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Children of Jewish origin maybe more at risk to Chernobyl's radiation.
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i wo starding fects with important implications for the Jewish population of the Qiemobsrl in^on were announced during the 1995 World Health Orgjwciization Regional Conference held in Jerusalem.
Dr. Keith Baverstodk, radiation scientist with WHO's Chernobyl research program, announced that thyroid cancer in Belarus has now risen to 500 times above the pre-Chemobyl rate. Then, in an interview with the Jerusalem Post, he disclosed ^t Jews may be three to nine times more susceptible to this post-irradiation thyroid cancer than non-Jews. (It is important to note that in this context "Jew-ish** is a biological or racial connotation rather than a religious one).
As the medical liaison of the Chabad. Children of Chemol^l Prco'ed:, I attended the conference and requested of Dr. Baver-stock, on behalf of our oi^anization, to verify through his research the extent to
that will occur in coming years. Ten years post radiation exposure, he said, is still very early for malignancies to appear. He
the proper diagnostic protocols for this special group of radia-
thj^oid cancers as "extremely aggressive and fast acting in yotmg children'' and he ad^ses early surveillance of affected
itn tnyrmd cancers moeas-^ at this rate, Dr. Baverstock's formation has widespread in-
Concem^ Jewish organizations should join with Chabad's Children of Chernobyl in en-comraging Dr. Baverstock and the WHO Thyroid Cancer Project to verify the actual ajffect of increased Jewish susceptibility to post irradiation thyroid cancer on Chemobyl's current vic-
ulation is being
increased susceptibility. I pointed out B®sSoraon that the areas affect- ^8W®spo§5ir@ ed by Oiemobyl contain a large Jewish )n.
with the creation of the Pale of Jewish Settlement in the late
Baverstock cautioned that this increase in cancer is only the b^inning of a much lai^ger one
plications for the Jewish community, not only in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia, but in Israel and the United States as well, two countries which host large numbers of Chernobyl im-mil
quire
action to assure the well-being
is the medical liaison for the Israel-based Chabad Children of Chernobyl which has evacuated more than 1,200 children fhom the contaminated Cfiemobyl area and brought them to Israel for medical treatment
lers m all countries hosting young Chernobyl victims must be alerted to tids
tims.
Israel, as an active participant in the World Health Organization, has the individual responsibility and opportunity to use its influence for the health and weMas^ of all Jewish victims of the Chernobyl disaster, 1^ they in Israel, republics of the former Soviety Union, or elsewhere. It should take the initiative to dis-
> warnings .. ios-
tic procedui^.
im'
^ sicians and parents should be encouraged. In addition, health care
world should be a oonoem to the
5.n
if they carried out incitement and encouragement of rebellion, they must be brought to justice."
—Rabbi Yehuda Amital, an Israeli cabinet minister,
on rabbis who cUlegedly sanctioned Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination.
Z8 a good place for a Jew to get away from other Jews, and you
—Overheard remark about the Golan fieights
in a Chinese restaurant.
re were playing Canada, and they decided to make an example of me as an English Jew. Of course, one mmor fault is Fm not Jew-ish.**
—Drummer Ringo Starr, on touring with the Beatles in 1965,
dreaded Bar-Mitzvahs. I loathed weddings. I detested kissing
â– Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok, a professor at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, on being a congregational rabbi.
I he only thing I could keep down was matzah ball soup, which Td never had before. That seemed to work, along with ginger ale and crackers."
-Actress Jane Seymour, on being pregnant with twins and having morning sickness.
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