Toothpaste
The Official Toothpaste of Jewish Comedians?
A pair of Jewish comedians are going the extra smile for the father of a friend.
Kangaroo toothpaste
Lumpy jaw disease is a serious — often even fatal — condition for captive kangaroos. Now, an Israeli-innovated tooth varnish is keeping their gums in top shape. The contagious gum disease that tends to plague kangaroos living in captivity presented a major problem for marsupials at Jerusalem’s Tisch Family Zoo (www.jerusalemzoo.org.il and at Gan Garoo Park in the Galilee. Until now, the only available antibiotic treatment required anesthetizing the animals daily for 10 days and keeping them quarantined a course that was extremely tough on them and their keepers. Some 40 percent of Gan Garoo’s kangaroos died from the disease or the stress of treatment. And figures were the same at zoos all over the world. But professors at Hebrew University’s dentistry (dental.huji.ac.il) and pharmacy (pharmacy.huji.ac.il/eng/default.asp) schools came to the rescue. Working with veterinary professionals at the two facilities, they developed a topical, slow-release, one-time treatment. Zoos all over the world are keen to get hold of the preparation for their own animals. Downloads: VIDEO: - Kangaroo Gum Disease HiRes: www.megaupload.com - Kangaroo Gum Disease HiRes No Voice: www.megaupload.com - Kangaroo Gum Disease Streaming: www.megaupload.com - Kangaroo Gum Disease Streaming No Voice: www.megaupload.com DOCUMENTS: - Kangaroo Gum Disease SCRIPT: www.megaupload.com - Kangaroo Gum Disease INTRO: www.megaupload.com Please credit the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Kosher Toothpaste Debate
The Orthodox Union, which certifies as Kosher more than 400,000 products, includes a long discourse on toothpaste on its web site. Though most dentifrices contain glycerin, an animal product that is “unquestionably” non-kosher, it’s not completely clear whether they’re treyf; the OU quotes some complicated rabbinical rulings involving flavor and usage of the product. “If glycerin is present in tasty toothpaste, it would certainly seem to be problematic. The issues…are very serious, and consumers should not hesitate to consult their rabbonim for direction,” its Web site says.