Tag Archives: United Nations

Jew of the Week: Maickel Melamed

This Man Will Inspire You

Maickel Melamed

Maickel Melamed (b. 1975) was born in Caracas, Venezuela. At birth, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, choking him and causing severe damage to his body. Doctors said he would never be able to walk or talk. Despite this, he battled on and spent his entire childhood in rehabilitation. Even when, at age 13, doctors confirmed he would never be “normal”, Melamed never gave up hope. He learned to walk, run and climb. Today, not only is he able to speak, but he now converses fluently in three languages. In 2006, Melamed climbed Venezuela’s tallest mountain. Following this he trained gruelingly and ran several half-marathons before completing his first full marathon in 2012. He plans to run several more in the coming years. Meanwhile, Melamed earned a degree in economics, as well as psychotherapy, and teaches at the Caracas Jewish School which he himself attended in his youth. In 2009, Melamed co-founded Paz Con Todo, an organization that inspires young people to work for peace around the world, and has worked together with the United Nations to promote peace. Melamed’s story has served as a great inspiration to countless people across the globe. Today, he works as a lecturer and life coach throughout the Americas, and has written his first book. He has dedicated his life to helping and inspiring others. Of his incredible ability to run marathons despite his disabilities, Melamed has said: “Every step is not a step; it’s a possibility to connect another person with their own miraculous possibilities. When you live for others, an energy that’s bigger than yourself comes in and helps you succeed…”

Words of the Week

All that is thought should not be said, all that is said should not be written, all that is written should not be published, and all that is published should not be read.
– Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, the Kotzker Rebbe

Jew of the Week: Stephen Lewis

Stephen Lewis

Stephen Henry Lewis (b. 1937) was born in Ottawa on Remembrance Day, and thus named Shalom by his parents. His grandfather was a member of the Jewish Bund in Russia, while his father was a key figure in the CCF – the predecessor to the modern NDP party. Lewis studied at the University of Toronto where he was a member of the debating team and went head-to-head with notable figures such as future president John F. Kennedy. Lewis also studied at the University of British Columbia. After dropping out from both U of T and UBC, he joined Socialist International and was sent to a conference in Ghana. Inspired by what he saw, Lewis stayed in Africa to work and teach across the continent. Returning to Canada, he became head of Ontario’s NDP, and quickly propelled the party to new popularity, doubling their seats in Parliament to become the Official Opposition. He moved on to be Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, also working as the director of UNICEF, and later a UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. Lewis has written a popular book, Race Against Time, based on his experiences in Africa, and chairs the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which works to combat Africa’s HIV/AIDS epidemic. He is also a co-founder of AIDS-Free World. Lewis has received the Order of Canada, the World Citizenship Award, and has been described as one of the world’s “most powerful feminists”. Recently, he has had two schools named after him in the Greater Toronto Area, both called Stephen Lewis Secondary School.

Words of the Week

…any man of all the inhabitants of the earth, whose spirit has moved him and whose mind has given him to understand to set himself aside to stand before God to serve Him, to worship Him, to know God and walk justly as God has created him, and he cast from his neck the yoke of the many calculations that men seek – this man has become sanctified, a holy of holies, and God shall be his portion and his lot forever, and shall grant him his needs in this world…
– Maimonides (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Sabbaticals and Jubilees 13:13)

Jew of the Week: Abba Eban

The Zionist

Abba Eban

Aubrey Shlomo Meir Eban (1915-2002) Known as “Abba Eban”, this South African Jew was fluent in 10 languages, including Hebrew and Arabic, making him the ideal spy. As an intelligence officer, he rose to the rank of Major in the British Army, while also working diligently for the World Zionist Congress and being editor of the journal The Young Zionist. He worked at the UN for over a decade, where he was instrumental in passing Resolution 181 (the partition plan). Aside from this, he was ambassador to the US, deputy prime minister of Israel, minister of foreign affairs, education, culture and a long serving member of the Knesset. He wrote 9 books and received the Israel Prize.

Words of the Week

Marriage is giving it your all, but recognizing you are only half.
– Chassidic Sages