"The workload in
Israel is enormous.
There are many
patients but few
radiation
oncologists."
— Dr. Merav Ben-David
Above: Dr. Theodore Lawrence speaks
with the group at the Segal's home.
Right: Jeanette Weissman, with Bev and
Merton Segal at the event at their home.
and the knowledge she is sharing with
me," Dr. Ben-David said. "Under her
supervision, we are searching for new
techniques to irradiate the breast and to
minimize the side effects of the treat-
ment."
Thanks to a gift bestowed by Peggy
and Marvin Novick of Oak Park at the
event at the Segal's home, Minton said,
"We are close to our funding goal nec-
essary to invite another Israeli physician
to Michigan, with each fellowship
requiring $200,000 of funding."
Minton said Marvin Novick told her
he is "currently being treated at the
University of Michigan Cancer Center,
Radiation Oncology Department and
receiving exceptional care."
"He is a devoted supporter of Israel
and recognized that the Israeli fellow-
ship in radiation oncology at U-M
would be a wonderful opportunity to
assist the Israeli medical community to
develop as a center of excellence in radi-
ation therapy by supporting the highly
specialized training currently not avail-
able in Israel," Minton said. "Marvin
said that cancer patients in Israel should
have the same opportunities he has had
here at U-M."
A video highlighting the fellowship
and its impact on cancer care in Israel is
currently being produced by Zev
Cohen and Bill Givens of Reel Video
Productions in Oak Park. It is being
created as an informative piece and a
vehicle for fund-raising with an expect-
ed completion date of this fall.
ing, while in the United States we
receive four years," Dr. Lawrence said.
"Thus, they do not have the technical
and theoretical knowledge to practice
state-of-the-art therapy and to advance
the field." In addition, he said, "They
are dreadfully understaffed. In the
United States, a busy radiation oncolo-
gist would take care of 30-35 patients.
In Israel, they are usually responsible for
90-120 patients," he said.
"The workload in Israel is enor-
mous," Dr. Ben-David said. "There are
many patients but few radiation oncolo-
gists. A physician in Israel sees patients
five days a week — and plans their
treatment. A patient may have to wait
weeks for her treatment." And for the .
doctor, there is no time left to do
research work.
She said also, "There is not enough
infrastructure — like physicists, techni-
cians and database managers — for
research in Israel."
According to Dr. Lawrence, "There
are only about six or seven well-trained
radiation oncologists in all of Israel.
And we have helped to train five of
them," he said. "If we could increase
this number to 15-18, every major cen-
ter could have two-to-three well-trained
people, and the quality of care would be
improved. This means that, for a rela-
tively small investment, we can change
the quality of care for an entire coun-
try." El
Making Better Doctors
While Dr. Lawrence said, "Israeli radia-
tion oncologists have good equipment
for treatment and are hard working and
intelligent," he added that "they lack
intensive training in clinical care and
research focused in state-of-the-art radi-
ation oncology.
"They receive only 18 months train-
For information on making a
contribution to the U-M Health
Care System's Department of
Radiation Oncology Israeli
Fellowship Program, contact
Judith Minton at (734) 657-
5811 or jmminton@umich.edu.
Sentences 'Insufficient'
Toronto/JTA — Jewish officials said sen-
tences for two youths who vandalized
Jewish targets in Toronto were too light.
After being charged with simple mis-
chief for toppling Jewish tombstones
and scrawling graffiti on synagogues,
among other actions, the teenagers were
sentenced to two years of probation and
100 hours of community service. They
also were ordered to pay $2,000 each in
restitution and to participate in a
Holocaust education program.
The sentences "offer little comfort to
a community that continues to face the
daily challenges of unprecedented
increases in anti-Semitic incidents, and
is left alone to absorb the financial costs
of protecting itself," said Frank Dimant,
executive vice president of B'nai Brith
Canada.
Jewish Lawyers Unite
New York/JTA —A new umbrella
organization was formed for Jewish
lawyers in North America.
Several groups of Jewish lawyers
formed the North American Network
of Jewish Lawyers' Organizations to
address issues such as anti-Semitism on
college campuses, legal attacks on Israel
and anti-Israel and anti-Semitism at the
United Nations. The group's board will
have its first meeting in August in
Chicago during the annuP1 meeting of
the American Bar Association.
Iranians Oppose Israel Ties
Tehran/JTA — Iran's new president said
he seeks improved relations with all
Middle East nations except Israel. "I will
strive to expand relations with everyone,
with the exception of Israel," Saudi
newspaper Okaz quoted Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad as saying Sunday.
Ahmadinejad, the hard-line mayor of
Tehran, beat Akbar Hashemi
Rafsanjani to become Iran's president.
"The international community must
continue to act with determination to
prevent the emergence of an Iranian
nuclear threat," said Mark Regev, a
spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in
Jerusalem.
Iran is officially sworn to the Jewish
state's destruction, although in the past,
its leaders have hinted that the stance
could be softened in the event of a
final Israeli-Palestinian peace accord.
JI4T
6/30
2005
15