Shalom Israel! January 7th – 9th 2009 marked the opening of Advanced Brain Technologies (ABT) in Israel with the first provider course in the country taking place in Tel Aviv. Sigal Cohen, MA, pediatric occupational therapist, counselor, early childhood educator, and ABT provider organized the course and will be leading ABT’s effort in Israel with the support of her husband Ofer.

I was privileged to have instructed the three day course which was attended primarily by a fervent group of occupational therapists, speech pathologists and audiologists from throughout the country. The course was followed by a parent seminar and Q & A session with providers on the 11th.

Many of ABT’s materials were translated for the course and providers were able to view PowerPoint presentations simultaneously in English and Hebrew. Much of this information, including a parent handout derived from The Listening Program® brochure will be made available to providers on www.advancedbrain.com in the very near future.

http://www.advancedbrain.com/Email_Broadcasts/WebGallery/Israel_course/index.htm

In addition to a memorable course my hosts Sigal and Ofer gave me some unforgettable experiences in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Jaffa and points in between. One highlight was the delicious Shabbat dinner which Ofer’s mother spent 2 days preparing mainly Iraqi dishes. Others, never to be forgotten include praying on the Western Wall in the Old City in Jerusalem, and meeting a remarkable old Arab man and his donkey. For more on that experience please visit my blog at http://alexdoman.com.

Despite the conflict in Gaza I felt incredibly safe, although only 45 minutes drive away from the fighting. What impressed upon me most during this trip was the paradox of the strength and warmth of the Israeli people. I felt a great sense of purpose being there and am grateful for the opportunity to introduce our work in this very special place.

If you know families or fellow professionals in Israel or would like to get involved with our efforts there please email Sigal at sigal2u@gmail.com. We are in the process of planning another course for later this year.

Toda Sigal and Ofer Cohen for your hard work and warm hospitality!

Alex Doman
CEO & Founder
Advanced Brain Technologies