D.C. residents Allen Goldberg and Laurie Strongin began the foundation following the 2002 death of their 7-year-old son, Henry, who died of Fanconi anemia, a genetic disease, one type of which occurs more frequently in Jews of Ashkenazic ancestry.

" 'Live Well Laugh Hard,' the motto of the Hope for Henry Foundation, is something we can all learn from and a beautiful sentiment to communicate on this jewelry," said Pioppo. "I am proud to lend my creative efforts to support the well-being of these children facing life-threatening illnesses. I can measure the success of this line in the smiles and laughter we all help bring to the kids."

The foundation works with hospitals across the country to give high-end portable consumer electronics, like iPods, DVD players and XM satellite radios, to kids with life-threatening illnesses to help ease the monotony and pain of hospitalizations and medical treatments.

What's the problem?

Ghana apologized this week after one of its soccer players waved an Israeli flag at the World Cup. John Pantsil's gesture during a weekend game against the Czech Republic was aimed at solidarity with the Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer team, for which he usually plays, but it raised eyebrows among Arabs.

A Ghana Football Association spokesperson apologized Monday and said Pantsil had been cautioned. "He is obviously unaware of the implications of what he did. He's unaware of the international politics. We apologize to anybody who was offended and we promise that it will never happen again," the spokesperson said. "He did not act out of malice for the Arab people or in support of Israel. He was naive."

FIFA, the organization overseeing the World Cup in Germany, said it had no problem with Pantsil's gesture.

Perhaps Gidget's

Hebrew name is Gila?

Count us among those surprised to learn that the inspiration for the old Gidget book, movies and television show is Jewish.

"People, I don't know why, but they get a kick out of learning that Gidget was Jewish," Kathy Kohner Zuckerman said in a Washington Post article.

Turns out that Zuckerman's parents fled Nazi Germany, and her father, Frederick Kohner, wrote the original book based on his daughter's surfer life.

Driving green

The American Jewish Committee is offering its employees an incentive to purchase or lease fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly vehicles. The program is believed to be the first of its kind for employees of any nonprofit organization in the United States.

"By encouraging our employees to first look at other energy-efficient models such as hybrids, we hope other organizations will join us in recognizing that sound choices are available that can contribute to reducing America's dependence on imported oil from hostile nations, a dependency that threatens our national security, and helping our environment," the organization's executive director, David Harris, said in announcing the program.

Jewish films make inspired list

Several Jewish-themed films have made a list of the 100 most inspiring movies of all time. Schindler's List was ranked No. 3 on the list published last week by the American Film Institute. The Diary of Anne Frank was ranked 18th, The Ten Commandments was 79th and Fiddler on the Roof was 82nd.

Compiled from JTA News and Features, The Jerusalem Post and other sources.