While everyone's busy
debating stem cells,
we're busy producing results.
shul and school. The assembly took
two long days of work. I bought
benches online and had to raise
money. I made flyers and letters,
asking people to buy benches and
put plaques on the back. It felt good
to give something back to my syna-
gogue."
What's special about
being in a Jewish troop?
"I really like being in a Jewish
troop because we have something
in common right away. We go on
campouts and set up eruvs and
go to Shabbat services. I think
there are common things between
Scouting and Judaism. The Scout
Oath and Law are like the Ten
Commandments. Actually they
are characteristics, not quite rules,
but the Oath and Law have a lot in
common with the rules we as Jews
are supposed to follow."
You recently performed
an unexpected mitz-
vah just before your bar
mitzvah.
"My dad saw an e-mail for
Compassionate Friends; they need-
ed someone with an instrument to
play music at a service for parents
and grandparents of people who'd
lost their children. I felt that after
all they'd been through, I could at
least do that — and not ignore it. I
just had to learn one song. I repeat-
ed it as parents lit the candles. It
was sad, but I'm glad I played."
[Max, who plays flute, is president
of the advanced band at Country
Day and in the Kidz Klez Band.]
In school, is Scouting
cool?
"It's not really considered the cool
thing, but people don't think less
of you because you're a Boy Scout.
Most friends don't know that much
about it. They think it's just the
pinewood derby, but it's a lot of
other things that are really very fun.
It really is pretty cool.
"And it's given me the opportuni-
ty to be a leader. You can't be a great
leader without experience. Because
of practice talking before my peers,
I know I've become a stronger
speaker and more confident. Boy
Scouts has helped my confidence
overall."
- Keri Guten Cohen,
story development editor
See related story, page 65.
While the stem cell debate rages,
scientists at the Technion-Israel
Institute of Technology
are using this important
science to advance
medicine and
save lives.
Technion researchers
have turned embryonic
stem cells into insulin
producing cells for
treating diabetes,and into
muscle and blood vessel cells
for future replacement parts. They
are successfully growing stem cells into
beating heart muscle, which is already
being used to test new drugs and to study
the effects of stresses on the heart.
Most recently, Technion researchers have
shown that stem cells can be integrated
into a damaged heart, where they help
regulate its activity, in effect becoming
a biological pacemaker. Eventually,
this could eliminate mechanical
pacemakers, which require
surgery to replace the
battery every few years,
and could replace
damaged cells in patients
who have had heart
attacks.
Technion scientists are
also developing special
cell lines that can address
one of the most significant
challenges of stem cell technology—
how to coax more of the cells to develop
into specific types that are needed—say
heart or nerve cells.
The American Technion Society is proud
to be a partner in these efforts. With your
help, we can ensure that Israel's scientists
continue shaping a stronger Israel and a
better, safer world.
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR
V TECHNION
ISFtAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
To find out how you can partcipate in events email detroit@ats.org ,
call (248) 737-1990 or visit www.ats.org/cell
Jo Strausz Rosen, Detroit Chapter Director • Matt Engelbert, East Central Regional Director
32506 Northwestern Highway, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334
1100550
sit Noodles & Convany on May • 6,
carb up for the JNcaratho
1 O of your bill will be Ocnated to fight hunger in
April 27 2006
15