Jewish Life Digital Edition November 2013 | Page 8

ROUND-UP

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

CURE FOR CROHN’S DISEASE
IN THE OFFING?

T EX T C OM P I L E D B Y L I Z S A MUE L S

ISRAEL MOURNS
PASSING OF

A GREAT
LEADER

Crohn’s Disease is a debilitating inflammatory bowel
disorder that disproportionately affects Ashkenazi Jews.
However, a major advance has recently been made in the
search for a cure. Professor Tony Segal of University College
London believes he can now identify faulty genes in families in which the disease is prevalent. He says the finding of
two faulty genes as the probable cause of the disease in one
family of patients was “a huge step forward”, and if confirmed, could lead to a cure for Crohn’s sufferers, of which
there are an estimated 1.4 million in the US alone. Crohn’s
causes severe abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, weightloss and fatigue. The incidence of Crohn’s Disease within the
Ashkenazi Jewish community is up to three or four times
higher than in the general population. Until this breakthrough, the genetic cause of Crohn’s remained unclear. By
looking at the genetic make-up of Jewish families with a
high incidence of the disease, Prof Segal and his team have
discovered what appears to be one of its causes: two faulty
genes, which in combination are the cause of Crohn’s in
one extended family of over 200 people. If further genetic
causes are found in other families, he said, “Genes like this
could be replaced by gene therapy.”

MPS ACROSS THE WORLD TO
ATTEND MEMORIAL EVENT AT
AUSCHWITZ
Hundreds of thousands of people converged on Jerusalem to mourn the
death of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef last month, with crowd estimates as high
as 800 000 and possibly close to one million people. This was clearly the
largest funeral since the founding of the State of Israel, as the people paid
tribute to one of the greatest Torah minds of the generation. The entire
city was crowded with people walking, mourning and participating in
the funeral, despite the fact that police had begged people to stay away,
warning of the danger to life caused by the sheer number of people being
squeezed into spaces and roads that were not big enough to accommodate
them. Afterwards, the municipality workers began a huge cleanup
operation in the Geulah and Sanhedria areas, collecting tens of thousands
of plastic water bottles for recycling and removing hundreds of barriers and
signs that were put up to control the crowds.
Israeli minister of transport, Yisrael Katz, declared that Road 16, the new
entrance highway into Jerusalem, will be named after Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef
zt”l. Planning of the new highway has already begun, with construction due
to begin next year. Katz said, “I have decided to name the new entrance
road to Jerusalem for the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Rabbi Yosef was a great
figure for the people of Israel and a great figure in Jerusalem. This road will
run from Mevasseret and will pass by the neighbourhood of Har Nof, where
the rabbi lived. Road 16 will symbolically link two great men: Menachem
Begin and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, through the two main entrances to the city.”

6 JEWISH LIFE

ISSUE 68

Over 200 members of parliaments from around the world
will meet hundreds of Holocaust survivors in January next
year, at Auschwitz, to discuss combating anti-Semitism
and to honour the survivors on International Holocaust
Remembrance Day.
Organising the event is London-born Israeli Jonny
Daniels, the CEO of the non-profit organisation, From
the Depths, which works to preserve the memory of the
Holocaust. Daniels said a significant feature of the event
would be an Israeli Knesset session, led by its speaker, Yuli
Edelstein, which will take place on site in Auschwitz. At
least 60 MKs from all major parties will be attending. Daniels believed it would be “the first time in history that one
government has held a session on the grounds of another.
The fact that the Polish government has invited us, and that
there’s a connection between the Polish government and
the Israeli government – that is truly remarkable.” Daniels
said, “We’re working closely with the European Friends of
Israel to bring delegations from Europe. It’s also very important to us that Chief Rabbi Mirvis flies out. It is of utter
importance to do this event now,” he added. “If I could do it
next week, I would. A survivor dies every hour.”