Tikkun Olam

Since I had written much on the efficiency of the Israeli field hospital in Haiti and the great disaster relief and humanitarian work that they had been doing, I feel it is fitting to post this video of the closing ceremony: after two weeks, the Israelis are going home, halfway across the world (hat tip Rafi ). *(nablopomo day# 27)

This needs no words. It speaks for itself (hat tip Arlene From Israel ). Visit msnbc.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy

By now most of you have probably seen or heard of the full-functioning, efficient Israeli field hospital run by the IDF in Haiti, leaving the other nations which sent rescue teams (including the United States's) behind in the dust. I first saw the video below on A Soldier's Mother and Arlene From Israel . It is now all over the blogosphere (especially the JBlogosphere), but I am reproducing it here specifically for my readers, many of whom are not that familiar with Jewish blogging or blogging in general. It is a sight to see: CNN, no lover of Israel, praising her for speedily setting up a full-functioning, efficient hospital capable of medical imaging and surgery. What's in it for Israel, you might ask? First of all, would you ask that of the United States in its humanitarian efforts? All countries should be held by the same standard. However, if that question were asked, hypothetically, the answer would be: what's "in it" for Israel is doing good and sav...

This has been all over the news: Israeli doctor delivered a healthy baby to a Haitian woman in the Israeli field hospital which was the first to be set up in Port-au-Prince. In gratitude to the Israeli doctor, the woman named her child "Israel." I wonder how many know about Israel's humanitarian missions sent to other disaster areas? Often the rescuers have to disguise their Jewishness or the fact that they are from Israel, because of the prevalence of antisemitism in those areas, including the possibility that they would be denied access to help.

I wrote about Israel's rescue efforts in Haiti here , but Arlene Kushner expands upon it in her post " With Great Pride " (scroll down to her January 17th post). As Arlene mentions, this might be a 'first' for the Haitians, to see Israeli Jews helping people in need, not because they are "Jewish" and in need, but because they are. . . human beings, and because their G-d-- my G-d--to whom we pray, commands us to do so. ( Remember, folks, to compare and contrast. . . ). Go view a video of the Israeli rescue team at work here . This is the best kind of PR Israel can do to market itself in the Third World (and perhaps in the First World, as well): showing how the Jewish Nation is supposed to live, and what a Jew is supposed to be. Did I mention before that I am proud to be a Jew? Oh. Well, I'm saying it again.

Israel's Magen David Adom is taking part in the international rescue mission and helping the IDF send a 220-man paramedics team to help the Haitians recover from the devastating 7.0 on-the-richter-scale-earthquake which hit and all but destroyed Port-au-Prince, its capital and killing an expected tens-of-thousands. The team includes dogs from the Israeli Oketz Dog Unit who are trained to find people buried under rubble. We have a philosophy that "saving one life is like saving the world." I am proud to be a Jew.