While songbirds and other wild birds are not thought to be susceptible to the current Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza epidemic, Dr Dan Forman, Chairman of the Teton County Board of Health and Associate with the state wildlife veterinary issues says disinfecting of domestic bird feeders is advised.

“As far as cleaning the feeders, and this should be done if possible on a weekly basis, especially during this current upsurge with this Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. I always recommend people use a good dish soap like Dawn detergent…works really, really well”.

Dr. Forman says the literature that is currently being distributed about the epidemic has not referenced transmission to pet birds in the house, but he would still approach the possibility with caution. That includes not tracking in any excrement from waterfowl into the home environment.

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Originally Appeared Here

A student is questioning how a mouldy flat could simultaneously meet healthy home standards and send him to the emergency room.

Andre Mason​, 25, spent 2021 documenting the damp and mould in his Dunedin flat and the number of times he visited a doctor, but it wasn’t enough – the tenancy tribunal stood by the property owner.

“I genuinely thought with it being called a ‘healthy home standard’ I had a case,” he said.

During the year, the PhD student went from being physically fit and a keen mountainbiker, to not even being able to walk to university.

STUFF

About 28,000 homes in New Zealand are always damp and always have visible mould, a report says.

READ MORE:
* The gulf between a healthy home and a house that complies with Healthy Homes standards
* Nearly half of homes are damp and mouldy
* Damp and cold flats a Scarfie rite of passage or student slum?

He’d become short of breath and experienced chest pains. At one point his symptoms got so bad he had to go to the emergency department.

His declining health resulted in several doctors visits, and although the cause was never conclusive, his doctor believed it could be damp and mould-related.

“I’d never been asthmatic, but suddenly I’m on an inhaler,” he said.

Andre Mason/Supplied

Mould was found in the frame of his bed base, despite keeping the room as well ventilated as he could.

He had been symptom-free since moving out in December.

The flat was in the suburb of Dalmore, where homes were known to get less sun and were prone to damp.

Mason knew this moving in. He said at $220 a week, a self-contained flat he could live in on his own that had a garage to store his mountainbike was too good to pass up.

After several years of being a tertiary student, he figured it couldn’t be worse than what he’d lived in before.

“You expect condensation, having to keep windows open and wipe them down every morning… my old flat was like that, that’s when I got a dehumidifier.

“But I’d never seen that level of condensation and mould before, definitely not in summer months.”

The property managers sent in tradespeople three times across his tenancy to bleach visible mould. Mason ran the dehumidifier in different parts of the house 24 hours a day for six months, and said it had to be emptied every 12 hours.

Come winter, he was struggling to keep on top of the mould and his health was worsening.

His property manager agreed he could end the tenancy early if he could find a replacement, but he couldn’t.

Andre Mason/Supplied

A Dunedin PhD student said he knew how to keep a flat clean, but couldn’t keep up with the mould growth.

By the time it came to move out in December, he was shocked to discover mould had infected areas he hadn’t thought to check, including his bed base and mattress.

Despite never closing the wardrobe door “to keep it airing”, an expensive sleeping bag and clothes, including a kilt he used for bag piping, were covered in mould.

“I wasn’t planning on going to the tenancy tribunal… but I added it all up to see what it’d cost to replace, and it was over $6000.”

He assumed he’d get less than that, something to cover dry cleaning bills for what could be salvaged.

But the tenancy tribunal dismissed his case in March 2022, ruling that because the house technically met healthy home standards and because the property managers had treated the mould when requested, there was no fault.

The ruling suggested the landlord look into improved sealing and check the wallpaper for mould spore contamination.

Because there was no fault, Mason couldn’t claim insurance on his damaged property.

There was no requirement for a professional to inspect properties to determine whether or not it met the standard. Anyone, including the landlord themselves, could state their home was up to standard. The onus was on the tenant to prove otherwise.

If an inspection was carried out, the landlord had no obligation to share the findings with tenants.

According to a work order provided to the tribunal, a healthy homes inspection was completed in early 2021 by Betta Group.

Andre Mason/Supplied

Mould marks around shoes in his wardrobe in December, despite the area being bleached just months previously.

Mason said his requests to see the report had been denied.

Phil Squire​, the Fair Energy Manager at the Sustainability Trust in Wellington said a healthy home and a home which met the healthy home standard wasn’t necessarily the same thing.

“[It’s] simply saying that the rental property either meets or is exempt from meeting basic insulation, heating, ventilation, moisture ingress and drainage requirements.

“Meeting, or indeed being exempt from the standards, does in no way warrant that the house is able to be kept warm and dry at a reasonable cost. As an example, a compliant heating device is only required in the main living area.”

Although he couldn’t comment on the condition of the property in question, he said properties with breeze block walls on a concrete pad like Mason’s wouldn’t need to be insulated under the current standard.

It was why organisations like his advocated for better standards, including a requirement for healthy home assessors to be certified.

Hamish McNeilly/Stuff

A University of Otago study into tertiary student housing conditions showed 35% of the 522 respondents said they had mould larger than an A4 sheet of paper growing in their houses “at least some of the time”.

He said many landlords used professionals to assess their homes, as failing to comply meant tenants were eligible for thousands of dollars in compensation, but they had no obligation to share those reports with tenants.

A University of Otago study into tertiary student housing conditions released earlier this month showed 35% of the 522 respondents said they had mould larger than an A4 sheet of paper growing in their houses “at least some of the time”.

This was compared to 17% of the general population.

Harcourts declined to comment.

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Originally Appeared Here

Due to the continued spread of a stomach bug at Estes Park Elementary School (EPES), in collaboration with the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE) and Environment, school officials have been advised to close down EPES this coming Monday (April 25) and Tuesday.

• April 25th and 26th EPES will not have school
• April 25th and 26th EPMS and EPHS WILL be in session
• Any event at the EPES, including the Bee Hive Party is cancelled.

Several student are confirmed cases of Norovirus, a highly contagious virus, according to a release from the school. Symptoms include: Diarrhea, vomiting, low-grade fever, body aches, headache, and abdominal cramping.

The custodial staff will be focusing on deep cleaning in Estes Park Middle and High Schools this weekend and will focus on deep cleaning EPES on Monday and Tuesday.

The decision was made due to the fact that the incubation period of the Norovirus is 24-48 hours, therefore the recommendation from the LCDHE is given in order to break this spread to maintain that 48 hours.

“As a reminder, your child must be symptom free for 48 hours prior to return to school,” school officials said. “If you have a sibling in the Middle or High School and your Elementary student is ill, please keep ALL of your children home.”

Staff and teachers are also asked to not enter the EPES building on Monday or Tuesday unless they have been cleared to do so or are part of the custodial team.

District Response

The superintendent, district nurse, and principals are working together in cooperation with the communicable disease team at LCDHE. The district is following the guidance provided by LCDHE including,

• Any sick student is being isolated and then sent home.
• High-touch surfaces will receive extra disinfecting over the weekend in addition to routine cleaning measures.
• Superintendent and the Board of Education are in consult.
• Buses have been disinfected in advance of evening routes.

How families can help

If your student experiences any of these symptoms, please keep them home. Due to the high rate of transmission with this virus, students need to be symptom-free for 48 hours before they may return to school.

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Originally Appeared Here

Some objects we handle every day are hardly ever, and sometimes never, cleaned. Here are three of the most commonly used things around our house that we often neglect while cleaning up and you’ll be surprised by some of them.

Whether you live alone or with your family and furry pets, a cleaning ritual is a must. Many people prefer to take time during the weekend to vacuum the house, do the laundry, and clean dusty and dirty surfaces. How intensive the cleaning process is depends on every individual, but even the most meticulous people forget to clean these three things which can be a breeding ground for bacteria.

This is why you should clean your keys

This is why you should clean your keys Maria Ziegler

If there’s one thing we never leave the house with, that is our keys. We use it at least twice a day and for most of the day, it’s jumbled up with a bunch of forgotten things in the bottom of our bags—just imagine the amount of bacteria that is thriving in the little nooks and crannies.

This is why you should disinfect your keysregularly. You don’t need to go ham with it, just spray with some cleaning solution and wipe it down.

This is why you should clean your switches

This is why you should clean your switches Heeren Darji

Try to estimate how many times you have used the light switches in the rooms in your house or apartment. It’s impossible to come up with a number because that’s how often we use it. Now, just think about all the surfaces and dirty things you touched before touching these tiny appliances…you know where this is going.

Don’t just wipe down your kitchen counters and floors—give your switches some love too.

This is why you should clean your remote control

This is why you should clean your remote control Erik Mclean

Apart from our smartphones and our switches, the next most used and necessary item in your house is probably the remote control of your television. Now, if you like to grub while watching Netflix, chances are your remote control is full of tiny food particles. Not only that, but it’s an item we frequently drop, and sleep, sneeze and cough on.

When cleaning the remote, be sure to take off the batteries first. You can then use some rubbing alcohol to disinfect and be sure to get in between all the buttons—that’s where all the build up is!

Read more:

⋙ 3 unknown ways you can use detergent to clean your home effectively

⋙ This is the place everyone forgets to clean in their home and it is actually very dirty

⋙ Four clever ways to use your dishwasher (not just for cleaning dishes!)

This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

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Originally Appeared Here

The WeHa Artists Emporium’s fifth Art Trail event will include a visit to five locations and a chance to support people in need both in Ukraine and locally.

Artist Julie Phillipps puts the final touches on a sunflower painting. Courtesy photo

By Ronni Newton

The WeHa Artists Emporium’s upcoming Art Trail will be an event celebrating the spring as a season of color and creation, but will also involve the opportunity to help people in need both in Ukraine as well as in the West Hartford community.

The fifth Art Trail, planned for Saturday, April 30, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., will feature the work of 14 local artists, who will display their creations at five different locations all within walking distance of each other in the Morley School area. It’s a chance for artists to meet their patrons in person and to connect with old friends and make new friends.

Participants in a previous WeHa Artists Emporium Art Trail. Courtesy photo

Many of the artists this year are also offering their talents to support a variety of causes.

Sunflowers, which have become a ubiquitous symbol associated with Ukraine and support for its people against Russia, will be featured on many works the sale of which will support World Central Kitchen – an organization that has been feeding refugees in Ukraine and those who have fled to nearby Poland.

Artist Julie Phillipps has created watercolor sunflowers and sunflowers stickers that will be available at the Art Trail in support of World Central Kitchen. “Artists are usually very generous people,” she said. “When we see others in need, we try to use our art to help.”

Sunflower earrings by Linda Gagnon of Quilibet Jewelry. Courtesy image

Blue and yellow sunflower beads have been turned into bracelets and earrings by Linda Gagnon of Quilibet Jewelry, and a portion of the proceeds from sale of those items will be donated to World Central Kitchen.

Sunflower stickers created by artists Denise Balcanoff and Annie Hayami will raise funds for the Project Hope and the Red Cross in Ukraine, respectively.

Participants are also invited to drop off non-perishable food items at the Art Trail stop at 35 North Quaker Lane, and those who donate three or more items will receive a free lemonade or coffee from the bake sale fundraiser that will be held at that location – where work by Stefanie Marco of Kindspin Design, Christy Corey, Kerri Michaud-Bagley of Heart Stone Gallery, and Rachel Shuler of Mountain Tree Studios will be on display.

“We’ve been doing this bake sale for years,” said Marco, a founder of the WeHa Artists Emporium. “It started because we wanted to teach our kids to give back to the community.”

A participant checks out some items for sale during the October 2021 WeHa Artists Emporium Art Trail. Courtesy photo

Other stops on the Art Trail. include 23 Farnham Road, where Phillipps and Amy Casazza will have their work on display. Annie Hayami Art and Quilibet Jewelry will be available at 111 Foxcroft Avenue, and at 45 Grisold Drive patrons will find work by Monica Boeckmann Whalen of The House She Loved, Samantha Barnard of Barnard Home Crafters, and Balcanoff of Soulful Creations.

Elizabeth Hanlon of Elizadolittletoday Photography, Shannon Mastrangelo of Hello Alice, Phil Dube of the WEHA Candle Company, and artist Kimberly Heil will have their work on display at 70 Ballard Drive.

Map of WeHa Artists Emporium Spring Art Trail

The WeHa Artists Emporium’s Art Trail is an outdoor event and the group is asking visitors to exercise courteous COVID-19 behaviors, including wearing a mask if necessary or desired, disinfecting their hands regularly, and maintaining safe distances. In case of rain the Art Trail will be held on Sunday, May 1, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Courtesy of WeHa Artists Emporium

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.

 

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Originally Appeared Here

“Right now would be the time of year when you might be at higher risk of having one of these human-biters get on your clothing,” said Bob Lane, professor emeritus of medical entomology at UC Berkeley, who has been studying ticks in California since the 1970s.

California is home to 48 species of ticks, the puny invertebrates known for attaching to animals — sometimes humans — to feed. In some cases, as the parasites slowly gorge on the blood of their host, they will transmit bacteria, protozoans or viruses that can infect the host, most notably with Lyme disease, which can be serious and debilitating.

Lyme disease, which is much more common on the East Coast, is an “uncomfortable but highly treatable disease,” according to the Bay Area Lyme Foundation. However, it can be difficult to diagnose, and if it goes untreated, it can produce “crippling” joint and muscle pain, cognitive impairment, nausea and cardiac and respiratory issues, according to the nonprofit. Ticks can also transmit microbes that cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and human granulocytic anaplasmosis, among other diseases.

Of the local tick species, six are known to regularly attach to humans as they seek out sustenance, but only immature ticks known as nymphs and adult female Western black-legged ticks transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. California usually has fewer than 100 reported cases of Lyme disease each year, Lane said.

While the risk of contracting a serious tick-borne illness isn’t particularly high on the West Coast, it’s not something you want to risk, Lane said. People should make every effort to steer clear of the arachnids, especially in places where Lyme cases are more prevalent, such as northwestern California and the northern Sierra.

“Give ticks the respect they deserve, and do everything you possibly can to avoid having direct contact with them,” Lane said.

Here are 10 facts and tips that could help you avoid ticks — and the diseases they may carry — on your next outdoor adventure.

• Spring and early summer are when people are most likely to be bitten by a tick in California, since that’s when Western black-legged tick nymphs are most abundant. On clear, warm days, the adults are most active in the early morning and late afternoon, Lane said.

• Ticks are known to attach to humans from leaf litter, as well as rocks, logs, tree trunks and firewood. Keep in mind that disease-carrying ticks can inhabit coastal shrubland near beaches, not just dense forests, Lane said. Ecotones, or transition areas between different vegetation types, are also known to harbor more ticks.

• If you’re on a trail, try to walk in the center of the trail, away from the vegetation at the edges. If the trail is on a hillside, try to avoid contact with plants on the uphill side, where adult human-biting ticks in the Bay Area have been found to congregate, Lane said.

• Check your clothing — especially your pants, socks and shoes — every hour or two while you are in an area that could have lots of ticks. Acaricides or repellents that can be sprayed on skin or clothing offer an added layer of protection. It’s best to have another person check you, too, if possible. Remove ticks before they get a chance to attach themselves to your body.

• Pets can also suffer tick bites and acquire diseases from infected ticks. Dogs especially are “like vacuum cleaners for picking up adult-stage ticks,” Lane said. When you leave an area that could have ticks, check your pets, as well as any clothing or equipment such as collars, harnesses and leashes. Undetected, unfed ticks on a pet can end up in your bed or couch at home.

• When you get home, check your skin thoroughly. Ticks can be the size of a poppy seed or smaller. Try to shower within a couple of hours of leaving a wooded area.

• If a tick is attached to your skin, remove it as promptly as you can. Use tweezers if you have them handy; otherwise, use a tissue or your bare fingers. Grasp the tick as close to its mouth as possible and slowly pull it straight out. Take extra care when pulling out a tick that has been attached for a while or that is bloated with blood, as squashing a fed tick can increase the chances of transmission of disease-carrying microbes.

• There is a bit of a “grace period” between the time a disease-carrying tick bites and the moment it can transmit the disease-carrying microbe, Lane said. In the case of Lyme disease, after a bite, it could take at least two or three days for a Western black-legged nymph tick to transmit the disease-causing bacterium to a human. Deer ticks, which are prevalent on the East Coast but not in California, may transmit bacteria more quickly, within a day or two.

• You may not see or even feel a tick when it bites you. Some tick species appear to have a kind of anesthetic compound in their saliva that makes the bite “unnoticeable,” Lane said.

• If you’ve been bitten, simply clean the wound with soap and water, and if available, apply a mild antiseptic such as rubbing alcohol to disinfect the bite wound.

Andy Picon (he/him) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @andpicon

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Originally Appeared Here

MOSHAV AZARIA, Israel (JTA) — Doron Toweg’s farmyard is as quiet, peaceful and unruffled as his voice. Apart from the occasional bleat from Gila and Simcha — two sheep kept by Toweg and his wife Ilana — the farm is perfectly still.

It’s a far cry from the bustle that unfolded on a daily basis here prior to Rosh Hashanah holidays of years past, when the chatter of Thai farmhands competed with the rumble of idling tractors — the kind Toweg drove in TV ads for Strauss, one of Israel’s largest food distributors, back when he was the company’s exclusive eggplant supplier.

That came to an end in 2014, when Toweg deliberately destroyed his entire eggplant crop. He injected their irrigation lines with poison in a dramatic effort to comply with a biblical commandment requiring Jews to let their fields lie fallow every seven years.

“Strauss thought I’d fallen on my head,” Toweg said about the distribution company after he announced his plans to comply fastidiously with the rules relating to the commandment to give fields a sabbatical, called shmita.

The company severed ties with him. His other customers, contractors and creditors were far from pleased, as well.

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Yet the sudden spiritual turn made Toweg, a third-generation farmer in central Israel, a guru for a growing movement of Orthodox Jews in Israel and beyond who want more farmers to eschew a loophole that has allowed Jews to continue working their land — and making a profit from their crops — during shmita years.

Doron Toweg stands below a sign provided by Keren Hashviis, a group that supports Jewish farmers in Israel who obey shmita laws. (Deborah Danan/JTA)

Another shmita year began with Rosh Hashanah this past September. In its first two weeks, Toweg estimates, 3,000 people came to the farm seeking blessings from him. The first was a man in full Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) garb holding a crumpled piece of paper with a directive by Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, perhaps the foremost rabbinic authority among Haredi Jews whose funeral last month was one of the largest in Israel’s history.

The note instructed the man to seek out a blessing from a farmer who keeps shmita because there is “no one more faithful.”

As the farmer’s wife and the catalyst for her husband’s faith, Ilana Toweg has become an unwitting miracle worker, delivering hope for scores of people who arrived at her doorstep begging her to intervene on their behalf and appeal to God to bless them with good health, a child or a spouse. Every Friday evening after lighting the Shabbat candles, Ilana spends upwards of two and a half hours reading the requests she received.

Ilana Toweg was also part of an event hosted by Jamie Geller, Orthodoxy’s answer to lifestyle guru Rachael Ray, that drew 4,000 women to Jerusalem in late February.

Celebrity chef Jamie Geller and others speak at a shmita event held by Nshei Keren Hashviis at Binyanei Hauma in Jerusalem, on February 27, 2022. (Yecheskel Itkin/via JTA)

At one point, Geller surprised Ilana Toweg by inviting her up on stage to meet two Hasidic women to whom she had given a blessing back in 2014. The women, who had been struggling with infertility, gave birth to boys, including a set of twins, on the same day nine and a half months after receiving a blessing from Toweg.

“I was shaking and crying and extremely emotional,” Toweg said of meeting them. “But,” she added, smiling, “there’s a huge sense of responsibility knowing that anyone who asks me for a baby might now expect to give birth in nine and half months.”

The event was organized by Keren Hashviis, an organization that is the engine of the shmita movement. The group is spending $66 million this year to subsidize Israeli farmers who aren’t producing crops. Seven years ago, during the last shmita year, the group’s budget was just $27 million.

Shmita applies only to land in Israel that is owned by Jews. (Some Jewish farmers outside of Israel are engaging with shmita despite not facing any religious obligation.) Half of all that land is fallow this year, compared to a quarter seven years ago, according to Keren Hashviis’ North American CEO, Shia Markowitz.

“The mitzvah of shmita is every Jew’s no matter where he lives. But since we can’t all do it [on a practical level], God created another way for us to all do it together,” he said. “It’s the ultimate unifier.”

Deciding to comply with the strictures of shmita wasn’t easy for Doron Toweg. Although he is not Orthodox himself, he already followed many of the agricultural-related commandments such as tithes and orlah, or waiting three years before using the fruit from a newly planted tree.

But when it came to shmita he had always relied on the rabbinic loophole — known in Hebrew as a heter mechira — that allows for the symbolic sale of farms to non-Jews for the duration of the sabbatical year. The loophole is similar to the one that allows Jews to sell their chametz, or food that is not kosher for Passover, to non-Jews during Passover.

Ilana Toweg had already declared that her husband would observe the next shmita year for non-religious reasons — “It was for completely selfish reasons. I wanted him to rest,” she said — when a chance encounter with a young Haredi Orthodox Jew a month before Rosh Hashanah in 2014 cemented Doron Toweg’s resolve.

“He told me, ‘You’ll give up so easily on a mitzvah that we’ve waited 2,000 years in exile to be able to perform?’” Toweg recalled. “That touched something inside of me and I thought, ‘If I won’t do this mitzvah, who will?’”

At first, Toweg decided to allow only his open fields, totaling around 100 acres, to lie fallow, but to keep the greenhouses under the loophole formula he had used until then. Immediately after Rosh Hashanah and the start of the shmita year, he planted 20,000 eggplant saplings.

But then representatives from Keren Hashviis told him they wouldn’t assist him unless he kept shmita in its entirety.

Illustrative: A farmer returns from work in the greenhouse of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, near the Israel-Gaza border. (Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90)

Toweg agreed, and at the organization’s rabbis’ instruction, he turned off the water for the eggplants to allow them to die. The rabbis expected the plants to die within a week and a half, but Toweg knew better. Eggplants are sturdy vegetables that can last a while without water. More than a month later the starved plants had grown to 2 feet and showed no intention of surrendering. Uprooting the plants was impossible so the only choice left was to inject a disinfecting agent into the irrigation system. When released, the chemical would turn to gas and the plants would die.

“For so long these plants had been waiting for water, and finally they hear the system being turned on but it’s not water, it’s gas. Poison,” Toweg said, his voice steady. “Of course there’s this association with Jews who wait for water but it turns out to be gas and suddenly everyone dies. That was a difficult stage for me.”

Payments from Keren Hashviis have mitigated the challenge. The group is supporting more than 3,500 farmers over 169,500 acres of land, contributing up to 45% of each farmer’s operating expenses and covering big-ticket items like rent and combines. The organization will help in other ways as well, for example, liaising with relevant governmental bodies and negotiating with landlords to lower rents during shmita.

What it won’t do is directly replace lost income. But there are other sources of support for Israeli farmers, including small subsidies from the government and donations from women, many elicited by Geller.

The celebrity chef, who did not grow up Orthodox, said she was deeply touched by the stories she heard from Israeli farmers while sourcing Israeli honey and spices for her line of foods. She launched her own campaign, Support Our Farmers, which raises funds from all Jews regardless of religious affiliation and with a mission that goes beyond facilitating shmita.

“Food is an incredible way to connect people to their identity and heritage. But the next generation won’t carry on farming because big business has taken over,” Geller said. She noted that the average age of Israeli farmers is 65 with farmers accounting for only less than one percent of the population. (Farmers account for 2-3% of the population in other developed nations.)

Geller said educating and raising awareness about shmita has been a mammoth task. A marketing poll she carried out prior to the launch of her campaign found that 50% of respondents thought that shmita was synonymous with shmatta, the Yiddish word for “rag.”

“I myself grew up in a very Jewish and Zionist home, marching in the Israel Day Parade every year. Why didn’t I know about shmita?” the Philadelphia native asked.

Jewish celebrity chef Jamie Geller. (Courtesy)

But not everyone in Israel, including within its religious leadership, agrees that strictly abiding by shmita is necessary or even preferred. Proponents of heter mechira within Israel’s national religious bloc — what Americans might refer to as Modern Orthodox — regard the 125-year-old loophole not only as legitimate but optimal. They think that preserving Israel’s agricultural solvency — as well as the livelihoods of individual farmers — is of paramount importance, and relying on foreign-grown produce or that grown by non-Jews is antithetical to many of religious Zionism’s central tenets.

Rabbi Ari Kahn, a senior lecturer in Jewish studies at Bar-Ilan University, argues that modern-day realities can and should trump other considerations, including the most stringent interpretations of Jewish law.

“The response to what is ideal depends on the reality you’re dealing with. If you’re dealing with a fantasy about the messianic age, then the response would be one thing. But if you’re dealing with the modern State of Israel, with a large percentage of non-religious and non-Jewish people, then the ideal is heter mechira,” Kahn said.

According to Markowitz, there are problems with heter mechira. At the top of the list, he said, is that there isn’t any oversight ensuring that all the halachic, or Jewish legal, conditions are met.

“From the moment the farmer signs the heter mechira document, there is zero supervision. There is no one coming to check that Jews aren’t working the land [and violating halacha],” he said.

Kahn concedes that he is not aware of any supervision throughout the year on the part of the Israeli Rabbinate, but maintains that over the years many steps have been taken to fine-tune the provisos of heter mechira. For example, the Rabbinate now coordinates with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the sales are legally binding in a civil court and not just a rabbinic one.

Jewish farmer Gilad Fine from Bnei Netzarim stands inside his greenhouse which grows lettuce and kale using hydroponics on raised platforms to fulfill the biblical commandment to let his farmlands rest every seventh year, on October 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

(A third option for observing shmita is a practice called otzar beit din — in which the rabbinic court takes ownership of the land, thereby rendering it ownerless. And in some cases, farmers might get special permission to cultivate crops in hothouses that do not require planting in the ground.)

For the Towegs, there are myriad reasons to observe shmita fully and not enough to continue justifying heter mechira.

“While it might be difficult for the farmers, it’s still possible to keep shmita properly today because there is not the risk of starvation there once was,” Ilana Toweg said.

In addition to the agricultural benefits of allowing the soil to rest, Toweg also notes the environmental impact of shmita. Shmita ingrains values, she said, that dovetail with sustainability practices espoused by Jewish environmental activists in recent years. But apart from saving vast amounts of water and energy, the financial constraints have compelled the Towegs into a life of reduced consumption.

“Having to tighten your belt makes you think about everything you buy before you buy it,” she said.

Nevertheless, Toweg said, it was the spiritual and emotional growth that kept her and her husband in the game this shmita cycle.

“It’s about getting proportions and remembering what’s important in life,” she said. “You stop the rat race and suddenly you have time to focus on the spiritual and time to spend with your family.”

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Originally Appeared Here

Peace of mind for diners across Taiwanese restaurant chain

Signify installs its Philips UV-C lighting disinfection solutions in 80 restaurants run by TTFB, the largest Asian cuisine chain restaurant operator in Taiwan. Restaurants were among the hardest hit business sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. When lockdown regulations were lifted in August 2021, TTFB began the rollout of their advanced disinfection strategy across 80 of its chain restaurant locations, including Thai Town Cuisine, Very Thai Restaurant, and Shann Rice Bar.
Philips UV-C disinfection luminaires provide a well-established method of disinfection, UV-C light, used to disinfect air, water, and surfaces from pathogens. By deploying UV-C solutions throughout its restaurants, TTFB offers customers a dining environment that allows them to feel more secure from the moment they walk in the door. Customers can take off their face masks in the shared dining spaces knowing there is an added layer of protection against exposure to bacteria and viruses.

Double disinfection approach brings restaurant cleaning to an entirely new level

Together with Signify, TTFB designed a UV-C disinfection plan that covered all indoor areas, from the front entrance to the dining area to the kitchen. TTFB installed floor-standing Philips UV-C air disinfection units near the reception area where diners first enter the restaurant. The generous air flow and UV-C light will contribute to effectively inactivating bacteria and viruses in the air brought into the restaurant from outside.

TTFB installed Philips UV-C upper air disinfection luminaires in the dining areas, where people remove their face masks to eat. The Philips solutions continuously disinfect the upper air of an indoor space, and the disinfected upper air circulates down to the dining area through natural air convection, allowing consumers to feel more secure knowing there is an added layer of protection for them, while they enjoy their meals.

TTFB also installed Philips UV-C disinfection luminaires in the kitchen for surface disinfection of the cooking areas and workstations, which are timed to come on once the restaurant is closed and employees have gone home. Featured safeguard controls on the luminaires use sensor monitoring, which automatically shuts down the UV-C disinfection if a person or animal is detected within the range of the sensor, preventing potentially harmful exposure to the UV-C light.

At TTFB we are constantly improving our ‘safer restaurant’ strategy to further protect our employees and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe the co-operation with Signify not only increases our customers’ comfort level within our restaurants, but also delivers a future-proof solution for the industry that allows us to take a significant step forward,” said Doris Hsu, Customer Service Department Senior Manager of TTFB.

“At TTFB we are constantly improving our ‘safer restaurant’ strategy to further protect our employees and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Doris Hsu, Customer Service Department Senior Manager of TTFB. “We believe the co-operation with Signify not only increases our customers’ comfort level within our restaurants, but also delivers a future-proof solution for the industry that allows us to take a significant step forward.”

Eric Yu, General Manager of Signify Taiwan, said, “Our customers use Philips UV-C disinfection lighting devices to enhance their disinfection strategies. We are very proud to help TTFB level up their restaurants’ layer of protection and help bring peace of mind to their customers.”

Signify will have equipped all 80 of TTFB’s restaurants with UV-C disinfection lighting by the end of March 2022.

UV-C light

UV-C light is a well-established method of disinfection, used to disinfect air, water, and surfaces from pathogens. UV-C light breaks down the DNA or RNA of microorganisms, including viruses and bacteria, rendering them harmless3. Test results show that UV-C disinfection upper air luminaires inactivated 99.99% of SARS-COV-2 in the air of a room within 10 minutes1. UV-C disinfection upper air luminaires continuously disinfect the air in the upper areas of a room while there are people present underneath them2.

Signify has been at the forefront of UV technology for more than 35 years and has a proven track record in developing innovative UV-C disinfection solutions. Signify’s UV-C lighting is designed in accordance with applicable standards and regulations and must be installed and used according to product-specific safety instructions; being manufactured in controlled industrial processes.

For more information, visit Signify’s UV-C lighting solutions webpages here.

1 According to results obtained from a laboratory test conducted by Innovative Bioanalysis, a CAP, CLIA, AABB Certified Safety Reference Laboratory, in a room with sufficient air circulation. For more information, please refer to the test report available here.

2 UV-C light should always be installed by professionals in accordance with the safety requirements and instructions to avoid humans and animals from being exposed to protect their skin and eyes from potential damages.

3 Mayaleri et al (2016); Fluence (UV Dose) required to achieve incremental log inactivation of Bacteria, Protozoa, Viruses and Algae.

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Most of us want to do what we can to minimize our contributions towards climate change, to limit our exposure to dangerous chemicals, and to generate less waste, but it can be intimidating finding products that help accomplish those goals. Here are some of our favorite products that can make a small difference in the quest to be more sustainable and support businesses who want to make the world a better place.

$15

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These candles are made from up-cycled coconut shells, use all natural soy and coconut wax, a cotton wick, and phthalate-free fragrance oils and essential oils. They come in over 50 scents, so it’s easy to find one that fits your mood. The only drawback is that you should stop burning it when it’s down to 1/4 of the wax remains, which can be a little difficult to gauge. They also make outdoor candles to naturally keep bugs away. The company donates 5% of their profits to environmental charities.

$25

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Made of organic Haitian coffee, coconut oil, fine cane sugar, and Shea butter, this scrub will make you glow and will make your skin super soft. The smell transports me to a Caribbean paradise, which is perfect for chasing away the Monday morning blues. Caribbrew works with farmers in Haiti to provide better access to education, strengthen communities, and to create long term sustainable jobs that pay fair wages. The company was founded by women and is Black owned as well.

$23

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Huha makes breathable underwear out of tree-derived fiber from sustainably managed forests. The fiber is spun with soothing zinc oxide, which reduces odor and has antibacterial properties. I love that the line is inclusive of most sizes, ranging from 2XS to 3XL, comes in four styles and two fabric weights, and is free from synthetic materials that can cause irritation. They also plant a tree with every order.

$37

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I’m obsessed with this exfoliating foaming cleanser from Suki Skincare. It has an uplifting citrus scent, starts as a solid scrub and morphs into a luxurious foam, and is made of organic or clean ingredients. It makes my face smooth while soothing my skin with colloidal oat. I have really sensitive skin and haven’t had any issues with redness when using the product. Suki’s products are made for changing skin cycles, so it’s easy to find options to work with those changes. All of their products use clean and cruelty-free ingredients, have some refillable options to minimize waste, and their outer packaging is made of crush paper, which uses residue from organic products like citrus fruit rinds, cocoa, and hazelnuts to make paper.

$119.99

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The Drinkmate allows you to carbonate any beverage. You can make fancy carbonated cocktails, juices, teas, sodas, or flavored sparkling water. It comes in a few different colors and takes up very little counter space. It helps you cut down on single-use waste and control the ingredients in your favorite fizzy drinks. They have a ton of interesting recipes on their site to help you get the most out of your Drinkmate. They also have a CO2 exchange program where they’ll take back your empty cylinders and send you a coupon for more.

$14

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Sea Witch Botanicals Solid Perfumes are made with minimal packaging that can be recycled and smell amazing! They’re made of essential oils, are completely vegan, and are free from parabens or synthetic fragrances. They easily fit into a pocket or purse and won’t leak or spill all over your stuff. They pride themselves on their sustainable practices and give a portion of their proceeds to various charities working to protect the planet.

$15.95

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All The Things Cleaner truly cleans all the things in your house with only five natural ingredients. It works on glass, porcelain, hardwood, granite, marble, metal, and plastic surfaces, so you don’t have to switch between cleaners as you clean your kitchen or bathroom. It uses clay to gently exfoliate surfaces without scratching and essential oils that naturally disinfect. You don’t have to use harsh chemicals to make your home sparkle.

$19.99 for a 9 pack of bottles

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PATH is the first certified refillable and 100% recyclable bottled water. The bottles are made of sleek aluminum and can be refilled over and over again. They come in Still, Sparkling, and Alkaline varieties, are made in the USA, and really help to cut down on single-use plastics. I love PATH for travel since I don’t have to worry as much about losing an expensive water bottle.

$20

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Butter & Me Butter Melt Lotion Bars are perfect for traveling. They’re solid, which saves precious space in your bag of liquids, and each one comes in a cute cotton drawstring bag with a reusable paper box to make them easy to pack in your luggage without making a mess. They’re made of sunflower oil, avocado oil, Kokum butter, candelilla wax, and essential oils to deeply moisturize skin and leave you smelling amazing. I always pack one when traveling to dry climates or on trips to colder places.

$109

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This hoodie is worth every penny, and I don’t travel anywhere without it. It folds down into its own pocket, which saves precious space in my carry-on, it’s lightweight but incredibly warm, it wicks moisture, and it has a secret zip pocket to stash valuables to protect against pickpockets or if you just don’t feel like lugging a bag. It’s also made of an innovative fabric that melts down spent coffee grounds with plastic bottles, so you’re also doing something nice for the planet. The coffee grounds also make it odor-resistant, so you can wear it multiple times without worrying about it smelling weird. It’s awesome for Spring travel since weather can be unpredictable, and it can even double as a pillow on long flights.

$200

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Adidas has partnered with iconic Finnish design house Marimekko on a line of bold and colorful workout wear, bags, and sneakers. I love the Ultraboost 4 DNA shoes because they’re comfortable, fashionable, and are made in part with Parley Ocean Plastics, plastic waste intercepted on islands, beaches, and coastal towns to keep it from polluting our oceans. The yarn in the upper is made of 50% Parley Ocean Plastic and 50% recycled polyester.

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NOTE: Watch interviews with experts as they discuss what parents need to know on NBC 5 at 4 p.m. Tune in live on TV and in the player above.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday issued a public health alert to physicians nationwide, asking doctors to be on the look out for unusual cases of severe liver disease in children, but how worried should parents be?

The agency said in its advisory that nine cases of hepatitis, or liver inflammation, have been reported in Alabama in children aged 1 to 6, and NBC News reports an additional two have been identified in North Carolina, according to the state’s health department.

Dozens of cases have been reported in recent weeks in children in Britain and across Europe. The usual viruses that cause infectious hepatitis were not seen in the cases, and scientists and doctors are considering other possible sources.

Here’s what you should know.

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis is “inflammation of the liver that causes liver cell damage and if severe, can interfere with the normal function of the liver,” according to Lurie Children’s Hospital.

Some severe cases can lead to liver failure or possibly even death.

One of the most common causes of hepatitis is viral infection, according to the hospital.

“Mild hepatitis is very common in children following a range of viral infections, but what is being seen at the moment is quite different,” said Graham Cooke, a professor of infectious diseases at Imperial College London. Some of the children in the U.K. have required specialist care at liver units and a few have needed a liver transplant.

The liver processes nutrients, filters the blood and fights infections. The infections caused symptoms like jaundice, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Hepatitis can be life-threatening if left untreated.

What are the symptoms to watch for?

“So the the symptoms of hepatitis in childhood can be vague at first – abdominal pain, loss of appetite, severe fatigue – but then, as it progresses, the children do start to have dark urine, pale stools, yellowing of the whites of their eyes,” said Dr. Estella Alonso, a hepatologist at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. “These are the things that parents notice. And if parents do notice that they should seek medical attention from their pediatrician or in an emergency or urgent care setting as soon as possible.”

According to Lurie Children’s Hospital, the most common symptoms of acute hepatitis include:

• Flu-like symptoms
• Fever
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Decreased appetite
• Not feeling well all over
• Abdominal pain or discomfort
• Diarrhea
• Later symptoms include dark-colored urine and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes). The symptoms of hepatitis may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your child’s physician for a diagnosis.

The hospital notes that symptoms will likely vary by child.

What’s causing the hepatitis infections?

While it’s unclear what’s causing the illnesses, a leading suspect is an adenovirus.

There are dozens of adenoviruses, many of them associated with cold-like symptoms, fever, sore throat and pink eye. U.S. authorities said the nine Alabama children tested positive for adenovirus and officials there are exploring a link to one particular version — adenovirus 41 — that’s normally associated with gut inflammation.

“So far it’s unclear if the cause of this is all of this adenovirus 41,” said Dr. Sharon Welbel, director of hospital epidemiology and infection control at Cook County Health. “For some other adenovirus there’s certainly… it’s been found in these kids and in a good portion of the kids in Britain, but it’s also very common so I can’t say for sure cause and effect. It’s certainly a possible cause.”

The CDC’s advisory Thursday urges pediatric doctors to consider adenovirus testing.

Public health officials ruled out any links to COVID-19 vaccines, saying none of the affected children were vaccinated.

Have any infections been detected in Chicago or Illinois?

Experts say no such cases have been reported in Illinois or Chicago.

“We normally see between three to seven cases of severe hepatitis per year in the Illinois region,” Alonso said. “We saw our usual rate of hepatitis cases this winter, but did not attribute any of them to adenovirus. We have not yet seen a severe case of hepatitis associated with adenovirus, but of course, we see a lot of adenovirus infection.”

Welbel also said she it not aware of any reports of such cases in the area.

What’s the difference between an adenovirus and coronavirus?

Adenoviruses and coronaviruses are both considered by health experts to be “common respiratory viruses.” Each have several different strains, or types of the virus, with some types causing more severe illness than others.

“Coronavirus is a respiratory illness. Adenovirus is a respiratory illness as well,” Alonso said. “It’s transmitted in very much the same way as coronaviruses, but they’re two very distinct viruses. Adenovirus is not associated with these severe respiratory symptoms in immune competent children. The adenovirus has not been associated with a inflammatory condition after the infection, the way coronavirus has been associated with the MIS-C diagnosis. But both can be circulating in the community at the same time and both are transmitted the same way. They’re just two very distinct viruses.”

How worried should you be?

The WHO noted that although there has been an increase in adenovirus in Britain, the potential role of those viruses in triggering hepatitis is unclear. WHO said there were fewer than five possible cases in Ireland and three confirmed cases in Spain, in children aged 22 months to 13 years.

The U.N. health agency said that given the jump in cases in the past month and heightened surveillance, it was “very likely” more cases will be detected.

Still, experts say the risk of severe hepatitis in healthy children remains rare.

“It’s still very unusual, you know,” Welbel said. “So far we’ve seem very, you know, a very small handful of cases, some of those cases were severe and a couple did require liver transplant in the U.S., but so far it’s still what I would call rare.”

What can you do to prevent it?

Experts say the public health protocols in place from coronavirus are the best measures for preventing adenovirus as well.

That includes washing hands properly, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, staying home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze, disinfecting surfaces and keeping hands away from faces and eyes.

“Those are just the basic public health precautions,” Alonso said. “If a child or a friend, a sibling member has a viral gastroenteritis with vomiting or diarrhea, that child should be kept to themselves not attending playdates not attending school, so that the virus doesn’t spread. Because our thinking is that this adenovirus may actually spread in several children where they don’t have hepatitis, but then in certain individuals, it causes an infection that does become the hepatitis. So in general, it’d be good to practice public health measures that reduce the spread of adenovirus in general in our community.”

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