Why Jews With Psoriasis Might Think Twice About Seeking Treatment in Jordan

Bathing in Dead Sea Is More Complicated Than It Appears

Isi Tenenbom

Bathing For Peace: Tuvia Tenenbom takes the waters in the Dead Sea.

Years ago, Germans, quite many of them, in fact, would fly from their homeland to the Dead Sea in Israel in order to bathe in the world-famous salty waters. Some did it for recreation, others for fitness, and still others to cure themselves of psoriasis.

All was fine and dandy until one day the owner of a big German travel agency who made her living from the government-sponsored health insurance that paid for her flying clients, started having second thoughts. Raised to be a do-gooder German, she felt it was morally wrong for Israeli Jews to make profits off Germans. She thought about it through and through, until a really great idea came to her mind: Replace the Jews with non-Jews. And so, before long she contacted a Jordanian man she knew and, so goes the story, said thusly unto him: If you build a hotel on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea, I will divert the tourists from Israel to Jordan.

Within a short time, the man, who happened to be a smart businessman, decided to indeed build the hotel. He called it the Dead Sea Hotel and today I, the best German there is, am staying here.

But, I hate politics and love medicines, and on my second morning in the area I made it my business to meet Dr. Zuhair Bisharat, the head dermatologist of the hotel, in order to discuss how a sea can cure a disease.

Germans are the best, he told me as I sat in his office, his eyes shining like those of a child.

In what way are they the best? I asked him.

Science, punctuality and they also are the strongest in economy.

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Why Jews With Psoriasis Might Think Twice About Seeking Treatment in Jordan