metro Berkley School District is the Oakland County personal excellence is achieved through a powerful community, a true culture of caring, and extraordinary resour" school district where • The class of 2011 received admission invitations to over 130 colleges and universities across the United States including Harvard, Yale, University of Michigan, Duke, and more. Letvin scrapes honey and beeswax from This tank of honey is used to fill the a wooden slat in the hive. honey bear bottles. Amazing Benefits Letvin's typical beekeeping outfit is a pair of long pants, socks, shoes and a T-shirt, but he keeps a beesuit on hand that includes gloves and a heavy hat with a screen in front. "Honeybees usually only sting to defend their hive," he said. "If they do, they sustain a mortal wound that kills them. In the field, they fly away if bothered." Letvin said he's been about stung 10,000 times. "If you have been stung by a honey- bee, the stinger is usually left behind and should be scraped off to prevent more venom from going into you. It is a time-release sting. The initial pain won't last too long, but the area will probably swell up and itch for a couple of days. An allergic reaction is when there is swelling and a rash at a site other than the sting site, and the worst is swelling of the throat. For both, you should seek immediate medical atten- tion. For most stings, I've heard that taping a penny over the sting helps a lot." Letvin said some see the bee's sting as beneficial to those with auto- immune diseases like multiple scle- rosis and arthritis, and he has even taught a number of patients how to handle the bees so they can be stung. "It's a form of alternative heal- ing," he said. "Bee venom seems to stimulate the immune system and get it functioning correctly. It is a very difficult protocol of up to 20 stings three times a week. There are about 100 doctors in the U.S. that purchase injectible venom and use it instead of stinging. It is less painful. Of course, all my statements are as a beekeeper and not as a health care professional, which I am not. "Whenever anything is bothering me I sting it or rub honey on it, or treat it with propolis (a resinous mix- ture collected by honeybees)." He added, "Honey is probably the best wound or burn dressing. It is hygroscopic, which means it sucks the moisture out and thereby kills all bacteria, and gives off a time-release hydrogen peroxide to further clean and disinfect." From the beeswax, he makes lip balm and also candles for Shabbat and holidays. Letvin, who works at Monroe and Associates in Southfield, is a member of Ohel Moed of Shomrey Emunah in West Bloomfield, studies Talmud with Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg at Young Israel of Southfield and attends week- day morning services at Dovid Ben Nuchim in Oak Park. Before Rosh Hashanah, he gave a presentation on bees at Ohel Moed, Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Oak Park and Akiva Hebrew Day School in Southfield. In mid-September, he dis- played a glass-sided hive at the Shofar Factory at the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center. Lisa Gilan of West Bloomfield, her husband, Ethan, and their children Eden, 11, and Jonah, 9, were able to see the hive. "It is hard to believe that sweet honey for Rosh Hashanah is made from insects that I don't like very much:' Eden said. To those who complain about bees coming after the honey in their suk- kahs over the Sukkot holiday, Letvin says, "Those aren't honeybees, which have orange or grey and black-striped abdomens. What is in the sukkah are yellow jackets, which are wasps, and are probably attracted to meat odors:' he said. "Bees are vegetarians." P1 • Berkley High School. ranked one of the top High Schools in the United States by Newsweek, offers 21 Advanced Placement courses. • Berkley Schools offers a robust music and fine arts program from Kindergarten to 12th grade. • Norup International houses both the MYP and PYP International Baccalaureate Programs. www.berkleyschools.org 248.s37.s000 May the New Year bring to all our friends and family health, joy, prosperity and everything good in life. Dharlene, Chuck, Jordan & Zach Norris Sara and Ben Kalish Rosh Hashanah 2011 5772 a. )16 September 29 • 2011 9