My story

To mark my 40th birthday I wanted to do something special.

I wanted to invite all those people who have touched my life in some way - at some point (so if you're reading this - that means you!!).

And I wanted to raise money for something dear to my heart. It's a charity in that helps children with hearing impairment live in the hearing world.

I know it's a lot to read but please take the time (press the read more button!!!)...

I have identical twin cousins - Dana and Tamar Tal-El, 19, who were born when I was on my shnat year in .  They were diagnosed with profound hearing impairment at the age of two and doctors said they would never be able to speak normally, learn normally and that they would most certainly never serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

But Dana and Tamar learned to speak almost flawlessly, and the pair went to regular schools.  I was so proud when I heard from their Mum that they proved the doctors’ wrong again when they commenced their service with the IDF - Dana as a photographer for the air force, and Tamar as a soldier-teacher for children with difficult home lives in one of Israel’s development towns. Tamar is off to Officer training in October!

My cousin, their Mum, had many negative experiences when her children were diagnosed.  They were told "that they would be special needs, and need special education, and they would never be like everybody else,”

She and her husband, Eli, thought that their children could do better and, along with another couple (who also have two hearing-impaired children), put their heads together and, in 1995, the non-profit organization A.V. Israel was born.

With offices in Ra’anana and Jerusalem, A.V. Israel is dedicated to helping deaf children and their parents by providing audiological testing and diagnostic assessments; state-of-the-art technology, including cochlear implants, digital hearing aids and assistive FM devices; auditory-verbal (A.V.) education and speech therapy, as well as counseling and professional training, with the ultimate goal of teaching deaf children to “listen” and speak, so that they could integrate into mainstream schools and the culture of the hearing world.

In most cases of hearing impairment, the auditory nerve is still intact, and although it doesn’t function on its own, it is possible to stimulate this nerve with electronic impulses, such as those produced by a cochlear implant or other advanced hearing device. Although the sound that is produced by this stimulation is not identical to that produced in a normally functioning auditory system, it is a sound that the brain can translates into meaningful speech and language.

The benefits of this approach are manifold: first, the normal physiological stimulation of the brain enables people to learn speech and language naturally, through listening, the way hearing people do; secondly, it is not necessary for individuals with a cochlear implant to see other people when they speak; and thirdly, the sound of the speech if the hearing impaired is much more proximate to normal speech.

So much so that Dana says when she speaks, people sometimes ask her if she has a foreign accent, rather than a hearing impairment.

Today, A.V. Israel helps hundreds of families around the country with graduates living out there in the hearing world. They provide weekly therapy for 50 kids in the center and see over 200 kids in the Ra'anana center.  They are also involved in a cochlear implant mapping (fine-tuning) project at in and the programme at Shaare Zedek began in January 2009, now serving almost 30 children with cochlear implants!

They are growing by the minute! The progress of the field in Israel can be mapped by Dana & Tamar, the centre’s first “graduates.” they had to go to New York for their first cochlear implants at age three, and by the time they were ready for their second implants, at age 14, they were able to have the surgery in Israel.

Please help Elaine and Eli continue to help other children in .

You will be donating through the UJIA as AV Israel is not registered in the but I guarantee monies donated through this page will be given to AV Israel.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and I can't wait to see you at my PARTY!!!!!

My gallery 2

My Teams

My company

My charity

United Jewish Israel Appeal

United Jewish Israel Appeal

Charity Registration No. 1060078

UJIA invests in young people's education in Israel and connects the UK Jewish community with the people of Israel. www.ujia.org/whatwedo

Donations 59

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Nici Happy happy happy birthday (a little bit belated!). LOL Andrew x

Donation by Andrew Joseph on 15/11/10

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So sorry we missed the party but heard it was fab and hope you loved it! With lots of love Wendy, Craig and Edie xxx

Donation by Wendy Littman on 13/11/10

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Thank you so much for a fatastic evening. It was brilliant to celebrate with you. Happy 40th love Tanya, David, Arieh and Solly xxx

Donation by Tanya Temkin on 10/11/10

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happy birthday! It was really great to celebrate with you, Mike & Trudie x

Donation by Mike & Trudie Mesrie on 09/11/10

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Happy birthday Nici.. sorry I missed the party.. hope to see you soon and well done on the fundraising for such a worthwhile cause xxxxx

Donation by Miriam Kelaty on 02/11/10

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

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Hi thanks for a great party, we had a great time lots of love the Chaplains

Donation by deborah chaplain on 29/10/10

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yo great lots of lov mike and sharon

Donation by mike wertheim on 27/10/10

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Hi Nici - thanks for a great party - we really enjoyed it!! Lots of love Lucy & Jon xx

Donation by Jon Rubin on 26/10/10

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hi nici... sorry i couldn't be there to celebrate with you but i know sacha had a great night - happy birthday and well done for raising so much x

Donation by david woodroffe + sacha gottlieb on 24/10/10

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Happy 40th Nici. Sorry we couldn't be at the party. Jeremy & Amanda

Donation by Jeremy Dee on 23/10/10

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happy 40th Nici hope you had a great night on Saturday been a long time since i`ve heard anything by Adam Ant ! love mike S

Donation by Mike Solomon on 20/10/10

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Mazal Tov on this very special birthday. Wonderful party too !!!! Lots of love D & A xxx

Donation by Daniella on 20/10/10

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Sorry we weren't able to make your party. Hope you had a great one Joel & Niki

Donation by Joel Rosenblatt on 20/10/10

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Happy Birthday, lots of Love Alyson xxx

Donation by Alyson Joseph on 19/10/10

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sorry we couldnt make it hope you had a great night Jo, Peter, Rafi & Jack xxx

Donation by joanne freeman on 19/10/10

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Happy Birthday! Hope you had a great time on Saturday ... we did! Lots of love Mich and Ben x x x

Donation by Michelle Sallon on 19/10/10

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Happy Birthday, we had a great time at the party, lots of luv justine, marc xxxx

Donation by marc gough on 18/10/10

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Happy Birthday Nici Lots of love Danny, Kim, Ella & Toby

Donation by Danny Schweiger on 18/10/10

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Nici, thank you for a great party! Happy birthday, love Michelle and Rob.

Donation by Rob Myer on 18/10/10

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Happy Birthday Nici, thank you for a fab party! Lots of Love Marianne & Jo x x x

Donation by Marianne Sellick on 17/10/10

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Nici - what a great night!!!!! thank you so much & we hope you had a great birthday -love Mark & Wendy...

Donation by Mark Schweiger on 17/10/10

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

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Dear Nici, thank you for a fabulous evening we were very happy to celebrate with you, have a great birthday love jay & noam

Donation by jarrod normie on 17/10/10

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happy birthday nici, hope you had a fantastic time last night lots of love zoe rob jake and lucy xxx

Donation by zoe raynes on 17/10/10

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So sorry we couldn't be with you last night - heard it was fantastic and that you looked amazing. Happy Birthday! Lots of love Emma & Jan xxx

Donation by Emma and Jan Harris on 17/10/10

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Happy Birthday Nici - Hope you had a fab time last night. See you very soon. Love & Hugs Vicki & Fraser xxxxx

Donation by victoria wolff on 17/10/10

Donation summary

  • * Online donations$2,789.53
  • Offline donations$583.68
  • Text donations$0.00
  • Total raised$3,373.21
  • Gift Aid$660.65

* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.