"israel" news and stories

No, it's not just eating lots of chocolate to make yourself feel better. Two psychologists in Ra'anana, Israel, have developed a program where those recovering from traumatic brain injuries use chocolate making and sculpting as a form of therapy. The craft seems to serve as both a creative outlet and a medium for those in therapy to connect with others around them. Some patients sculpt the chocolate to externalize their feelings, others interact with fellow patients by helping them sculpt. Obviously, it's a far more rewarding medium than, say, clay. After working with chocolate, patients then participate in more traditional talking therapy.  Israel21c.org has a detailed piece about the two psychologists and their research.

[Photo: Israel21c.org]

There are 120 McDonalds restaurants in Israel and all of them purchase only kosher ingredients. Only 19 of the restaurants are entirely kosher, or kashrut. This means that they do not sell any dairy products whatsoever, making them no-risk restaurant destinations for those diners who keep kosher. There was concern from some rabbis that diners might be confused at the difference between the two types of McDonalds, thinking that none of them serve dairy products. To alleviate fears, McDonalds has offered a redesigned logo for the 19 restaurants. The famous red and gold will be replaced by blue and white, and the McDonalds logo will be printed only in Hebrew, with the word "kosher" appearing in English on the menu.

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