Scene Around

How sweet it is (or isn't)...

Wow! What can't Israel do? They are leading the world in cures for many diseases, coming up with fabulous inventions that make our lives easier... and now... a new App that assesses fruit freshness!

I read the following in the World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along:

"As published in the Times of Israel, an Israeli startup-Aclar Tech-has developed a mobile app that monitors, in real time, the ripeness, freshness and quality of fruits.

The AclaroMeter can change the way farmers make decisions, potentially revolutionizing the global food market by helping prevent wasted products. Today, farmers use instinct or lab tests to decide when to pick fruit. Both are extremely inefficient and non-standardized methods that lead to a yearly loss of approximately 50% of worldwide grown fruit, the company said.

With the AclaroMeter, users scan the fruit with a built-in smartphone camera and a standard portable molecular sensor. This captures data about the fruit and its environment, including the fruit's sugar, content, acidity, firmness, weight and color, as well as its GPS location and weather conditions at the time of sampling. The data is then processed by a tailor-made algorithm that compares it to tens of thousands of other samples of previously inspected fruit.

The scanned fruit is then graded for freshness, ripeness and quality within a few seconds. This data can help farmers decide when to pick their produce and monitors its freshness as it moves along the food chain via packaging houses to retailers and consumers."

(I can't wait for Israel to come up with a device that removes all calories from food so I can eat to my heart's desire!)

Remembering Jewish History...

On Oct. 26, 1994, the Israel-Jordan peace treaty is signed. Jordan was the second Arab country, after Egypt, to sign a peace accord with Israel. The treaty settled relations between the two countries, adjusted land and water disputes, and provided for broad cooperation in tourism and trade. It included a pledge that neither Jordan nor Israel would allow its territory to become a staging ground for military strikes by a third country.

The Roth JCC Mitzvah...

The Roth Jewish Community Center's 3rd Annual Family Mitzvah Day will take place on Sunday, Nov. 26th at the Build-A-Bear in the Altamonte Mall, 451 East Altamonte Drive #1369 in Altamonte Springs beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Join other young families as they participate in a very special mitzvah, building bears and making smiles for 60 children patients at Nemours Children's Hospital. Each family will make at least one stuffed animal to donate-just in time for the holidays!

Rabbi RICK SHERWIN, chaplain at Nemours, joins in once again to share stories and songs about friendship and acts of kindness!

After making your donation bear, join in upstairs in the food court for a "beary" delicious activity!

For further information, including how to register for the event, phone the JCC at 407-645-5933.

And more about happenings in Altamonte Springs...

On Sunday, Nov. 26th, the Altamonte Chapel Jazz Jam will take place from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Our own ALAN ROCK is emcee.

STEVEN SMITH and his group, featuring Steve on Trombone, will perform. The super-talented group consists of Steve, MARK McKEE on piano, GERALD STOCKTON on bass and WALT HUBBARD on drums.

The Altamonte Chapel is located at 825 East SR 436, Altamonte Springs. The phone number is 407-339-5208.

And more about good music...

SCOTT BERRY will be performing with TINA STEFANOS at Hannibal's on Friday, November 24th from 8 until 11:30 p.m.

For directions and reservations, phone 407-599-2929.

A wonderful, talented lady...

Of course I mean NANCY LUDIN, Jewish Pavilion CEO. She recently gave a talk to the Maitland Chamber of Commerce.

As a social worker with expertise pertaining to the elderly (pertaining to me??) she taught a few techniques to deescalate a conflict.

For example, when arguing, address the situation or issue, not the person (no name calling.) Tell the person how you feel and suggest a solution.

Because no name calling was involved, and no accusations were made, it was easy to terminate the argument before it escalated.

(I could have used that advice throughout my marriage!)

One for the road...

18-year-old Daniel, an up-and-coming Jewish rapper, is visiting the USA for the first time. When he gets to his hotel room, he picks up the phone and says to the operator, "I'd like the number for Rachel Cohen in Brooklyn, New York, please." 

After a short pause the operator says to Daniel, "I have 8 listings for a Rachel Cohen in Brooklyn. Do you have a street name?" 

Daniel thinks for a second, then replies, "Well, most of my friends call me 'Danny the pisher.'"