When my latest water bill arrived, it was shockingly inflated – close to three times what I usually pay.
By GREER FAY CASHMANLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)
FEW OF us hesitate to gripe when we find fault with the system. But just as we are quick to complain when things go wrong, we should be equally quick to commend when things go right.My flavor of the month is Hagihon, the Water and Sewage Corporation of Jerusalem. When my latest water bill arrived, it was shockingly inflated – close to three times what I usually pay. Rather than argue and risk having my water supply cut off (as a former victim of intransigent Israeli bureaucracy), I paid, hoping that the next bill would be back to normal. A few days later, I received a notification from Hagihon informing me that my account showed an excessive use of water and asking for an explanation. As it happened, a pipe had burst and leaked through two floors of the building, causing extensive damage to the ceiling and walls in the entranceway.On Friday of last week, I went to Hagihon’s office on Derech Hebron to explain this in person. A very polite man dealt with my case and typed the details into his computer as I was talking. I had to fill out a form with my name, address and phone number and was in and out of Hagihon in less than five minutes. On Sunday I received an SMS saying that my explanation had been accepted and that the next bill would be rectified accordingly. That’s amazing service for anywhere, but for Israel in particular it’s nothing short of miraculous. Kudos, Hagihon!LARGER THAN Life is one of several organizations that deal with young cancer patients who may not reach adulthood unless some miracle cure is discovered in the interim. These organizations do tremendous work in bringing joy to these young patients and their families.Last week, Yediot Aharonot published a heart-warming story about Noa Azoulai, a 17-year-old Jerusalemite who had been treated at Hadassah for bone cancer. After being told by doctors and nurses that no one on the rotating oncology staff that is temporarily replacing the staff members who resigned has the competence to treat her type of cancer, she switched to Ichilov in Tel Aviv. As an outpatient, it’s tough on her making the journey to and from Tel Aviv, but she perseveres. Dr. Yair Peled, her personal physician at Hadassah, remains in regular contact and visits her at Ichilov.What was really important to Noa was to attend the end of high school party at the Seligsberg school, where she was a student. Being bald didn’t bother her nor the fact that she can’t walk and has to use a wheelchair. All that mattered was going to the party and having a new dress to wear. Due to surgery and post-operative treatments, she didn’t have time to go shopping, and it was imperative that she wear a new dress. Larger Than Life came to the rescue and contacted fashion designers Moran Madar and Orit Sheli, the women behind the Miss Geisha brand. They were happy to help. When Noa and her father, Ofer Azoulai, entered their salon, they gave Noa the red carpet treatment and not only provided her with a dress that suited her but also gave her appropriate jewelry.It isn’t easy for organizations such as Larger Than Life to do what they do. Too often, the youngsters they help are terminally ill, as was the case with David, an 11th-grader from Beersheba whose dying wish was to see Gal Gadot in the film Wonder Woman. Larger Than Life organized an MDA ambulance, which two weeks ago took David and his medical team from the hospital to Cinema City in Herzliya. His family went, too. Despite the drastic deterioration of his condition, he loved every minute of the film and thoroughly enjoyed himself. Everyone around him was happy because he was happy. “It’s just wonderful that my dream came true,” he said. David died last Saturday and was buried on Sunday.NOTWITHSTANDING ALL the social media devices that seem to make conversation unnecessary, it seems that people want to hear a human voice and not get all their information from the print on a screen. That’s one of the reasons that YES Planet in Jerusalem has introduced a lecture series with well-known television personalities. Next up on Monday, July 3, at 9 p.m. is Tzofit Grant, to be followed on Monday, July 24, by the intrepid Itai Anghel, and on Tuesday, August 8, by Sivan Rahav Meir, who is making quite a name for herself lecturing on religious subjects.
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