The longest bench in the world?

By STEVE LINDE
According to the Israel Cancer Association, 180 new cases of cancer in Jewish children and 64 in Arab children up to the age of 14 have been diagnosed so far this year. Some 500 children are diagnosed with cancer each year, and a myriad of organizations help them. These are some of them: • Zichron Menachem, an association supporting children with cancer and their families, has just marked its 18th anniversary by building at the Tel Aviv port what it hopes will be declared the longest bench in the world (some 33 meters). • The Israel Children's Cancer Foundation provides critical funding to major pediatric cancer centers throughout the country. • Ezer Mizion's Cancer Support Division conducts bone marrow drives for children after first testing 5,000 potential donors to save the life of a young man named Moshe Schayek in 1998. It has an agreement with the IDF whereby new recruits undergo testing as part of their induction process. • Mishelet Lev, the local affiliate of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, grants wishes to children between the ages of three and 18 suffering from life-threatening illnesses, including cancer. • Magshimim Halomot (Realizing Dreams) is a nonprofit organization established 10 years ago by parents of children with cancer. • Amutat Haim is a nonprofit organization of volunteers dedicated to helping children suffering from cancer.