Identical twins from Lorain serve in Africa

LORAIN -- When Lorain natives Rebecca and Allison Goldberg went to Africa this summer to help others live a better life, they were following a public-spirited family tradition.

Rebecca spent five weeks in Uganda offering free dental services and doing research after her first year at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. Allison spent three weeks in Malawi studying the success of that country's HIV/AIDS testing program.

The sisters, 24-year-old identical twins who graduated from Lorain Admiral King High School in 2001, said they learned about social responsibility from their older brother Jeremy, their parents, Sherwin and Sandy Goldberg, and grandparents, Hyman and Frances Goldberg.

The life lesson is rooted in the ancient Jewish concept of Tzedakah, which roughly translates in English to charity, Rebecca said. The training started young, she said, at the Agudath B'Nai Israel synagogue on Meister Road. When the twins were grade-school age, the synagogue took them on visits to nursing homes. The pair and their brother also belonged to Young Judea, a youth group that emphasizes Jewish traditions and developing leadership.

''Money comes and goes,'' Rebecca said. ''But helping people will last longer than making money.''

Rebecca took that attitude to Kampala, Uganda, from June 11 to July 20. She worked at two dental clinics, the Makerere University Hospital Clinic and the Mulago Clinic, which is a public hospital, she said. With her friend and fellow dental student Charu Gupta, Rebecca planned the trip, made contacts in Uganda, got approvals from ethics boards in Uganda and Ohio and had to earn approval from OSU, since they went abroad without faculty members.

The two saw hundreds of patients at the two clinics, Rebecca said.

''We did oral exams, noting how many cavities were present, how many teeth had been extracted, and so forth,'' she said. ''We also provided 200 fluoride varnish treatments to children. It's a syringe application to reinforce the enamel of their teeth, to help them grow.'' In addition, hundreds of toothbrush and floss kits were given away, with instructions on its use.

She and her friend surveyed their patients to learn about their educational and economic backgrounds, how often they brushed, their general health knowledge and the difference between their concept of good oral health and the reality of good oral health.

''We learned that money is a huge issue,'' Rebecca said. ''A lot of people weren't even aware of floss, what it was or how to get it. We found that even when they knew about toothbrushes, they needed urgent dental care. They thought they knew what they were doing, but we found a big discrepancy.''

In addition to treating and surveying patients, Rebecca said she hoped to foster a relationship between the Ugandan clinics and the OSU dental school.

''It made sense to develop a dental outreach and research effort that could be long-term,'' she said. ''It's important to continue showing up in the community and teaching to improve oral health. Now, when other dental students go there, they can give the people what they really need.''

Allison also hopes her work in Africa this year is the beginning of a long learning process. She went to Malawi from July 10 to July 27 for her employer, Abt Associates, to observe and document an HIV-AIDS counseling and testing event. For the second year, the Malawian government promoted a one-week drive to test as many citizens as possible across the country, she said.

As an associate analyst for Abt Associates, Allison does research, develops surveys and writes case studies.

''This is my first job out of college,'' she said. ''It gives me a broad perspective on health issues, both domestic and international. It's a very enriching experience.''

Abt Associates was contracted for the project by the United States government through the President's Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, she said. The results of the Malawi study will be co-published with United States Agency for International Development and the World Health Organization in November, she said.

''The Malawi government was hoping to test 130,000 people in one week, but they actually tested almost 190,000,'' she said. Allison traveled across the country to interview those who provided testing and patients who were getting tested.

''I learned that the country is incredibly mobilized,'' she said. ''There's a strong sense of leadership from local levels to the national level.'' Allison traveled from cities to rural areas, sometimes crossing deserts in four-wheel-drive vehicles to observe the testing and conduct surveys.

About 8.4 percent of the tests came back positive for HIV/AIDS, many times the infection rate in the United States.

''When you go to a country like this, with a public health crisis, you can't ignore it,'' Allison said. ''You see the poverty and you feel the need to make a difference.'' But the people of Malawi were an inspiration for her, she said.

''Malawi is called the warm heart of Africa,'' she said. ''The people are incredibly friendly and open. When you met people they wanted to hug you. And when I returned to communities, they gave me gifts. They're incredibly poor, but they were giving gifts to me.''

Allison credits her brother Jeremy, who founded the Global Youth Partnership for Africa to encourage understanding and promote cultural exchanges and development projects between Americans and Africans, as a big influence on her life.

Like Allison and Rebecca, Jeremy, 27, said he follows the teachings he absorbed from his Jewish faith and his family. In addition to Tzedakah, he cited Tikkun olam as an important concept.

''Tikkun olam is defined as mending the world or repairing the broken world,'' he said. His father, Sherwin Goldberg, displayed the concept while coaching Jeremy's sports teams in junior high school.

''Some of the other kids' parents never showed up to support them,'' he said. ''Many times the kids didn't have rides to practice or games. My dad offered to be their biggest fan, to give them support and be a mentor and friend. You always had the sense that he wanted to give back.''

Sherwin Goldberg, 53, is a case manager and job developer for Goodwill Industries of Lorain County.

''Tzedakah is a fundamental part of the Jewish way of life,'' he said. ''It's the important obligation to give what you can. When children see parents do something, it is maintained through the generations.''

Sherwin's father, Hyman Goldberg, agreed. At age 86, he still practices law part time, offering free services to clients who are having trouble making ends meet. He said he learned about working to help others from his own parents.

''My parents were always interested in helping those in need, regardless of race or color,'' he said.

Hyman Goldberg's parents came from Lithuania with five young children in 1921, he said.

''They didn't know English and had to start from scratch,'' he said. ''In the Depression, my mother worked for Jewish Emergency Relief. When people were on the road, looking for work, she arranged for them to get a meal and a roof over their head.''

Sandy Goldberg, the mother of Allison, Rebecca and Jeremy, said she and her husband encouraged their children to give back to their community, but also to be extraordinary.

''We always told them to reach for their hopes and their dreams,'' she said. ''They all have passion for what they do. And all three of them have great things coming in their future.''