A Call To Professionals

orty-five years ago,
Israel issued a world-
wide call to arms as
it battled for indepen-
dence. Today, Jewish
professionals are
answering a call to
volunteer in Israel in
their respective

AARON HALM

SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

fields.

Doctors, teachers, den-
tists, other professionals
and Jewish organizations
have joined a network of
Israel partnerships that
provide a variety of vol-
unteer programs similar
in purpose to the U.S.
Peace Corps.
A variety of programs
aim to assist Israel's
diverse and ever-growing

Dr. James Bittker Is a dental volunteer for Israel.

If you go to work each
day, your acquired
skills may be applied
to a volunteer
opportunity in Israel.

population,
and many
help serve
the special
needs of
Ethiopian
and former
Soviet emi-
gres.
The World
Zionist Organization
brings teachers to Israel
each summer to tutor
youngsters in English for
three to six weeks. In
addition, WZO provides
internships for young pro-
fessionals, under age 35,
who apply skills in Israeli
hospitals, hotels, televi-
sion studios, radio sta-
tions and law firms.

"My work
in (Israel)
has pro-
vided me
with the
greatest
profession-
al rewards
of my car-
eer," said
Dr. Lawrence Loewenthal
of Southfield, who two
years ago teamed up with
Project Vision, founded by
Atlanta ophthalmologist
Dr. Steven Kutner.
Dr. Loewenthal and a
friend, Detroit area oph-
thalmologist Dr. Jay
Novetsky, brought high-
tech equipment and spe-
cialized training to the

Linn Eye Clinic in Haifa.
There, Drs. Kutner,
Loewenthal and Novetsky
installed a laser, and they
trained the clinic's chief
physician in more effi-
cient and advanced laser
techniques for treatment
of cataracts.
"It is the kind of experi-
ence that makes you want
to go on and do more," Dr.
Loewenthal said.
Project Vision is funded
by a private trust that
has contributed nearly
$200,000. The program
may expand to include a
mobile ophthalmology
unit for travel into the
Arab and Druze villages

PROFESSIONALS page 54