Metro Stern Cells Still Kosher Technion medical dean outlines health research and advances. Dave's Gourmet Burgers replaces Rami's at the same location. Esther Allweiss Ingber Special to the Jewish News he word "amazing," frequently overused in contemporary con- versation, is quite appropriate to describe the innovative discoveries and products developed to help human- ity at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. Ido Perlman, Ph.D., dean of the university's Faculty of Medicine, presented the Technion vision of the future, and particular- ly its role in stem cell research, at a recent program attracting Dr. Perlman 35 in the Farmington Hills office of the American Technion Society. Perlman, also a renowned scien- tist in retina research, was on an 11-city speaking tour of ATS offices. Graduates of the Technion, founded in 1924, literally built the modern Jewish state. As needs have evolved, so has the university's focus on preparing students enrolled in 18 diverse academic faculties, including biotechnology, aerospace, com- puters and materials engineering. "Technion graduates make up 70 per- cent of those working" in Israel's burgeon- ing high-tech industry, Perlman said. By limiting stern cell research in the United States, President George W. Bush allowed the Technion take an eight-year lead in the field of stem cell research. Prof. Joseph Itskovitz-Eldor and two Technion colleagues published a paper in 1998 on how to grow human embryonic (stem) cells and keep them alive. Identical at conception before splitting and differentiating, "stem cells want to turn into a baby, but we can turn them into anything we want',' Perlman asserted. New cardiac cells can be introduced to replace lost heart tissue. Researchers have done this successfully with pig hearts. A next step is developing an imaging center for small animals to determine if implanted cells damage an animal's brain or contain toxicity. When intro- duced to humans, drugs will be needed to prevent the body's potential rejection of foreign cells. Speaking of the potential, Perlman said, "Restorative medicine someday could mean 50 million stem cells turned into 50 million pancreatic cells to release insulin:' The process to treat an inherited disease starts with a small skin biopsy, letting stem cells develop and studying the misfunction in a dish. Such custom- ized care will be costly at first, Perlman conceded. With extensive development of genetic profiles, however, patients will always get the correct drug and dos- age and the course of treatment should become cheaper. The Technion's stem cell center seeks to have 200 different lines for better matching. Current research focuses on cardiac, retina, neurological diseases, replacing pieces of bone, cornea trans- plants and skin grafts. Dr. Phil Parker of West Bloomfield related to the talk's focus on stem cell research. The stem cell injection he received at Detroit's Karmanos Cancer Institute four months ago resulted in "a significant remission" of his multiple myeloma. His late brother refused the treatment for the same disease. Richard Polk of Huntington Woods enjoyed hearing of "advancements being made in medical science for the benefit of humankind." ❑ The local American Technion Society has set a fundraising goal of $1.8 million to support stem cell research at the Technion. For information, contact Allan Gelfond, East Central Region director, at (248) 737-1990. What A Doll! The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit's Henry & Delia Meyers Library and Media Center will hold its next lunch and literature book club on Wednesday, April 14, at the JCC, 6600 W. Maple, West Bloomfield. The program will begin at noon. The focus will be "Barbie and Ruth:' which traces the parallel lives of 12 Apr - 2010 the Barbie doll and its creator, Ruth Handler. It will feature an author call-in with Robin Gerber. Guests may bring their own lunches; dessert and beverages will be provided. The program is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested to Francine Menken, (248) 432-5546 or fmenken@jccde t. org David Abraham takes the key to his new restaurant from Rami Mandelbaum. Shell! Liebman Dorfman Senior Writer I n a transition so smooth customers didn't even notice, Rami's kosher restaurant became Dave's Gourmet Burgers with the March 23 sale of the storefront eatery in Oak Park. "When we closed after business on March 22, we were Rami's," said former owner Rami Mandelbaum. "When the restaurant opened up the next morn- ing, it had a new name and new owners. There isn't a new sign up yet, so custom- ers didn't know about the change unless they read a notice posted on the front door informing them of the sale." The new owners, brothers David, Daniel and Joseph Abraham, are part- ners in Dave's Gourmet Burgers. They may be new to the restaurant business, but not to local kosher food service. Sons of the owners of Zeman's New York Kosher Bakery in Oak Park, David and Joseph have helped at their parents' store, where Daniel is the manager. Since January 2007, Rami's was owned by Rami and Arly Mandelbaum, who purchased the former BKC to Go kosher restaurant, changed the name and kept the basic menu, but implemented their own food sales philosophy. "We tried to make it more family friendly and affordable Mandelbaum said. Working Together "The new owners are very business conscious and customer-service ori- ented," Mandelbaum said. "They took over immediately following the pur- chase, but I'm still around for a while to help them get settled." Mandelbaum and the Abraham brothers met long before striking up a business deal. "We daven at the same shul [Agudas Yisroel Mogen Abraham in Southfield] and we all knew each other growing up." Mandelbaum, whose family is deep- rooted in Michigan, called the sale bit- tersweet. The couple sold the restau- rant after making plans to move closer to Arly's family in Silver Spring, Md. "We really enjoyed being able to help fulfill our city's need for kosher restaurants," Mandelbaum said. "We thank our customers who made the last 31/2 years an amazing adventure and we appreciate their support:' For now, the kosher and carryout and eat-in meat restaurant will keep Rami's varied menu that includes soups, salads, burgers, chicken, veg- etarian options and Chinese dishes. "We will continue to operate the restaurant with the same high kashrut standards as Rami did;' David Abraham said of the eatery, which is supervised by the Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit in Southfield. "We will be focusing on providing a high level of customer service:" The eatery will be closed during Passover and will reopen Wednesday, April 7. "We hope to have some announcements regarding extending hours of operation and expanding the menu:' David Abraham said. "Our primary goal is to run a res- taurant where people eat because the food is good and the service is friend- ly, not just because it's kosher." ❑