Something strange is happening with the Dan Hotels chain. In February, 2020, Haim Shkedi, a 43-year veteran of the Dan chain, 25 of which he spent as general manager of the company’s King David flagship hotel, announced his retirement. Earlier this year, Sheldon Ritz, the urbane assistant to the King David general manager, and for many years in charge of foreign embassies and delegations, announced that he too was leaving. He is now the general manager of the Vert Hotel. Last week, Ronen Nissenbaum, the president and CEO of the Dan chain, told Michael Federmann, the chairman of the chain’s executive board that he was resigning for personal reasons, and that the resignation will become effective in five months.
The hotel industry is a very nomadic profession, especially at executive level. Department managers often move to another hotel in the chain or to another chain altogether after two or three years at the job. But the Dan chain prides itself on veteran staff, some of whom have been on the payroll for more than half a century. Several of the ultra-efficient waiters at the King David who are close to, if not past retirement age, came to work at the hotel when they were still boys.
It should be noted that none of the above has anything negative to say about Dan. To the contrary, each has expressed deep appreciation to the Federmann family for their support and the confidence they had in them. Admittedly, the hotel industry – in fact the whole of the tourist industry in its various components – has gone through the doldrums, but things are beginning to pick up now that Health Ministry restrictions have been relaxed, so people working in hotels can have a much more positive feeling about job security. But quite a lot of hotel staff got used to not working, and managers are finding it very difficult to entice them to return.
MORE THAN 150 Canadian expats and their families attended the dedication last week in the JNF-KKL’s Ayalon-Canada Park (adjacent to Latrun) of the Michael Levenstein Memorial Olive Grove. The project was dedicated by his family and friends to mark the first anniversary of his passing.
Dr. Levenstein was a prominent member of the religious-Zionist Canadian immigrant community. He came to Israel from Toronto as a young man, and became an esteemed community leader, accomplished family medicine doctor, respected Torah scholar, and Zionist trailblazer. For the past 30 years, he directed Clalit Health Services clinics in Mevaseret Zion and Pisgat Ze’ev, and was coordinator of training in family medicine for the HMO. While he healed many over the years, he was unable to heal himself and passed away at 60 from cancer.
Among the speakers at the dedication of the memorial grove were his son, Adv. Elnatan Levenstein, his close friends David Deitcher and David M. Weinberg, the noted archaeologist Prof. Dan Bahat (a family friend and a patient of Levenstein’s), and Yuval Itach of KKL.
Levenstein’s mother, Linda, and his sisters, Sari and Carol, came from Toronto for the dedication. Also participating were his in-laws, Dr. Chuck and Connie Solomon of Jerusalem, and the entire Solomon clan. His widow, Leora, together with his mother unveiled the dedication stone. Prof. Amnon Lahad of Clalit, who worked closely with Levenstein and his wife, Prof. Efrat Levy-Lahad, of Shaare Zedek Medical Center were also among the participants.
The development of the Michael Levenstein Olive Grove inside Ayalon-Canada Park transformed a large olive tree plantation into a picnic/recreation area. This involved forestry work, building retaining walls and terraces, paving an accessible walking path and parking spots, and installing picnic tables (some with access for people with physical disabilities) and water faucets.
ELSEWHERE IN the Jewish world, the Jewish National Fund in Australia will celebrate the JNF’s 120th anniversary year with a virtual gala on October 5 that will be headlined by Ron Dermer, who was Israel’s 18th ambassador to the US, actress and Israel activist Noa Tishby, comedian and actor Elon Gold and singer Eden Alene, who represented Israel at Eurovision.
Due to a protracted lockdown, this is the second consecutive year in which the annual JNF gala in Australia will be virtual. More than 2500 households tuned in last year.
The American-born Dermer, who in 2013 succeeded fellow American-born ambassador to US Michael Oren, remained in office until 2021, when he was succeeded by current ambassador Gilad Erdan, who is a native Israeli and who will celebrate his 51st birthday on September 30. Curiously, Dermer assumed office on what was Erdan’s 43rd birthday. Dermer previously served as Israel’s economic attaché to the US from 2005 to 2008.
Dermer who returned with his family to Jerusalem is still engaged in strengthening Israel-America relations. He is a non-resident distinguished fellow of the Washington-based Jewish Institute for National Security of America.
Dermer was one of Benjamin Netanyahu’s most trusted confidantes during the latter’s terms as prime minister. He was also very close to Natan Sharansky, both as a political adviser and co-author of The Case for Democracy. For close to three years from 2001 to 2004, Dermer was a Jerusalem Post columnist.
Tishby, in addition to being a producer, actress and fashion model, speaks out frequently in defense of Israel, and has written a book, Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth. During a recent visit home from Los Angeles where she lives, Tishby presented a copy of the book to President Isaac Herzog.
Australian JNF is involved in several projects in the Negev.
2021 HAS proved to be a propitious year for Dublin-born Malcolm Gafson, who is celebrating 18 years as chairman of the Israel-Irish Friendship League which works in close cooperation with the Irish Embassy. Earlier this year, Gafson celebrated his 70th birthday and the 40th anniversary of his aliya. But the cherry on the cake is yet to come. He has been nominated for the Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award, which is Ireland’s highest civilian award. If indeed, it is conferred on him, it will crown his years of work on behalf of both the land of his birth and his ancestral homeland.
THE CURRENT health crisis in which heads of public hospitals in Israel are delaying surgeries and other non-life-threatening treatments for lack of funding to pay staff and suppliers of medicines and medical equipment, is only part of the problem. With Israel’s rapid population growth, accompanied by a variety of physical ailments and chronic diseases, there are simply not enough nurses and doctors available to give patients the treatment they deserve and to which they are entitled. Moreover, Israel does not have sufficient medical schools in which to train all the young men and women who want to enter medical professions. As a result, many who are not accepted in Israeli medical schools go abroad to study. According to OECD statistics, Israel has one of the highest records in the Western world for physicians who have been trained in foreign countries. The ratio for qualified physicians who trained abroad is as high as 60%. To prepare Israelis for studying medicine in European universities, physician, educator and entrepreneur Dr. Moshe Cohen in 2006 established a preparatory facility for medical students which functions under the title of “Medical School.”
Because medical studies take longer than most others – and are more expensive for students studying abroad because they have to pay for accommodation, food and other items in addition to their studies – Cohen got together with Bank Hapoalim to work out an easy term loan plan for such students. At a meeting in Ramat Gan with the directorate of the Bank’s Central Region along with Prof. Martin Vokurka and Prof. Eitan Brizman, dean and deputy dean, respectively, of the Medical School at Charles University in Prague, it was decided that Bank Hapoalim will provide loans of up to 70% of tuition fees to students whose loans are approved. The students will open accounts at Bank Hapoalim through which the loans will be deposited.
Efrat Levin, who heads the bank’s central region said that Bank Hapoalim is very pleased to be able to provide a solution to a very serious problem.
ANYONE COMING across former president Reuven Rivlin during synagogue services or on the way to or from, should wish him happy birthday. Rivlin celebrated his 82nd birthday last week according to the Jewish calendar, and will officially turn 82 on September 9. Current President Isaac Herzog was also born in September and will celebrate his 61st birthday on September 22, which this year falls during the intermediate days of Sukkot. If all goes well, the President’s Residence will once again be open to the public on Sukkot. Visitors should remember to add “Happy Birthday” to their festival greetings if they happen to meet the president face to face.
A happy, healthy and socially rewarding year to all readers of this column. Hope to be back with you next year.
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