To Our Valued Friends,
We are sure that you, like us, are connected to so many media sources and messages that our world-view when we emerge on the other side of this storm will be altered in many ways. And most say that each of us will learn lessons that will impact how we bring meaning to our lives going forward.
We are sure that given our good fortune to be strongly connected with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, we will look at research and education with new eyes and not take for granted the presence of science and knowledge in our lives.
It is important to acknowledge that throughout this time of closures, and while following State of Israel guidelines, the Hebrew University faculty is hard at work, with a major focus on human health and global partnerships.
In our new world of temporary social distancing, and the stress of the unknown, we want to bring to your attention a realistic and thoughtful webinar presented in the last couple of days by Hebrew University professor Jonathan Huppert. It can be viewed here: HU psychology prof on how best to overcome anxiety and stress fueled by coronavirus crisis.
And this article by Professor Shy Arkin is well worth your time: Hebrew U scientist: You’re not going to see millions of people die from COVID-19.
As part of Hebrew University’s current webinar series, Professor Arkin also gave an excellent webinar yesterday during which he shed light on what’s behind the current coronavirus pandemic: You can view the entire webinar by clicking on this link: Coronavirus and the Future of Immunotherapy.
We also featured highlights of the webinar on our website: HU scientist and virus expert sheds light on what’s behind current COVID-19 pandemic.
We are so pleased to share the wonderful news that our own Hebrew University Professor Hillel Furstenberg has been awarded the Abel Prize, often referred to as the Nobel of Mathematics, established to recognize contributions that are of “extraordinary depth and influence.” Professor Furstenberg received this outstanding honour for pioneering the use of methods from probability and dynamics in group theory, number theory and combinatorics. It certainly brings attention to HUJI as we strive for optimism and resiliency.
Professor Yuval Dor, of our own Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, (IMRIC), along with a colleague from the Weizmann Institute of Science, have created a questionnaire and a machine learning algorithm tool which they feel will be extremely helpful to the Health Ministry in assessing evolving patterns in the spread of the coronavirus.
This will hopefully allow available testing to be focused on potential eruption points and halt the spread of the disease at an early stage. Click here to read more: HU and Weizmann researchers hope AI can tame COVID-19, and they want our help.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence are new words in today’s vocabulary but thanks to global research and brain power, these are just not ivory tower visions but help us shape and succeed in our new realities.
And today, we want to highlight for you that a good number of our brilliant researchers at IMRIC are at the forefront of combating the Corona crisis. Research is being carried on in a number of departments, including diagnostics, antibodies production, immune system support, vaccine feasibility models and drug treatment options in the race to control the coronavirus spread.
Closer to home, we want to be sure you and your loved ones have access to emotional support if needed. To that end, Rabbi Lazer Danzinger, a chaplain who worked with the Canadian Armed Forces responding to the spiritual and emotional needs of our men and women in uniform, would be pleased to arrange for a call.
In the coming days, we will be presenting an online virtual campaign aimed at funding IMRIC collaborative efforts related to global efforts to flatten the curve and disrupt the pattern! All contributions are meaningful and relevant. Until faced with a crisis like this, we forget about the need to support the ongoing research that continuously searches for new vaccines and antidotes, preparing for times like these and other continuing but less traumatic challenges.
We hope in the coming days you will take the time to visit the donation page on our website www.cfhu.org and look for updates on where we know we can have the greatest impact. Also, check for the latest articles and resources that are being constantly updated on the CFHU website.
There is also an excellent interview with Lord Jonathan Sacks which we would like to share with you: https://youtu.be/GBm6nox61GI. This is definitely a time to nurture both our body and soul.
As we enter these next few weeks of social responsibility and distancing, let’s remember these wonderful lines:
And when the danger passed, the people joined together again, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.
With warmest wishes for good health.
