JHI’s thrust in Israel has been energetic and productive.

As a follow up to the medical evaluations performed in Ethiopia, mostly led by our extraordinary volunteer Dr. Paul Hart, Dr. Roger Brick, (Dr. Kutner’s Deputy) met with the directors of the Adsorption Center at Ayelet HaShahar for new Olim. Here extensive discussions were held to tweak and prefect the collection and flow of information from Ethiopia to Israel relative to the state of health of each new Oleh (immigrant.) In final analysis the directors of the Merkaz Klitah (adsorption center) stated unequivocally that the pre-screening had very significant impact on easing the integration of the Ethiopian Olim into the Israeli health care system. They reported that this screen allowed them to focus first on those with the greatest and most urgent needs.

In addition, volunteer ophthalmologists saw in follow-up the Olim at various Adsorption centers.

In the period of 2012-2013 (from Shavuot to Shavuot!) more than 2,500 children were evaluated by teams of JHI volunteers. The fruits of these evaluations, performed at multiple Youth Villages in Israel, was the finding that more than 10% of the children were in need of acute refractory correction! This facilitated a dramatic time savings for the Professional Staff at the Villages. Rather than send every child for hearing and vision evaluations only 10% had to be transported for fitment with glasses.

JHI, and its partner organization, Project Vision, are working with the Jewish Federation for Israel (JAFI) to bring JHI and PV volunteers to participate in their new Project “TEN,” the new Israeli “peace corps,” we are all most excited about this new plan.

Dr. Kutner with one of the Director Generals of a Youth Vilage