Tel Aviv used to be an urbanist’s nightmare, but it is learning fast. And it is growing on me though I like Jaffa, its sister city better. When I first met Tel Aviv 20 years ago it was polluted and noisy. Now it’s trying with all its might to do good by its people: The City has launched a creative solution to enable restaurants and bars to extend their outdoors seating areas, assisting owners to increase dining capacity while ensuring social distancing required by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The municipality has rolled out a series of sidewalk-level platforms at the expense of road space, permitting restaurants and bars to add dozens of outdoors tables and chairs, and welcome significantly more customers.

The move accelerates a key Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality urban policy to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists, and encourage local trade across the city, highlighted by a recent municipal decision to convert 11 streets into pedestrianized commercial zones.

Sidewalk-level platforms were introduced this week along Chayim Vital Street in Tel Aviv’s vibrant (also very stinky from cat pollution) Florentin neighborhood, home to many popular restaurants and bars.

While the street represents an important thoroughfare for vehicular access to surrounding streets and residences, and cannot be entirely pedestrianized, the platforms provide a “breathing” sidewalk that may be extended to support local businesses and encourage greater foot traffic.

In May 2020, Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality announced that it would convert an additional 11 streets into pedestrianized zones, open strictly to pedestrians and cyclists. The decision follows the successful conversion of Tel Aviv’s Levinski Street into a 24/7 pedestrian zone and shut Sheinkin Street to traffic on Fridays during the past year.

In addition, the municipality has placed more than 1,000 outdoor chairs and umbrellas across pedestrian zones to encourage visitors to take advantage of the newly-converted areas.

Last month, as part of large-scale efforts to emphasize pedestrian travel, reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, Tel Aviv said it would double bike paths in the city from 140 km. to 300 km. by 2025. That’s a great plan, but if they are overtaken by rude and vicious and usually inexperienced moped drivers or electric bikes racing to 100km/hour, no thanks.

The implementation of the plan is expected to reduce traffic congestion in the city by 30% says the city but to what personal expense if the bike lanes are not policed.

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Could a simple cholesterol drug, that has been on the market for decades, be used to treat COVID-19?  A research team led by Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)’s Professor Yaakov Nahmias says that early research looks promising; their findings appear in this week’s Cell Press’ Sneak Peak. 

Over the last three-months, Nahmias and Dr. Benjamin tenOever at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center have focused on the ways in which the SARS-CoV-2 (aka, the coronavirus that’s causing our current pandemic) changes patients’ lungs in order to reproduce itself.

Their major finding? This virus prevents the routine burning of carbohydrates. As a result, large amounts of fat accumulate inside lung cells, a condition the virus needs in order to reproduce.  This new understanding of SARS CoV-2 may help explain why patients with high blood sugar and cholesterol levels are often at a particularly high risk to develop COVID-19.

Viruses are parasites that lack the ability to replicate on their own, so they take control of our cells to help accomplish that task. “By understanding how the SARS-CoV-2 controls our metabolism, we can wrestle back control from the virus and deprive it from the very resources it needs to survive,” Nahmias explained.

With this information in hand, Nahmias and tenOever began to screen FDA-approved medications that interfere with the virus’ ability to reproduce. In lab studies, the cholesterol-lowering drug Fenofibrate (Tricor) showed extremely promising results.  By allowing lung cells to burn more fat, fenofibrate breaks the virus’ grip on these cells, and prevents SARS CoV-2’s ability to reproduce.  In fact, within only five days of treatment, the virus almost completely disappeared. A research team in Wuhan found similar results and reported them two weeks ago.

“With second-wave infections spiking in countries across the globe, these findings couldn’t come at a better time,” shared Nahmias, and global cooperation may provide the cure.  “The collaboration between the Nahmias and tenOever labs demonstrates the power of adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to study SARS-CoV-2 and that our findings could truly make a significant different in reducing the global burden of COVID-19,” tenOever added.

 While there are many international efforts currently underway to develop a coronavirus vaccine, studies suggest that vaccines may only protect patients for a few months.  Therefore, blocking the virus’ ability to function, rather than neutralizing its ability to strike in the first place, may be the key to turning the tables on COVID-19.  “If our findings are borne out by clinical studies, this course of treatment could potentially downgrade COVID-19’s severity into nothing worse than a common cold,” Nahmias concluded.

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For the elderly and the infirm getting a corona virus COVID-19 diagnosis is like a death sentence. As the world sits at home with baited breath waiting for herd immunity or a vaccination, an Israeli company called Pluristem might have the cure. In a fast-tracked clinical trial running in Israel 100% of critically ill patients (a group of 7) survived Covid-19, while more than half improved and are now weaning off of ventilators.

The Israeli medical company Pluristem Therapeutics (Nasdaq:PSTI)  founded in 2001, has announced that its stem cell therapy treatment, using placental stem cells, has been successful in its preliminary trials on patients who are severely ill with coronavirus.

The trials were able to proceed quickly based on fast-tracking laws in cases of compassionate use. The Pluristem’s stem cell treatment called PLX was applied to critically ill people facing organ failure. The company already has a drug in the pipeline to treat radiation sickness and has worked with NASA to solve long duration space travel.

In the trial in Israel, Pluristem’s placental expanded cells (called PLX) were able to scale back a severely overactive immune system response that causes pneumonia and untimely death by COVID-19. The company’s treatment stimulates the body to regenerate its own cells. While the study is young and the PLX treatment was used on only 7 patients who were suffering from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, the future looks very bright for the company and for us.

The company plans on starting clinical trials in the United States and Europe as soon as regulatory hurdles allow them to do so. 

There have been about 10,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Israel, with about 120 deaths. Pluristem was able to apply their novel drug treatment in three medical centers in Israel. Among the patients four demonstrated failure of other organ systems, including cardiovascular and kidney failure, indicating critical disease and an overall very poor prognosis.

“Pluristem is dedicated to using its competitive advantages in large-scale manufacturing to potentially deliver PLX cells to a large number of patients in significant need,” said Yaky Yanay, Pluristem’s CEO and President.

All the treated patients were considered high risk for mortality yet 100% managed to live, according to the company.  Two patients with multi-organ failure prior to treatment, showed clinical recovery in addition to the respiratory improvement.

As a next step, the company plans to apply for initiation of a multinational regulated clinical trial program for the potential use of PLX cells in the treatment of patients suffering from complications associated with COVID-19. In this regard, while Pluristem expects to continue treating patients for complications associated with COVID-19 under the compassionate use program in Israel.

PLX Cells for Covid-19 can be manufactured in large scale quantities, offering a key advantage in addressing a global pandemic. The stem cells are not culled from a live source or a patient’s own cells, but are cells grown on a 3D scaffold in the lab. The drug can be given to patients without the long and complicated process of tissue matching.

Israel is years ahead of the United States on stem cell therapies as it was pretty much an unfundable enterprise in the United States, starting with a bill that was passed in the US in 2009.

While stem cell research was never illegal in the United States, the funding-barring mechanism put into place in 2009  by Christian law that equates placental stem cell research as a sin seriously damaged any advances in that field.

Israel, as a Jewish state, does have restrictions and ethical guidelines in place, and its halachic or Torah-based laws do rule research directions. Jewish law, supported by leading rabbis believes that life in utero does not start at conception, but only at 40 days after conception. So early stage embryonic tissue may be used as a research base.

Stem cell research in Israel has not faced the same hurdles as in the US or Europe. It is recognized as potential cures and therapies in cancer, replacing or fixing damaged organs, such as in spinal cord injury, or pneumonia. Or in novel areas that mitigate animal suffering and climate change such as cultivating lab grown meat.

Israel leads the way in stem cell research over the United States and Europe per published paper, per capita.

A vaccine and a cure?

PLX cells are allogeneic mesenchymal-like cells that have immunomodulatory properties that induce the immune system’s natural regulatory T cells and M2 macrophages, and thus may prevent or reverse the dangerous overactivation of the immune system. The company has used their treatment to help a number of medical problems including radiation poisoning.

Yanay notes that the PLX cells may potentially reduce the incidence and severity of covid-19 pneumonia and pneumonitis leading to a better prognosis for the patients. This isn’t new science for the company: pre-clinical findings of PLX cells in previous animal studies shows that the treatment helps pulmonary hypertension, lung fibrosis, acute kidney injury and gastrointestinal injury which are complications of the severe COVID-19 infection.

The company hopes that  with clinical trials from hundreds of patients globally they can slow, maybe even stop the devastating damage of COVID-19.

Key highlights for those able to help fasttrack regulatory approvals:

• All treated patients were in Intensive Care Units (ICU) on ventilators and suffered from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
• 100% survival rate for all seven patients
• 6 patients completed 1 week follow up; the seventh patient was treated on April 5 2020
• 4 of the 6 (66%) patients that completed 1 week follow up demonstrated improvement in respiratory parameters
• 3 of the 6 (50%) patients that completed 1 week follow up are in advanced stages of weaning from ventilators

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If you know me, you know that I love raising my chickens. That’s me above. And I will tell you everything I know. I grew up with a chicken coop, I come from a long line of egg farmers in Holland, and we’ve had our chickens here in Jaffa for about 7 years. Maybe more. Raising chickens is not intuitive. It’s not something you will know how to do right unless you have a coach or some experience.

But since COVID-19 or corona struck there has been a race in countries like the US (where people have backyards) to raise chickens. One American university says don’t do it. But start a Victory Garden instead. Or downsize and build a sweet A Frame cabin the woods. Forage, mushroom pick.

“A global pandemic is not the optimal time to start raising chickens,”says Marisa Erasmus, an assistant professor of animal sciences at Purdue University.

Food security and sustainability is increasingly on people’s minds as government leaders issue stay-at-home orders and grocery stores are frequently low on staples. Recent popular press reports have said that anxiety around the food supply may be causing an uptick in the US of people ordering chicks so they might have a reliable supply of eggs.

Many people jump into this undertaking blindly, not considering certain factors before placing that order for live chicks, Erasmus said.

“If you’re thinking of buying chicks, do your work ahead of time,” she continued. “Make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. These animals are going to grow up and have very specific needs. They are reliant on us to provide for them and we have to be sure we can do that.”

Download the Victory Garden Handbook, circa 1943

Before you buy chicks for eggs

• Chicks take roughly 5-6 months to mature, at which time they will start producing eggs.
• Chickens, while housed outside, need shelter from the elements, whether in the form of a hoop structure, a shed or a coop. The structure must be dry with good air circulation and adequate flooring to maintain the health of the flock. As chickens grow, they will need increasingly more space, roughly 2 square feet per bird.
• Other amenities like perches, where the chickens rest, and fencing to keep out wild animals are all necessary to raise healthy birds.
• At some point, birds will become injured or ill. Those rearing chickens need to have a plan in place to deal with this eventuality and need to be able to recognize signs of disease and deterioration.
• Chickens require specific feed based on their age and whether or not they are laying eggs. “They can eat some scraps but they do have specific nutritional requirements, which require supplemental feed to be met,” Erasmus said.

Erasmus also recommends those considering chickens acquaint themselves with local ordinances, which many towns and counties have, regarding the rearing of poultry. In some places it is forbidden while other areas may allow it under certain conditions or require shelter specifications.

Victory Garden Instead?

Those hesitant about investing the time, energy and financial resources required to raise chickens should consider other ways to become more self-sustaining, from starting a vegetable garden to composting. Download our Victory Garden Handbook here. Rearing animals unprepared threatens their quality of life and ability to be productive, Erasmus said.

“Poultry, including chickens, sometimes have the reputation of being ‘bird-brained’,” Erasmus said.  “But anyone who has experience raising chickens will tell you they are intelligent and complex creatures who have the capacity to experience suffering and contentment.”

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The coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout will trigger a ‘skyward surge’ in sustainable, responsible and impactful investing over the next 12 months, affirms the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organizations.

The prediction from the boss of deVere Group, which has more than $12bn under advisement, comes as Bloomberg analysis reveals that the average Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) fund fell by half the decrease registered by the S&P 500 Index over the same period during the Covid-19 crisis.

ESG refers to a class of investing also known as “sustainable investing.”  The umbrella term covers three main factors. ‘E’ is for ‘environment’ and includes issues such as climate change policies, carbon footprint, and use of renewable energies. ‘S’ is for ‘social’ and includes workers’ rights and protections. ‘G’ is for ‘governance’ and includes diversity of the board and corporate transparency.

Mr Green comments: “The coronavirus pandemic will trigger a ‘skyward surge’ in sustainable, responsible and impactful investing over the next 12 months for three key reasons.

“First, before the pandemic, research has revealed that investments that score well in terms of ESG credentials often outperform the market and have lower volatility over the long-run.

“Since the Covid-19 public health emergency up-ended the world, the latest broad analysis shows that ESG funds have typically continued to outperform others.”

He continues: “Second, the coronavirus pandemic has underscored the vulnerability and fragility of societies and the planet.

“It has underscored that increasingly companies will only survive and thrive if they operate with a nod from the wider court of public approval.

“It has underscored the complexity and interconnectedness of our world in terms of demand and supply, in trade and commerce – and how these can be under threat if not sustainable.”

Mr Green goes on to add: “Third, demographic shifts will support the trend.  Millennials – those who were born in the time period ranging from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s and early 2000s – cite ESG investing as their top priority when considering investment opportunities.

“This is crucial because the biggest-ever generational transfer of wealth – likely to be around $30trn – from baby boomers to millennials will take place in the next few years.”

In January, deVere Group carried out a global survey that revealed 77% of millennials said that Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing was their top priority when considering investment opportunities.

This survey highlighted that whilst traditional factors – such as anticipated returns (10%), past performance (7%), risk tolerance (4%) and tactical allocation (2%) – are important factors in millennial respondents’ investment decision-making, they are no longer enough by themselves.

Nigel Green concludes: “ESG investing was already going to reshape the investment landscape in this new decade – but the coronavirus will quicken the pace of this reshaping.

“Investors are increasingly aware that it is possible – and increasingly necessary – to make a profit while positively and proactively protecting people and the planet.

“As such, they will be making investment decisions after measuring the sustainability and societal impact of a sector or company as these criteria help to better determine their future financial performance, or in other words their risk and return.”

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They started during times of war when there was not enough food. Planted in lawns and in backyards. This one was planted in a bomb crater. A Victory Garden planted in a bomb crater in London. 

When a parking lot was bombed in London during World War II they planted a garden. When there was not enough food in America because the farmers were off at war, Uncle Sam told them to plant and Americans had food. Growing veggies in times of crises is not a new idea, as so-called Victory Gardens have been around ever since World War I.

Victory Gardens were popular in both world wars; and the produce grown in them not only helped to supplement war time food shortages for families, but were a great morale booster as well. And we dug up an amazing old handbook for those who might want to follow the 1943 US Government plan. 

The concept of home gardens has carried on to the present time, with both individual household garden plots as well as community garden projects such as the one I have been involved in for over a year now.

In my small 8×5 foot plot I grew large quantities of tomatoes, peppers, string beans, eggplant and other veggies like lettuce, kohlrabi and herbs like mint, lemon grass, parsley and thyme. You can also do this on your windowsill or at home, and here is a great list of medicinal herbs to start with. 

In fact, so much was produced last summer in my little plot that a lot of veggies were given away to family, friends and even neighbors.

This small plot is now producing winter varieties conducive to the milder winter climate found in Israel. These include kale, Swiss chard, various herbs, carrots, cabbage and broccoli. 

With the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) world pandemic crises now ravaging most countries, securing ample food supplies is turning out to be as serious as contracting the virus itself. As supplies of fresh vegetable produce become difficult to obtain, largely due to disruptions in supply lines, having a small Victory Garden is again making a lot of sense as it did for our grandparents during WWII. 

There is only one small problem, however. The continual increase of people becoming infected by the virus and the resulting stay-at-home directives by governmental authorities is now preventing amateur farmers from working their garden plots; especially at a time when these fresh organic veggies and herbs are needed most.  

Hopefully, the self-quarantine orders will ease soon, so we can plant our Spring and Summer crops. As I experienced last year, there’s nothing better and healthier than freshly picked garden veggies from one’s own plot. The rewards speak for themselves, as it did for our grandparents more than 70 years ago. In the meanwhile, if you can, dig in and get growing the old fashioned way. 

Download the Victory Garden Handbook here (links to PDF).

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