BEINEINU NEWS & NOTES
May 28, 2018
USA
Gaucher Disease Testing---For a limited time, the National Gaucher Disease Foundation is providing free testing to at risk individuals in the comfort of your own home. If a family member has Gouchers and you live in Los Angeles, Chicago, Baltimore, Miami, Bal Harbor, or the New York metropolitan area, this service is available. If you have Gouchers, notify your siblings of this opportunity. Common symptoms are enlarged liver or spleen, low platelet counts and anemia, easy bruising and chronic nosebleeds, bone pain, osteopenia and osteoporosis, joint pain, arthritis, and joint damage. Contact 718-669-4103 or www.gaucherdisease.org for more information.
Long Term Care Survey---The New York state Department of Health and the State Office for the Aging are asking individuals to complete a survey about long-term care. Responses will inform a planning council, created by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office, which is charged with creating strategies to improve services for the disabled and the elderly. The survey, due by June 18, is at www.surveymonkey.com/r/HM9DM97.
Tandem Bike Grants Available---Through funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Association of Blind Athletes is offering grants of $3000 each to five military veterans to purchase their own tandem bike. Email Kevin Brousard at
ISRAEL
Nachut Application Assistance---The Department of Justice provides free legal consultations for people applying for nachut from Bituach Leumi. The “Yad Mechavenet” program provides legal consultations free of charge to citizens who wish to utilize all their rights before facing the medical committees of the Bituach Leumi. Expert doctors assist them in obtaining all relevant medical documents both before initial application as well as during appeals (this is in additional to the medical consultations already available through the same program). This service ensures that people DO NOT need to turn to external companies that charge high fees for this same service. To receive free consultations: Sunday, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm at the Merkaz Yad Mechavenet in Meditone Medical Center, Hanegev Shopping Center tower, Floor 4, Beer Sheva.
Calendar Change—The Ministry of Education has changed summer vacations in the charedi special ed system to correspond to those of the regular charedi schools, rather than the secular calendar. Until now, vacation was in the last two weeks of August, while bein hazmanim is in the last two weeks of Av, making things hard for frum families who have children in both systems. This year’s vacation in these schools will now be 11-28 Av, which is July 23-Aug 9 – same as bein hazmanim in the yeshivos.