AFI turns 40!

In 1984, Bill Silvers had returned to Denver from a year at the Hadassah Hospital, had started his private practice, and began teaching at the University. One of his first fellows in his teaching clinic was a young Yosi Mekori, who came from Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba, to study with Henry Claman z'l. Bill wanted to do something to help allergy in Israel, and Yosi could help carry that mission forward. Bill started the Allergists for Israel Endowment Fund at the Allied Jewish Federation of Denver.  And the night before Yosi headed to Harvard and thereafter returned to Israel, we had the first meeting of AFI at Bill's home which included Henry Claman, Mark Levine, Alan Adinoff, Gary Siegel, David Pearlman, and Ross Wesley from the Faith Bible Chapel, a CUFI- Christians United for Israel supporter..

We began having Friday evening Kiddish in Bill's hotel rooms at the Academy and College meetings, and thereafter moved to more formal venues. At an early meeting in New York City, we bought a great assortment of meats but were still chastised by the Carnegie Deli of not having enough. We gave a lot out afterwards as YOSI can tell you!

Bill and a committed minion including – – – – –grew AFI for 18 years, then Lynn Mansfield transitioned leadership after a few years to Jonathan Bernstein who increased the organization’s funding on steroids and lead it for the next 20 years! Now we are onto the next generation with Len Bielory, Elliot Israel, and Joel Brooks, and energized and committed board-haveriim all!

Don Aaronson z’l provided the first Friday night Shabbat dinner in his presidential suite at the College meeting. And our first Sunday evening gala was at the Washington DC Academy meeting in the mid 1990s when Sheldon Cohen z’l regaled us with the Jewish background of Saint Joseph's aspirin.

Fast-forward to 2024 and our Friday evening social kiddush is attended by many Jewish and non-Jewish, and the Sunday evening gala has been a much appreciated extravaganza in wonderful venues –  remember the USS Midway aircraft carrier at the last San Diego meeting, and Eli Melzer's rabbi cousin’s synagogue at a previous San Diego Academy meeting, not to mention World class speakers, such as Stuart Eisenstat at last year's Washington DC Academy meeting and this year’s Alan Dershowitz.

And the last several years we've even added Sunday morning breakfast at the Academy honoring the multigenerational Bernstein allergy Family and the College adding my namesake –thank you Jonathan Bernstein et al!

So I hope to give you other tidbits for the history as we go forward, but for now, may we be strong and of good character, to go forth and do good. shalom.

“Dr. Bill” Silvers
Founder and now Historian of AFI

Countering Antisemitism in Medicine: A Framework for a Way Forward 

Tuesday, February 25 from noon – 1:00pm (MT) on Zoom 

Explore the issue of antisemitism in medicine with Hedy Wald, PhD, as she shares insights about the historical and current impacts of antisemitism in healthcare and discusses the transformative "4 Es" framework—Education, Engagement, Empathy, and Enforcement—for fostering inclusion and moral resilience in medicine. 

This talk is a must for medical students, medical professionals and community members committed to combating hate and building a more inclusive and just future in medicine and society.  

RSVP for Zoom link and calendar invite.     

Tel Aviv University together with Tel Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov) and Electra E&M Company won a grant of 4.5 million NIS from the Ministry of Economy and Industry to promote the biomed industry in Israel. The grant is part of a project with a total scope of NIS 15 million to establish an advanced facility for the production of viral vectors.

The announcement of winning the grant took place at a festive event held at the Steinhardt Museum of Nature. Participated in the event: Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat; CEO of the University, Gadi Frank; CEO of the Tel Aviv Medical Center, E.S. Surasky (Ichilov), Prof. Eli Shaparkar; CEO of Electra E&M, Tal Oron; and researchers from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, who lead the project, Prof. Ariel Monitz and Prof. Moti Gerlitz.

The grant will be provided within the framework of a new plan of the Ministry of Economy and Industry to invest in infrastructure in the fields of high-tech and deep-tech; The plan, in collaboration with the investors, will be carried out with a total investment of about 220 NIS

Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat: "Together with the business sector, we lay infrastructure to accelerate growth and strengthen @TAG's position as a leader in global entrepreneurship and innovation. The new plan will use the infrastructure for the growth of new companies, to create quality jobs and contribute to the increase of exports. The impressive response from the ground to the Reader's Voice indicates that we are on the right track, and 2025 will be a year of accelerated growth in general and export in particular, however, as part of a vision to increase Israeli exports from one hundred and fifty billion dollars to one trillion dollars exports per year in about fifteen years. "

CEO of Tel Aviv Ichilov Medical Center, Prof. Eli Shaparkar: "Ichilov is proud to lead together with the university innovation in the field of biomedical at the national and global level. Setting up the facility funded by the Ministry of the Economy is another milestone in our ability to provide independence and continuity to research in Israel and will allow us significant breakthroughs in the field of advanced therapies for the benefit of patients in Israel and in the world. ״

Tel Aviv University and Ichilov explain that the purpose of the project is to respond to the global shortage of viral vectors, essential for clinical trials and groundbreaking treatments in the field of Cell and Gene Therapies (GCT) - which provide innovative solutions to diseases such as cancer, infectious diseases and inflammatory diseases. The new facility, which will operate according to the GMP standard, will provide advanced technological solutions for research and industry, and will be a basis for expanding international cooperation and attracting foreign investment in the field.

Prof. Moti Garlitz and Ariel Monitz from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine at Tel Aviv University: "After two years of strenuous work behind the scenes we are happy to see that the state recognizes the essential need and is helping us move from the planning stage to the execution stage." This is a first and important step that will promote the industry in Israel in the field of the GCT and maintain the operational independence of the economy.

Ofer Logasi, CEO of the Tel Aviv University Economic Society: "This project is another step in the economic society's efforts to harness the vast knowledge accumulated in the university faculty for the benefit of the development of industry and the economy in Israel. ״

Strauss--Ronald Allen, age 80, passed away in Cleveland Heights, Ohio on January 12, 2025. He was born in NYC on May 30, 1944 to Kurt and Edith Strauss (Jacoby), German Jewish immigrants who came to America during World War II.

He attended Juilliard School of Music. He graduated from High School of Music & Arts (1962) and University of Rochester BA, Biology (1966), where he was a member of the Basketball Team and Alpha Delta Phi. He earned a Masters in Biology from NYU (1968) and is a graduate of SUNY Downstate College of Medicine (1972).

He met his future wife Eugenia on the Boston Shuttle and it was love at first sight. After 4 whirlwind dates they eloped, embarking on a 56 year romance. Ron completed a fellowship at National Jewish Health. In 1976, Ron and Eugenia opened the Cleveland Allergy & Asthma Center in Fairview Park, OH. For 49 years, Ron created a once in a generation practice.
In 2004 Ron and Eugenia and friends co-founded City Music Cleveland. They presented 350 free concerts and in 2024 received the Cleveland Arts Prize. Ron was a member of World Doctors Orchestra (WDO). He and Eugenia Co-Chaired with friends the WDO concerts in Israel in 2019. He was a former board member of the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Music America, City Music Cleveland and Healio- Allergy & Asthma.

Ron published 11 research papers in prestigious medical journals and was invited to be a Reviewer for JAACI-In Practice. Ron regularly said, "I am a wealthy man. I have my loving wife, 3 beautiful daughters, 3 sons-in-laws that love my girls and the 6 best grandchildren in the world".

He is remembered lovingly by his wife Eugenia Strauss, his brother Edward Strauss (partner, Dari Feinman), His stepsister Linda Kobler (Albert Glinsky), children, Misha Moore (Scott), Natasha Cornstein (Marc), Naomi Hightower (Stacey) and grandchildren, Hannah, Tobin, Stella Moore, Daniel Cornstein, Ari, Harvey Hightower. Contributions can be made in his honor to the "Dr. Ronald Allen Strauss Endowed Fund" for Save A Child's Heart. https://saveachildsheart.org.