen throughout Israel, often riding a distinctive Ambucycle or Ambuscooter, skirting traffic or entering public markets. This is a crowdsourced, localized and turbocharged emergency medical response system that is being studied and adopted by other parts of the world, including India and Brazil, and the state of Idaho. Jeff Klein, who sits on the board of United Hatzalah Canada, shared that Vancouver City Council was also exploring the model before UH Canada shifted its efforts to support Israel in the wake of Oct. 7. Countries and communities have different cultural attitudes when it comes to volunteering and liability, but a model that works in Israel can work anywhere, with adaptations.

United Hatzalah is funded entirely by donors and receives no money from the Israeli government.

“We don’t call them donors, we call them partners,” explained Attias. Funds go directly towards life-saving medical equipment, she said, and partners receive updates about how that equipment – be it an Ambucycle, oxygen kit or medic bag – has been used. It’s all transparent, and UH is widely regarded as one of the key charities making a meaningful difference in modern Israel.

Attias showed us a picture of all-female volunteer group gathered in a circle after a recent training exercise. There are women wearing hijabs next to Orthodox Jews wearing wigs. Secular, religious, people of all shades, all smiling, all participating in a noble cause greater than oneself. Attias believes this is Isaiah’s prophecy of Israel acting as “a light for the nations” in action, spreading universal compassion, community and life-saving technology where and when it is needed most.

It’s impossible not to be inspired. A doctor in the room, non-Jewish, donated a rapid response ebike. Even my daughter, Raquel, gearing up for her bat mitzvah, committed to a crowdsourced fundraiser for three life-saving oxygen kits – to contribute towards her UH Maple Syrup and Mitzvahs project, which is raising funds for both the oxygen kits and two child-resuscitation kits, visit tinyurl.com/55ur7fm7.

To become a United Hatzalah partner and learn more, visit UH’s website, israelrescue.org.

Robin Esrock is the bestselling author of The Great Canadian Bucket List, and a travel columnist for Canadian Geographic.

Innovative approach to care

On Sept. 30, Canadian Friends of Sheba Medical Centre will host Medicine Reimagined, an evening with Prof. Amitai Ziv, deputy director of Sheba Medical Centre and head of its Rehabilitation Hospital, which is the national rehabilitation facility of Israel. Ziv is also the founder and director of the Israel Centre for Medical Simulation (MSR), an innovation hub for improving patient safety and clinical training.

Originally from Montreal, Ziv is spending his sabbatical in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia.

“This will be the first Canadian Friends of Sheba event in Vancouver, as we launch our chapter here, and we are truly thrilled to welcome Prof. Amitai Ziv,” Galit Blumenthal, manager of donor relations and events at Canadian Friends of Sheba Medical Centre, told the Independent. “Our goal is to raise awareness of Sheba Medical Centre and highlight its profound impact both in Israel and on the global stage.”

photo - Prof. Amitai Ziv, deputy director of Sheba Medical Centre and its Rehabilitation Hospital, speaks in Vancouver on the topic Medicine Reimagined — Prof. Amitai Ziv, deputy director of Sheba Medical Centre and its Rehabilitation Hospital, speaks in Vancouver on the topic Medicine Reimagined. *(internet photo)*

Sheba Medical Centre was established in 1948. Located in Tel HaShomer, near Tel Aviv, its website notes the facility has 159 medical departments and clinics, almost 2,000 beds and 75 laboratories, and receives about 1.9 million clinical visits and 200,000 emergency room visits a year. Its seven major facilities comprise a cancer centre, an academic campus, a research complex and four hospitals: children’s, women’s, acute care and rehabilitation. It also has several centres of excellence and institutes, notably for cancer, and heart and circulation. It counts 10,000 healthcare professionals, 1,700 physicians and 200 PhD research professionals.

“I support them, along with many other Israeli institutions, as I feel that this is at least some contribution that I can make during these difficult times,” said Tova Kornfeld, who connected Canadian Friends of Sheba Medical Centre (CFSMC), which is based in Toronto, with the Independent.

“I sometimes feel powerless living here in Canada when I see what is happening in Israel,” said Kornfeld. “If I can help in any way, whether by bringing awareness to the work being done by the various organizations or by making financial contributions, then I feel I must. As far as Sheba is concerned, it stepped up to the plate when Soroka Hospital was hit by an Iranian missile and took in all the ICU patients.

“It is also the biggest rehab hospital in Israel and is providing rehabilitation for thousands of soldiers who have been injured since Oct. 7,” she added. “I have family members in the IDF and it is comforting to know that, if something were to happen to any of them, there would be hospitals like Sheba to care for them.”

Ziv’s areas of expertise are medical education, simulation and rehabilitative medicine, and he has served as a consultant and speaker at academic and health institutions around the world. The event in Vancouver will offer a look at Sheba Medical Centre and its innovations in, among other things, the rehabilitation field.

On Sept. 30, Vancouverites will also get to meet Einat Enbar, chief executive officer of CFSMC, which was established in 2017 to raise awareness and funds for Sheba Medical Centre, the care it offers, the research it conducts and the educational training it provides.

For Kornfeld, there is another aspect to supporting Israeli organizations and institutions. She hopes that financial and other assistance from the diaspora “gives the Israelis caught in the fray the message that we have their backs and that we are all in this together regardless of where we live. I would hope that this would be comforting to them when it appears that most of the world is against not only Israel but the Jewish people themselves.”

For more information on CFSMC and SMC, visit shebacanada.org. To attend the Sept. 30, 7 p.m., event in Vancouver (location upon registration), go to weblink.donorperfect.com/ProfAmitaiZivInVancouver. While free to attend, donations are welcome. Readers can email Blumenthal at [email protected] with any questions.

An activist by necessity

Dr. Ted Rosenberg speaks with an audience member at the Medical Outcomes of Emerging Antisemitism event held at Beth Israel Sept. 4. (photo by Pat Johnson)

Dr. Ted Rosenberg never imagined he’d become an activist but, after the anti-Zionism and antisemitism he witnessed at the University of British Columbia faculty of medicine after Oct. 7, 2023, he couldn’t keep silent.

The 30-year practitioner, who resides in Victoria, addressed a group at Congregation Beth Israel on Sept. 4.

Rosenberg resigned from his post as clinical assistant professor at UBC’s faculty of medicine in January 2024, after repeated attempts to get the school to address antisemitism were essentially ignored. Since Oct. 7, he has written blogs, testified about the antisemitism before the House of Commons and, most recently, self-published the book Ayekha, Where Are You?

After Oct. 7, Rosenberg said he noticed that Jewish doctors weren’t regarded the same way they had been. Before that day, he’d experienced the odd antisemitic comment from patients. After it, he knew that a torrent of hatred towards Jews was coming, and that he needed the language to deal with it.

His activism began after 225 UBC medical students signed the petition “A Call for Action on Gaza,” which called for a ceasefire, condemned Israel as “a settler-colonial state,”

accused Israel of “collective punishment through indiscriminate bombing of civilians” and claimed that “Palestinian people have been continually abused, traumatized and killed by the settler state of Israel and its Western allies for over 75 years.”

In response, Rosenberg wrote to UBC president Benoit-Antoine Bacon, dean of the faculty of medicine Dermot Kelleher and other university officials.

“I assumed they didn’t understand these complex issues,” he said. “I explained to them that antisemitism leads to dehumanization, and I suggested we work together to meet with the students, talk about the petition and about antisemitism.”

Rosenberg described the dean’s response as a “boilerplate letter.”

“He said I could file a complaint through the university’s DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] program – which has nothing about Jews or antisemitism,” Rosenberg noted.

Demoralization set in as further incidents in the faculty failed to garner any action from the university.

Some 284 physicians wrote to the dean, describing the dangerous environment at UBC for Jewish students, faculty and patients. They received no response. Then, a professor Rosenberg worked with posted a picture of Jesus in the rubble of Gaza on social media. Rosenberg made the decision to resign.

“I’d been begging these leaders to stand up and speak about this, to model respectful dialogue, and no one was saying anything,” he said. “I realized the faculty of medicine had adopted hardwired ideological positions, and I felt I had to opt out and make a public statement about it.”

After his resignation, Rosenberg received a call from a retired dean, who admitted, in tears, how badly he’d felt about his colleague’s treatment. “He said the senior administration at UBC had silenced him and others, tying their hands. He spoke of how people were intimidated to speak out even when they shared my views, because they feared they’d be marginalized. He was looking for absolution.”

In May 2025, Rosenberg received a call from Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather, requesting he testify in Parliament the following week about the antisemitism he’d experienced. Rosenberg felt an enormous responsibility to get his testimony right. “In my work as a physician, I look after old people. I’m not a genocidal maniac,” he said. “But that’s what my students are thinking about me.”

While antisemitism has not subsided, Rosenberg is optimistic that truth and sanity will ultimately prevail. In his work with Doctors Against Racism and Antisemitism, he’s been writing letters to different medical departments, but, for the most part, those letters have been dismissed.

“I think there’s a systemic bias in the Western world against Israel and Zionism and a lingering bias against Judaism,” he said. “The title of my book, Ayekha, is a question to the world: where the hell are you? People need to wake up and look at the truth.”

Rosenberg noted that one requirement of entrance into medical school at UBC right now is a demonstration of your social justice activism.

“The epitome of evil in the social justice narrative is settler-colonialism, and the worst settler-colonialism is Zionism,” he noted of the school’s view.

“This means Jews are not going to get into medical school. I’ve had Jewish medical students email me to say they changed their names to non-Jewish names, just to get in. This is real, and BDS [boycott, divestment and sanctions] is happening. We need to speak out against it and be aware that DEI does not include us as Jews.”

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond.

Diversity in health care

Left to right are Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, Dr. Salman Zarka, Dr. Tim Oberlander and Dr. Erik Swartz at Congregation Beth Israel, where Zarka gave a few talks Nov. 21-23. (photo from Beth Israel)

“Our professional ethics, as well as Israeli legislation, mandate that we provide life-saving medical care to anyone in need. We do so for all citizens in Israel without discrimination based on religion, origin, race or political beliefs. We provided this care for Syrians and previously treated Lebanese patients, until the border was closed in 2000,” Dr. Salman Zarka, director of Ziv Medical Centre, told the Independent.

Zarka was in Vancouver last week, speaking at Congregation Beth Israel on the ethics of triage, on treating Syrian patients in Israel, and about his community, the Druze.

“I am delighted to visit Canada and share with different audiences the amazing work we’ve been doing at Ziv Medical Centre this past year, dealing with both war and emergency situations,” Zarka told the Independent. “This visit is also a great chance to thank the supporters in Canada from the Jewish community, Beth Israel, the Federation and the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.

“The visit is a chance to share our ongoing efforts in treating the wounded, as well as past activities related to caring for Syrian casualties,” he said.

Caring for an “enemy”

“The humanitarian aid to Syrians lasted for around five years, from 2013 to 2018, until [Bashar al-]Assad took back control of southern Syria, closed the border, thereby stopping patients and wounded from Syria coming to Israel,” said Zarka, who led the establishment of the now-closed military field hospital that provided medical support to Syrians wounded in the country’s ongoing civil war. He and his colleagues at Ziv Medical Centre have also provided care to Syrians.

“It is indeed unusual and uncommon to extend a professional and human hand to your enemies during their time of need,” he said. “On the other hand, we have an ethical duty to treat every patient and every wounded person. This dilemma existed at the start of the process, when wounded Syrians arrived at the Israel-Syria border. We treated them and asked ourselves what we should do next. On one hand, the Syrians are one of our most severe enemies, yet our ethics and professional standards oblige us to save lives and provide aid to all in need. Moreover, Israel is known for its global humanitarian assistance. Ultimately, we chose to provide care, treating close to 4,600 Syrians, including children, women and men.”

Before he retired from the military, Zarka served in various capacities in the Israel Defence Forces, including many leadership roles, and is currently a colonel brigadier in the reserve force. He is an expert in public health and public health administration, as well as being a practising physician, among other things. He was Israel’s chief COVID officer during the pandemic. In 2014, he became the director at Ziv Medical Centre, in Tzfat, about 11 kilometres from Israel’s border with Lebanon.

“Ziv Medical Centre employs about 2,200 staff members who come from the unique multicultural background of the region,” said Zarka. “At Ziv, secular Jews work alongside ultra-Orthodox Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Circassians and Bedouins,” he said. “The hospital atmosphere is familial, and everyone collaborates to achieve the noble goals of saving lives and bringing healing to those in need. Cultural differences influence how people perceive illness, and our multicultural staff enables us to offer culturally sensitive care for various health needs.”

After the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on southern Israel, the northern part of the country faced increased threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon, leading to mass evacuations of the region.

“For over a year now, the north has faced a complex situation with rocket fire and evacuations,” said Zarka. “This state of conflict forces Ziv Medical Centre to operate from protected spaces and remain prepared for mass casualty incidents. The need for readiness and staying in protected areas limits our ability to treat patients comprehensively, but it is unethical to deny necessary medical treatment to our northern population, which depends on Ziv for their routine treatment.”

The challenges are numerous.

“Some of our patients left the area, preventing us from continuing their care, while others relocated nearby and continued their treatment,” Zarka said. “Both the evacuated population and those facing rocket fire, injury and loss require increased mental health support, leading to a rise in emergency room visits. Additionally, some of our staff had to evacuate from their homes, posing challenges for employees who continued to work at Ziv despite the distance.”

The security situation in the north requires the medical centre to reassess its reinforced spaces, while continuing to provide necessary medical care to patients, even during emergencies, said Zarka.

“The end of the war and the return of residents to their homes will pose significant mental health challenges for both adults and youth, as was seen following the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added. “Preparing to expand services in the region is essential. The north will require substantial investment not only for recovery but for growth, making it a beautiful and unique area, home to multicultural residents, many of whom are from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, who depend on Ziv Medical Centre for their health care.”

Israel’s Druze community

There are about 150,000 Israeli Druze. The Druze religion is monotheistic; it branched off from Shia Islam in the 11th century and has since incorporated elements of other religions. The Druze are ethnically and linguistically Arabic, mainly living in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel, notably, in northern Israel.

“The Druze community in Israel chose, even prior to the state’s establishment (back in the 1930s), to ally with the Jewish population, a minority at the time, possibly as a bond between minorities,” explained Zarka. “The Druze supported the Jews before the state was founded and fought in the War of Independence. Afterward, the Druze decided to enlist in the IDF as volunteers and requested mandatory enlistment for their men, which began in 1956. Druze men serve in the IDF like Jewish men, with high enlistment rates in combat units, continuing with a significant service, achieving senior ranks. I served in the IDF for over 25 years in key roles in the Medical Corps, commander of medical services in the Northern Command and head of medical services, retiring with the rank of colonel.”

A 2023 article in the National Post noted, “Aside from combat roles, the Druze have a presence in health care: in 2011, the Druze made up 16% of the IDF’s medics, despite making up only 1.6% of the force.” The article gave Zarka as an example of a prominent Druze, having achieved success in both the military and in health care.

There are challenges for the Druze community in Israel, however.

“Much has been said about the ‘blood pact’ forged between the Druze and the Jews in Israel, which, unfortunately, translates into casualties in Israel’s various military conflicts,” Zarka told the Independent. “Alongside this connection, particularly strong in the IDF and security forces, there exists a civilian gap in the so-called ‘pact of life.’ The Nation-State Law [in 2018] did not address minorities in Israel, omitting the crucial term ‘equality,’ making the Druze feel relegated to a lesser status compared to their Jewish fellow citizens.

“Beyond the significance of this matter, which is not merely declarative, Druze towns (mainly villages) have long suffered from planning and land allocation issues, complicating construction and housing, even for discharged IDF soldiers. Addressing these two issues, namely equality and long-term planning, is central to the relationship between the Druze and the government.”

The ethics of triage in war

Dr. Salman Zarka (photo from Ziv Medical Centre)

Dr. Salman Zarka is general director of Ziv Medical Centre, in Safed, Israel, which is about 11 kilometres from the border with Lebanon. He visits Vancouver this month, speaking at Congregation Beth Israel on Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m., on the topic of Medicine Under Fire: The Ethics of Triage in War. He also speaks during Shabbat morning services on Nov. 23 about Who are the Druze? And How Does Diversity Help Medical Outcomes in Ziv Hospital?

Zarka is a member of the Druze community. He served in the Israel Defence Forces for 25 years, and is a colonel brigadier in the reserve force. An epidemiologist, he is an expert in public health and public health administration. He is also a practising physician, and lectures at University of Haifa’s School of Public Health. He was chief COVID-19 officer in Israel’s Ministry of Health from 2021 to 2023 and, prior to that, the medical assistant of the ministry’s general director.

To hear Zarka speak, register at bethisrael.ca.

Ageism in medicine

“Studies show that one-third of Canadians admit to having been treated differently due to their age,” said Dr. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Mount Sinai and the University Health Network Hospitals in Toronto.

Sinha, who is also a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and the director of health policy research at the National Institute on Ageing, spoke on ageism in medicine and strategies for patients to combat this form of discrimination in a webinar presented by the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada (NCJWC) on June 6. He noted that the date of the webinar coincided with the start of Seniors Month in Canada, and shared that he was drawn to collaborate with NCJWC because Mount Sinai Hospital was founded 100 years ago “by a dedicated group of Jewish women.”

Sinha defined ageism, also known as age discrimination, as the act of imposing stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination on others or oneself based on age. He said the term was coined relatively recently, in the 1960s, even though it had existed in Canadian society long before then. He emphasized that “51% of Canadians agree that ageism is the most tolerated social prejudice, and 80% of Canadians agree that older adults (age 65+) are seen as less important than younger generations.”

This sense of diminished importance is commonly manifested in three forms: feeling ignored or invisible, being treated as devoid of value or contribution, and facing assumptions that seniors are always incompetent. Such experiences can have adverse psychological and emotional impacts, including social isolation, diminished trust in healthcare providers and negative self-perception. Sinha highlighted that although ageism may present itself universally, its impacts differ, and it “does not affect all older adults equally,” he said. Intersectionality, defined as the interconnected nature of social categories such as race, gender, age and more, can enhance the degree of ageism that a person faces, he said. In Canada, certain segments of the population are especially vulnerable, including immigrants or those born outside the country.

Narrowing in on Canada’s healthcare system, Sinha shared that healthcare professionals often hold ageist attitudes, perpetuating stereotypes that seniors lack agency and are frail, depressed or irritable. “This can ultimately manifest in undertreatment or overtreatment,” he said.

Undertreatment involves withholding resources or treatment options that would not be withheld from younger patients, while overtreatment refers to an exaggerated approach to patient care. Sinha said these issues were amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing examples where older adults were denied access to ventilators due to assumptions about their life expectancies. This demonstrated the arbitrary use of age to determine life expectancy, he said, while other important health factors should also be considered.

Undertreatment is a key issue among patients with dementia – “many people in society consider dementia a normal part of ageing, but it is not,” said Sinha. He described the stigmatization faced by individuals living with dementia, which often leads to ageism in healthcare settings and subsequent undertreatment due to their condition. In cases like these, “labels can kill,” he said.

Referring to himself and his fellow geriatricians as a “rare and endangered species of physician,” as described by the New York Times, Sinha stressed the scarcity of geriatricians in Canada – only a few hundred among the country’s approximately 100,000 doctors. Nevertheless, he affirmed that “the few hundred of us have long advocated for older persons to be properly cared for in a health system that often does not adequately address their needs.” Further, he emphasized that “everyone has a role to play” in combatting ageism. This sentiment was echoed by Rochelle Garfinkel, manager of donor relations at NCJWC, who reminded the audience that “the tree planted today provides shade for future generations.”

“Eighty-five percent of the boomer generation wants their ageing experience to be different than their parent or grandparents,” added Sinha. He suggested strategies such as more comprehensive training for healthcare professionals and acknowledging the disproportionate impacts faced by marginalized groups.

In her introduction to the webinar, Linda Steinberg, NCJWC president, noted that defining the impacts of ageism will be central to NCJWC in the coming years. NCJWC is the oldest Jewish women’s organization in Canada, she said, and is currently comprised of five sections across the country’s major cities, including Vancouver.

Alisa Bressler is a fourth-year student at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. She is an avid reader and writer, and the online director of the arts and culture publication MUSE Magazine. Bressler is a member of the Vancouver Jewish community, and the inaugural Baila Lazarus Jewish Journalism Intern.