Thursday, Septembers. 1989 ~ THE BULLETIN— 3
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To celebrate 10 years of existence the Biotechnical Institute of Israel is organizing the First International Symposium of Modern Medicine and Society, to be held Oct. 31 to Nov. 8 at the Tel Ayiv. Hilton hotel.
The Institute trains medical technicians to operate sophisticated equipment for diagnosis, treatment and research for' all hospitals and clinics in Israel. It plans to hold international symposia every two years "to help modern medicine manage human health at the different levels of prevention and protection . . .
According to organizers, the theme "Modem Medicine and Society" was chosen for its universality. Participants will include not only physicians but also rabbis, manufacturers of medical equip-
ment, lawyers; judges, biologists, patients, engineers, insurers and politicians.
Modern medicine faces scientific^ technical and ethical challenges, said an,institute representative. The conference!':$rill tackle how to redeHne /medicine in light of cqntrovemal questions ppsed by: abojtioni euthanasia, organ trinsplants, artificial organs, rightit^deathaiid the right tolif^-"^-^
' K host of wide ■ rafnging questions^ ^mycQnfr^ ticipants: Should medicine still relyj)n the Hipppcratic oath as such? S^iuld it be a technique, a science or an art? Should health care bfe governed bsn^afyinjglnteefs, by patients, or by politicians?
Professor Eric Hauf;chair^ man of the organizihig committee, has istated that the Biotechnical Institute's first. ihternatibhar cohferenc^^ will
ISRAEL'S BIOTECHNICAL INSTITUTE leaders gather before the organization's first International conference. From leftc Mrs. Abe Stern; Biotechnical Institute, Canadiai;i president, Abe Stern; international representative, Miriam Eiiav; Israel's permanent representative to U.N. in Geneva, PInhas
provide an important forum enabling the scientific community to seek bioethical solutions to complex problems that are dramatically impacting on society's ability to cope with health issues on the threshold of the 21st century.
Explaining:the growing importance of the Institute, Hauf said: '"Israel's dizzying progress in advanced techno^ logical fields over the last deca^des has cr^ intreaising nc^d ffw; -skilled technicians and auxiliary personnel to operate the sophisticated instruments and apply the scientific techniques being developed in research facilities all over the country."
"That need," noted Hauf, "led to the establishment of the Biotechnical Institute, which then-Miiiister of the Interior Dr. Josef Burg described at the time as *6ne of the most important developments in Israeli medicine.* "^
Goor enlisted the aid of government ministries, academics and the medical profession and in 1979 two branches of the Biotechnical Institute opened in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Today the enrolment has increased from 40 to 1,200 students, studying at four different centres. -
Conference sponsors told The Builetin the symposium should concern everyone because health is everyone's concern,
; por reseryatipris. and information contact Conference Traver of Canada Inc., 102 Bloor St. West, Suite 620, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1M8 or call toll free, 1-800-357-1488.
success
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Despite^the intifada and.sin enormous amount of negative media coverage. El Al's Canadian operations enjoyed its most successful year ever in 1989.
, On the heels pf that success comes a change in leadership for the Canadian branch ;of the Israeli airline. Rahavia Ben-Shach is leaving the post of El Al international vice president and general manager for Canada, a posting he has held for the last eight years. His replacement, Yona Nechustan, assumed the position Sept 1.
Both Ben-Shach and Nechustan spoke to The Bui-
letin during a recent stopover in Vandouyer. The present and-futiire general managers both expressed optimism regarding El Al's Canadian operations. ^«     - v V
"I believe I have accomp^ lished my ■ twoimajor goals since becoming general manager," explained Ben-Shach. "The first was to substantially expand iibur traffic and frequency "of flights: Secondly, we wanted to establish a base in Torohto as well as Montreal, while making Montreal a point of juncture between places like Tel Aviv and Miami, Boston and Chicago. With all due modesty, these aims have been achieved."^ ^
Ben-§hach proudly pointed
':^JWB Photo
DURING A RECEIPT VISIT to Vancouver,;Rahayla Ben-Shach (left), former Ei Al tnterhational vice-preMdent and general manager for Canada, wias interviewed by The Bulletin With his successor Yona Ndchustan (right).
to the fact that during his tenure El Al Canada has more than doubled its traffic and frequency. As well, Montreal has become a hub of transportation to Israel, i "In recent years, El Al has been in the black in Canada. While there was a slight drop off last year from our previous alMime high in 1987, due to the beginning of the intifada, this year we will better our 1987 high," says Ben-Shach. He believes Jews have come to understand better the situation in Israel and that, combined with an increase in Christian pilgrimage, accounts for Ei Al's success.
His successpr, Nechustan, brings to his new ppsition a diverse background. Born in Romania, he eniigrated to Israel in the 1950s and served as member of the air force in permanent service for 28 years, retiring as a f ull colonel. After working for El Al for a number of years, he was offered the position pf geneial manager upon Ben-Shach's retirement.
Although this is his first posting outside of Israel, he believes he won't have trouble adapting to Canada. "1 am enjoying Canada. It is a really beautiful country and I can honestly say that I feel it is easy to make friends here," said Nechiistiari!
EL AL-^ Pages
JWB Staff
The legendary *Motta' Gur will be featured speaker at the '89 Federation campaign's community kick-off slated Sunday, Sept; 24; 7:30 p.m. in the Schara Tzedeck auditorium.
Mordechai Giir, who presently serves as a cabinet minister without portfolio in Israel's^ national unity government, was commander of the division which liberated the Old City of Jerusalem in 1967.
In 1976, while Chief of Staff for the Israel Defense Forces, he was responsible for the Entebbe operation, and in 1978 for Operation Litani.
Educated at Hebrew uni-veirsity,^he Paris niilitary college and Harvard school of business, Gur has served in several key positions in the IDF. At one point he was military attache to the U.S.
Three years after his discharge in 1978, he became a labor M.K. and was appointed member of the Knesset committee for foreign affairs. In
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1984 he was named minister of health, a post he retained until'
last year. '
The author of three books on military history and an equal number: of books bf children's stories, Gur is married and the father of four
children. - "
The campaign kick-off eveiit which Gur will address will ajsb be highlighted by the premiere showing of Remembrance to Renewal, the video •, filmed during the Federatip^^ Mission to Poland and Israel.
Ontario legislature condemfis shul attack
TORONTO
Canadian
Jewish Congress (Ontario Region) chairman Eric Slav-ens has expressed his appreciation to the Ontario government, its legislature and Ontario citizenship minister Gerry Phillips following their condemnation of the June 11 defacing of ShaareShomayim Synagogue and Yesodai HaTorah Day School.
With the support of the government, all members of the House, and other ^ racial and ethnocultural groups, CJC's work in battling expressions of racial bigotry will be successful, Slavens remarked.
"We thank the government, the minister and the legislature for their support, arid welcome the expressions of concern and outrage froni Toronto citizeiis." ; , In the legislature, condem-natipn of the incident, in which^ the ihstitutipns were daubeii ^ with and aiiti-Semitic slogans, ■ came from Phillips leader Bob Rae and interim i*rbgressive • Jead^r Andy Brandt.; . ^ Phillips deferited this ;*dis-turl)ing act of overt racism and anti-Semitism," and commended  the CJC fpr "showing leadership in offer-
ing a ($5,000) reward for the capture pf the perpetrators
-involved.";'!'-: ,^ •
Torture tale denied
OTTAWA
An Israeli
embasisy spokesman has rejected Parliament Hill demonstrators' charges that I^ales-tihian ; Arab >yomen impri-soned in the Territories suffer torture and lack of medical _ treatment ftp^ their jailers. Wpnieri, in. Israeli jails are
^ n^^ IPP^ ers, whatever theiriiatiwiality or the chaises against {therii, are given medical treatment, Canadian Press quoted the sppkesnian as saying.