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12 FEATURE Shabbat Smart
Shabbat Smart is an innovative business which has greatly enhanced the weekly Shabbat experience for Jews who want to use hot water on Shabbat without breaking any halachot! In a two part series, Yossi Saunders caught up with the brilliant Inventor/Rabbi Shuki Diskind, to find out more about how he started his business of using smart controllers to allow the use of domestic hot water on Shabbat…
Yossi: Rabbi Diskind, you have transformed Shabbat observance for people – where did all begin?
Rabbi Diskind:
I grew up in Israel, in Bayit Vegan neighbourhood in southwest Jerusalem. My father is a retired engineer with specialisation in chemical engineering, for which he was awarded a PhD from Washington University, Sever Institute of Technology. His firm belief is that a father must teach his son a craft to secure a livelihood. We would sit for hours and he would tutor me on the incredible properties of electricity, circuits, temperature, pressure and more. He instilled in me a love for technology and innovation that I harbour to this very day.
Yossi: Are there any influential figures that shaped your affection for hilchot Shabbat?
Rabbi Diskind:
Yes, absolutely… As I mentioned earlier, I grew up in Bait Vegan, the very same neighbourhood where Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth lived and wrote his famous book “Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah”, a staple sefer in many households! Rabbi Neuwirth was exceptionally knowledgeable in the rules of Shabbat as well as physics and technology. The story goes that, during the Holocaust, he and his family were taking shelter from the nazis in a loft somewhere in Germany and his lone companion was the book of “Gemoro Shabbat”. His warm demeanour and wise advice allowed us to forge a bond that I will cherish forever.
There were other famous Rabbis in the neighbourhood, for example Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach could be often seen rushing to yeshiva and Rabbi Yehuda Ades resided in the same building as my family. It was a wonderful place to grow up in.
At the time, some people in our neighbourhood would not use electricity on Shabbat under any circumstances, there were no lights and even the refrigerators were off. The common premise was that Jewish people were operating the power stations on Shabbat, so the electricity produced by these stations was in some opinions not kosher for Shabbat. Only candles or generators were used. Precisely this inspired me to come up with technology that would be of help for Shabbat. Under the guidance of Rabbi Neuwirth, I installed a Shabbat power grid for the whole neighbourhood; it was powered by generators, so people were happy to use it on Shabbat.
The same idea inspired me to come up with hot water for Shabbat. In the winter, the cold water that flows from the tap is freezing cold. In those cold days, washing hands, dishes or even a baby becomes a very uncomfortable experience. Our Shabbat Smart hot water technology drives those experiences into the distant past.
Yossi: Can you explain how ShabbatSmart Hot Water technology works?
Rabbi Diskind:
Certainly… There are a few challenges when using a standard hot water tank on Shabbat. One is “Bishul” or cooking – when cold water enters the tank it gets heated by the hot water already there; the other challenge is “Havara” or ignition – when cold water enters the tank it triggers the thermostat that ignites the heater. The solution to both these challenges can be found in Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth’s book “Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah”. The genius of this solution consists in dropping the hot water tank temperature below “Yad Soledes Bo”.
“Yad Soledes Bo” is the temperature at which, should a hand touch something, it would recoil to avoid scalding. The Talmud does not give us an exact temperature value but various poskim set it at not less than 45°C, 43°C, 40°C. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach argues that “Yad Soledes Bo” is not less than 45°C. Our controllers can be set to either temperature value.
Our shabbat Smart Controller is very versatile. It is compatible with single cylinders for weekday and Shabbat, as well as with dedicated cylinders for Shabbat use only. As well, it can be installed on both boiler and immersion heating systems.
Our products are certified LeMehadrin by FedTech department of the Federation lead by Rabbi Shraga Feivel Zimmerman Shlita.
Rabbi Diskind showing how the system works
Part two next week
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19 JANUARY 2023 Herzog welcomes new ambassadors
BY HARRY SIMONS
President Isaac Herzog has welcomed the new ambassadors of Australia, Philippines, El Salvador, South Korea and Turkey at official ceremonies in Jerusalem.
Herzog held an audience with each ambassador who were presented with letters of credence.
Ambassador to Australia, Dr Ralph Peter King, said he will promote trade and reciprocal tourism, maintain Australia’s support for Israel in international forums and emphasise long-term peace.
“Australia is an immense friend of the State of Israel,” said Herzog.
King has been Australia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait.
Herzog thanked the Ambassador of the Philippines, Pedro Laylo for the dedication of Filipino care workers in Israel, calling them “guardian angels”.
Israel’s president discussed deepening ties in agriculture and tourism with El Salvador Ambassador Milton Eduardo Umana Acevedo, formerly his country’s consul-general in Miami.
Herzog and the Korean Ambassador Kim Jin-Han discussed several issues including reciprocal trade.
The last ambassador to present letters of credence was Turkish Ambassador Sakir Ozkan Torunlar. The ceremony came 10 months after Herzog’s historic state visit to
Austrailian Ambassador Dr Ralph Peter King and President Herzog PHOTO: GPO Korean Ambassador Kim Jin-Han meeting with President Herzog
With Ambassador of the Philippines Pedro Laylo Turkey at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in March 2022.
Torunlar, formerly Turkey’s consul-general in Jerusalem and ambassador to India, was appointed by Erdogan following the recent announcement of full diplomatic relations between the countries.
Herzog stressed the importance of
PHOTO: GPO Greeting Ambassador of El Salvador Milton Eduardo Umana Acevedo relations between Israel and Turkey in the region. He also invited Erdogan to visit Israel.
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The Community Security Trust has collated a record number of university-related antisemitic incidents for an academic year. 150 hate incidents targeting Jewish students, academics or student bodies took place over a two-year period according to CST’s new report ‘Campus Antisemitism in Britain 2020-2022’.
This included 95 in 2020/21, 55 incidents occured in May 2021 during Israel’s conflict in Gaza. The two-year total is a 22% increase on 2018-20.
University-related incidents took place in 30 towns and cities. The highest numbers were London (30), Bristol (14) and Birmingham (12) reflecting the largest Jewish student populations across the UK.
There were 47 antisemitic incidents on-campus and 21 off-campus. Eight-two online incidents illustrate the increasing role played by social media platforms and instant messaging apps.
Investigations were marred by slow responses, an absence of communication and a lack of impartiality by investigating officers.
Academic institutions have adopted the IHRA definition but CST received inaccurate reports.
CST recommends adoption of the IHRA definition be accompanied by training.
CST CEO Mark Gardner said: “Antisemitism at our universities has been a running sore for decades. This study also reinforces last week’s National Union of Students’ own report into antisemitism, including the link between anti- Israel hatred and racist treatment of British Jews. Students’ Unions and university authorities need to better support their Jewish students.”
HM Government’s Independent Adviser on Antisemitism, Lord Mann, noted: “Antisemitism on campus has long been a concern for parents and students. The reported rise in university-related antisemitic incidents over the past few years is both worrying and unacceptable. It is imperative that more is done to protect Jewish students and staff from the scourge of antisemitism.”
Mann and the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism have set up a Taskforce to examine the Jewish experience at Higher Education institutions.
Union of Jewish Students President Joel Rosen said: “Jewish students living away from home for the first time have the right to be who they are and to feel safe where they live and study. These incidents have a detrimental impact on the community, leading some to hide their identity and disengage from parts of university life.” He added: “In spite of the odds, Jewish life on campus continues. Our answer to those who would uproot our thriving student communities is to ensure they grow and flourish.”
