NORTH An inauguration ceremony took place last week to mark the opening of a new Shorashim (Roots) center in Upper Nazareth. The center – which provides assistance and support to thousands of couples who are in the process of determining and proving their Jewish roots before getting married – is operated by the Tzohar organization and supported by the government, the Harry Triguboff Foundation and the Dov Friedberg – Yedidut Toronto foundation. It is expected to provide service to thousands of immigrants in the North and relieve them of the long and arduous bureaucratic process involved in certifying one’s Jewish identity.Attending the ceremony were the Triguboff Foundation’s founder, Australian businessman and philanthropist Harry Triguboff; MK Elazar Stern (Hatnua); Tzohar executive director Rabbi Dr. Moshe Be’eri; Shalom Norman, director of the Harry Triguboff Fund; Nazareth Mayor Shimon Gapso; and his deputy Alex Gadalkin.Gadalkin thanked the participants and noted the challenges and difficulties that immigrants face.“We are pleased that we have managed to take an important step in this city and to help with any type of investigation into Judaism and conversion,” he said, adding, “Today it is enough just to pick up the phone and dial Shorashim, and you will arrive at a place where you can receive qualified assistance, free of charge and strictly confidential.”At its annual conference, which also took place last week, Shorashim presented data about the center’s activity, showing that there had already been many requests this year: In the first half of 2013 the center received 2,690 requests for help, and out of those the rabbinate has already approved over 1,000 inquiries about Jewish identity.Speaking at the annual meeting, Tzohar chairman Rabbi David Stav, who is a candidate for chief rabbi, said that people were not aware of all the suffering that thousands of people in the country undergo out of their desire to be connected to the Jewish nation.“I thank you for the privilege we have in being partners in this wonderful project of returning the lost sons of Israel,” he added.Syrian patient dies in Safed hospital A Syrian who was receiving treatment at Ziv Medical Center in Safed after suffering serious wounds in the Syrian civil war died in the hospital on Sunday, Israel Radio reported. The man arrived at the hospital around two weeks ago.Israeli medical institutions have so far treated dozens of individuals sent over the border from its war-torn neighbor to the North.Teens hurt in brawl at Achziv Four youths were wounded on Sunday night after getting into a fight at Achziv Beach. All four were residents of a village in the western Galilee. They were evacuated to the Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya, one of them moderately wounded and three lightly. Police said that those involved in the fight had probably been under the influence of alcohol, according to the Local website.Police opened an investigation into the incident.CENTER 1 dead, 2 wounded in fight outside Ramle banquet hall One person was killed and two people were wounded in a fight in Ramle last weekend during which gunshots were heard outside of a banquet hall.Magen David Adom provided treatment at the scene and evacuated three people to the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, including a critically wounded individual who succumbed to his wounds at the hospital.Maccabi Rishon youth mark successful season The Maccabi basketball club in Rishon Lezion marked the end of a successful season last week, holding a festive ceremony for its youth division. Some 750 people attended – both female and male players, along with their coaches, board members, families, friends and fans.During the ceremony trophies went to the champions, outstanding players and coaches who were ending their time in the division. Children from different groups played all-star games in between a number of speeches.Yitzhak Perry, chairman of the Maccabi Rishon Lezion club, congratulated the players, coaches and anyone else involved, on their achievements and efforts throughout the season.“I want to thank the Rishon Lezion Municipality and especially the mayor, Dov Tzur, for his involvement in those moments when we needed a strong back,” he said. He also thanked the director of the youth division, Nissim Aladjem, “for producing such amazing results,” and the players and their coaches for their investment in each youth.“We are all here to help you blossom, to grow and to excel, and we believe in you,” he told the young players.The club’s CEO, Gilad Ziv, wrapped up the evening by saying that the “Rishon Lezion Maccabi basketball club’s youth division is the largest and best in the country, and we see the evidence of this in all ages and levels.” He personally thanked division managers Aladjem and Elimelech Heller, as well as the other managers and coaches, for their wonderful work.From community center to night museum English-speaking after-school program, Englilush, transformed the Neveh Gan community center in Ramat Hasharon into a museum last week to celebrate the end of the school year, as the summer vacation began for its first- and second-grade participants.In an event called “The Night at the Museum,” Englilush staff filled the center with artwork created by the children and their counselors during the year, against a backdrop of chandeliers, flowers and snowflakes made out of hundreds of recycled plastic bottles.The children also assumed the roles of museum staff for the night, acting as security guards, tour guides, designers, technicians, chefs and serving staff. In addition, the 50 children who attended the program throughout the year banded together to put on a performance of English-Irish boy band One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” The youngsters had worked all afternoon to put on a varied spread of snacks, including cookies, fruit skewers and vegetable wraps.Herschel Gutman, the national cricket development officer for the Israel Cricket Association, also made an appearance at the event. Gutman – named this year’s ICC Europe Coach of the Year – taught the sport in the after-school program throughout the year. At last week’s event, the children put into practice the skills they had learned, and Gutman batted for the kids’ team as they competed against their parents in a friendly game.New Jersey immigrant Lily Ziegler, the founder of Englilush, set up the program two years ago to teach Israeli children English.SOUTH Baby boom in Beersheba hospital Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center saw a baby boom last week when 59 babies were born in one day, the Local website reported. An average of 35 babies are born per day in Soroka’s delivery room, which has one of the country’s highest rates of births per year; in 2012, more than 15,000 babies were born there. Last week, the team of doctors and midwives at the hospital’s Saban Pediatric Center had their hands full delivering the 59 babies, including five Caesarean sections and a set of twins.“Since the opening of the Saban Center we have witnessed a steady increase in the number of births at the hospital,” said Prof. Moshe Mazur, head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. “A record number of births are recorded every year during the summer and fall months, and we expect an increase in the number of births in the coming months, too.”Dog owner arrested over pets' viciousness Arad police arrested a 35-year-old resident of the city last week after his three attack dogs allegedly assaulted a passerby and wounded his dogs. The canines’ alleged victim said he had been walking his dogs near the suspect’s house when the attack dogs dug a trench under the fence and managed to escape and attack him and his dogs.The man then went to the police station and filed a complaint, and police launched a search and arrested the dogs’ owner.Police were also working with the municipal veterinarian to draft a workplan on the issue of attack dogs.
