On Thursday, May 31, a nationwide stem cell donor recruitment drive will take place throughout Israel. The drive is focused specifically on donors from the Iraqi, Yemenite, Georgian, Bukharan, Caucasian, Kurdish and Ethiopian ethnic groups. These ethnicities are underrepresented in Ezer Mizion's Registry, and in Registries around the world. This significantly hampers efforts to find compatible stem cell donors for cancer patients from these communities.
Four patients are at the focus of the campaign: Chanit Elbaz (34), a resident of Rechovot of Yemenite extraction, mother of three children, with leukemia; Yosef Karchili (54), of Georgian extraction, a father of two from Holon, with leukemia; Bar Sitton (22), a leukemia patient of Iraqi extraction, Nissim Moshayov (48), of Bukharan extraction, a resident of Petach Tikvah, married and father of two, with lymphoma.
The chances of compatibility increase significantly when the patient and donor share a common genetic background, which is generally the case among people from the patient's ethnicity. Throughout the generations, various populations of similar ethnic extraction lived in closed communities and in this way, preserved the genetic identity of their members. For this reason, the higher the representation of a particular ethnic group in the Registry, the higher the chances of finding a matching donor for patients from this ethnicity.
Joining the registry and being tested is currently done with a simple cheek swab. Each sample collected is lab tested by scanning and entered into the Registry. The cost of scanning each test-sample is $65. For the current campaign, thousands of volunteers were rallied to work at dozens of registration stations across the country.
Dr. Bracha Zisser, director of Ezer Mizion's International Bone Marrow Donor Registry: "This is an incomparably important campaign that can potentially save many lives.
"In matching patients with stem cell donors, ethnicity is crucial. We have found that there is a severe lack of awareness among certain ethnicities about the stem cell donation process. There even are superstitions and fears about it, resulting in a lack of potential donors from these groups in the Registry.
"The outcome is the situation we face, in which patients needing a bone marrow transplant are dying while waiting for a compatible donor to be found.
"I want to emphasize once again that today a stem cell donation is drawn from a vein in the arm, takes no more than four hours, and is similar to a simple blood donation. I call upon everyone who is between the ages of 18 and 50 and in good general health to join Ezer Mizion's registry.
"I especially call upon members of the Iraqi, Yemenite, Georgian, Bukharan, Caucasian, Kurdish, and Ethiopian communities to come, join the registry, and save someone's life. Today it is simpler than ever!"
SPONSOR LAB TESTING
DRIVE STATIONS:
|
CITY |
LOCATION |
HOURS |
| Dialing Code 04 Region |
| Moshav Amka |
Mo’adon Ha’payis |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Achihud |
Moshav office |
16:00-20:00 |
| Teverya |
“Big” – next to Rami Levy |
10:00-20:00 |
| Nahariya |
Nahariya Mall, ground floor, near the lottery booth |
10:00-20:00 |
| Nahariya |
Ben Gurion Community Center, Yosef Shprintzak St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Acco |
Azrieli Mall |
10:00-20:00 |
| Nazareth Ilit |
Gordon Community Center, 9 Ha’shikma St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Afulah |
G Zone, Ofnah Avenue, near “Orit Jewelry” |
10:00-20:00 |
| Yokne’am |
G Zone |
10:00-20:00 |
| Elyakim |
Youth club |
15:00-19:00 |
| Midrach Oz |
Moshav office |
16:00-20:00 |
| Kerayot |
Kerayon Mall, Main upper platform |
10:00-20:00 |
| Kiryat Ata |
Ohel Yitzchak - Georgian Beit Knesset, 35 Zevulun St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Tirat Ha’carmel |
Ohel Shalom - Georgian Beit Knesset for Georgian immigrants, 30 Etzel St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Haifa |
Grand Mall |
10:00-20:00 |
| Ohr Akiva |
Orot Mall, center of the mall |
10:00-20:00 |
| Chadera |
Lev Chadera Mall, ground floor, near “Steimatzky” |
10:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Elyashiv |
Mo’adon ha’yishuv |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Elyachin |
Town Council conference room |
16:00-20:00 |
| Dialing Code 09 Region |
| Netanya |
Azorim area, Beit Knesset Shevet Achim, 8 Kranitzi St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Netanya |
Kiryat Nordau area, Beit Knesset Beit David for the Bukharan community, 46 Shalansky St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Netanya |
Ezer Mizion branch – 4 Smilinski St. 1st floor |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Geulim |
Learning Center |
16:00-20:00 |
| Kefar Saba |
G zone, 2nd floor, near the “Pe’alton” |
10:00-20:00 |
| Kefar Saba |
Lazarus House 44 Ramaz St. Shikun Aliyah |
16:00-20:00 |
| Raanana |
Renanim Mall, Western entrance, near “Blaker Bakery” |
10:00-20:00 |
| Herzliya |
Shivat Ha’Kochavim Mall, opposite “Mega” |
10:00-20:00 |
| Herzliya |
Neveh Amal Community Center, 4 Giborei Etzyon St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Ramat Hasharon |
Morasha area – 45 Bialik Avenue, Chabad House |
16:00-20:00 |
| Hod Hasharon |
Azrieli Mall, 1st floor, between the escalators |
10:00-20:00 |
| Dialing Code 03 Region |
| Tel Aviv |
Azrieli Mall |
10:00-20:00 |
| Tel Aviv |
Shapira area, Shapira Community Center, 27 Rabbi Yisrael Mi’Salant St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Tel Aviv |
Tel Kabir area, Beit Knesset Roshei Ze’irim, 11 Tzuntz St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Tel Aviv |
Kiryat Shalom area, Beit Knesset Geulat Yisrael, 7 Ha’vatikim St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Tel Aviv |
Ha’Tikvah area, Beit Danny, 4 Kabir St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Ohr Yehudah |
Outlet Mall, -1 floor |
10:00-20:00 |
| Ohr Yehudah |
Beit Knesset Yad Achim Mi’Georgia, 14 Savyon St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Ohr Yehudah |
Beit Knesset Keter Menachem, 27 Yekutiel Adam St., behind Beit Knesset Ohel Moshe |
16:00-20:00 |
| Givatayim |
Givatayim Mall. 2nd floor, opposite “Golf” |
10:00-20:00 |
| Ramat Gan |
Ayaliyon Mall, 1st floor, near the fountain |
10:00-20:00 |
| Ramat Gan |
Russell Center, Amidar area, 22 Mendel Matityahu St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Ramat Gan |
Beit Ha’ezrach, 42 Bialik St. |
14:00-20:00 |
| Holon |
Shopping Center, Kiryat Sharet, 1 Keren Hayesod St. |
10:00-20:00 |
| Holon |
Beit Knesset Yad Ha’banim, 2 Mesilat Yesharim St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Bat Yam |
Bat Yam Mall, middle floor, near the ice cream shop |
10:00-20:00 |
| Rishon Lezion |
Ha’zahav Mall |
10:00-20:00 |
| Rishon Lezion |
Migdalei Ha’ir Mall, Ha’mizrach area, 50 Yaakov Ave., at the entrance to the mall |
16:00-20:00 |
| Rosh Ha’ayin |
Office of insurance broker Aharon Erez, 3 Wolfson St. |
10:00-20:00 |
| Petach Tikvah |
Avnat Mall, Castro passage, 1st floor |
10:00-20:00 |
| Petach Tikvah |
Oranit, 40 Kaplan St. |
10:00-20:00 |
| Petach Tikvah |
Kefar Avraham area – Beit Knesset Tzror Ha’mor, Yonah Green St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Bnei Brak |
National Center – 5 Rav Rabinov St. |
10:00-20:00 |
| Dialing Code 08 Region |
| Lod |
Lod Center Mall, Shaar Ha’poalim entrance |
10:00-20:00 |
| Lod |
Tiferet Yisrael Georgian Beit Knesset, 22 Eli St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Ramle |
Heichal Ha’tarbut, Ramle Community Center, 9 Weizman St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Ramle |
Shopping Center, Ben Guryon |
10:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Achiezer |
Beit Tarbut |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Bareket |
Beit Ha’am |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Beit Arif |
Mo’adon ha’moshav |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Givat Ko’ach |
Beit Ha’am |
16:00-20:00 |
| Nes Tziona |
Tirat Hashalom, Beit Knesset Rambam, 42 Tzahal St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Kiryat Ekron |
Community Center, 1 Ha’meyasdim St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Rechovot |
Rechovot Mall, in the area opposite “Supersol” |
10:00-20:00 |
| Ashdod |
Simol Mall |
16:00-20:00 |
| Ashkelon |
Chutzot Mall, entrance level, opposite “Classic Shoes” |
10:00-20:00 |
| Ashkelon |
Beit Knesset Netzach Yisrael, 4 Emanuel St., Ramat Eshkol |
16:00-20:00 |
| Kiryat Gat |
Lev Ha’ir Mall – Shopping Center, 1st floor, near “Magnolia” |
10:00-20:00 |
| Kiryat Gat |
Beit Knesset Ohr Avner, Ein Akrabim square |
16:00-20:00 |
| Ofakim |
Atid School, Kibbutz Galuyot St. |
10:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Zavdiel |
|
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Nachalah |
|
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Bitcha |
Mo’adon ha’moshav |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Yachini |
Beit Ha’am |
16:00-20:00 |
| Beersheba |
Ha’negev Mall |
10:00-20:00 |
| Beersheba |
Beit Knesset Derech Metzadah for Georgian immigrants, named for Moshe Chachshvili, Mivtza Ovdah St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Dialing Code 02 Region |
| Jerusalem |
Malcha Mall, area near “Lord Kitsch”, 2nd floor |
10:00-20:00 |
| Jerusalem |
Neve Yaakov Community Center, in the youth room, 38 Neve Yaakov Ave. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Jerusalem |
Pisgat Ze’ev Mall |
16:00-20:00 |
| Jerusalem |
Ramot Aleph area, Beit Knesset Beit-El, 5 Shirat Hayam St. |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Tarum |
Beit Ha’am |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Yeshaya |
Beit Ha’am |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Eshtaol |
Ken Ha’noar (below Beit Ha’am) |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Nocham |
Beit Ha’am |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Bekoa |
Beit Ha’am |
16:00-20:00 |
| Moshav Tzalfon |
Beit Ha’am |
16:00-20:00 |
| Givat Ye’arim |
Beit Ha’am |
18:00-21:00 | |
|
