Short Takes

Rabbi Block, Social Action ‘Pioneer,’ Dies

11/08/2002 | Steve Lipman | Staff Writer

Rabbi Irving Block, the longtime spiritual leader of the Brotherhood Synagogue who brought an ecumenical flavor to the historic Manhattan congregation, died Oct. 31 of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 59.

Rabbi Block, who formed the congregation in 1954 and retired 40 years later, described himself as an “Orthodox rabbi serving a Conservative congregation with mostly Reform members.” He was among the first Jewish leaders to sponsor programs for the homeless and Jews with addictions.

Green Light For Green Line Giving

11/01/2002 | by Stewart Ain | Staff Writer

First, Jewish federations in the U.S. crossed the line — the Green Line — in allowing charitable dollars to help Jews in the West Bank and Gaza.
Now, it’s Canada’s turn.

Giving Blood Made Easier For Israel Visitors

11/01/2002 | by Stewart Ain | Staff Writer

Saying there cannot be a greater expression of solidarity with the people of Israel, Jewish leaders here announced that arrangements have been made for visitors to Israel to donate blood at their hotels or other convenient locations.
Some 25 mobile units will be made available to accommodate visiting groups of Jews and non-Jews who wish to donate blood, which will be used to meet regular medical services as well as the demands of terror victims and soldiers.

Nursing A Budget Deficit

11/01/2002 | by Adam Dickter | Staff Writer

City-funded nurses have been quietly pulled from dozens of parochial schools by the Bloomberg administration, and members of the City Council are trying to ratchet up the pressure to get them back.
“It’s a question of equity,” said Councilman Simcha Felder of Brooklyn, sponsor of a bill introduced last week that would require the city to make full-time registered nurses available at all private schools with more than 100 students. “It’s a question of making sure the health of all children in the city is protected.”

Grounds For Success

11/01/2002 | By Steve Lipman | Staff Writer

Sometime late next month a freighter from Israel will dock at Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania on the African coast of the Indian Ocean, and a shipment of large, perforated plastic pipes will be unloaded. David Robinson, a former New Yorker and current resident of Tanzania, will be at the Dar es Salaam port to make sure the pipes clear customs. And he will be in Dara, a mountainous area in western Tanzania near the Zambian border, when the pipes arrive by truck a few days later.