Louisville has a special connection with the Western Galilee Region of Israel and Western Galilee Hospital. Through the Partnership 2Gether program, our communities have been linked since 1997. We’ve enjoyed cultural, educational, medical and business exchanges and built lasting friendships that span the ocean.
Earlier this month, there was an unusual occurrence at Western Galilee Hospital and the Friends of the Western Galilee Hospital shared it with us.
January 16, 2013
Dear Friends,
I had to share this cute story with you. It demonstrates exactly who we are as an organization, and the special community that we serve.
Yesterday, in a matter of few hours, four sets of twins were born in our maternity unit. Twins are no special story, except this time we had a Jewish mother, a Muslim mother, a Christian mother and a Druse mother!
The story spread up quickly, as it was published in two daily newspapers and in numerous radio programs and websites, and it sparked a great discussion about diversity and multiculturalism. In the last few hours, I even realized that some Jewish-Israeli advocacy websites have been using this story to demonstrate Israel’s special diversity. Maariv, one of Israeli daily newspapers, has even titled this story under “Multi Cultural Baby Boom” (trust me, it sound better in Hebrew….).
In days of heated political debate, less than a week before the elections, this is a little cute story that brings hope for a better future in our region. And you are part of it.
On a very different note – I had the pleasure of spending some time with Zoe Riekes, our dear president of the board, on her visit to the Western Galilee. Zoe explored the hospital in depth, met with staff and lay leaders, and I am sure that she will share her reflection with you once she gets back to the states after a VERY busy two weeks. We have made some great plans for action and we truly feel that this year will be a great one for the American Friends of Western Galilee Hospital! I want to thank you all for your involvement.
Hope to see you soon,
Amir Yarchi, CEO
Friends of Western Galilee Hospital
www.friendswgh.org.il