To Miri and the entire Adelson family, the For Out of Zion Shall Go Forth the Law group shares your deep pain.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
What is this mysterious group? Under the banner of the famous saying from the Ethics of our Fathers, "If there is no flour, there is no Torah," I met as an academic with Sheldon and Dr. Miriam Adelson, the latter of whom I have known for years, first when she was a university student and later when she interned with my wife, and I asked for their help in funding the research of a small group of Israeli scientists on a particular subject.
Their immediate response was a small "no" and a big "yes." We will not fund the research of a small group, they said, but rather establish a large international fund for medical research that aligned with their views. With lightning speed, the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation, unique and successful by any standard, was established.
Unique because it acts according to two principles: Its focus is disease (certain cancers and diseases of the brain), and most importantly, it is based on close collaboration between researchers, which Sheldon, with his sharp senses, understood before the researchers was a necessary condition for the success of such a complicated venture. I won't go into the details of the collaboration, but I will note the jewel in the crown: The researchers meet twice a year at the Adelson's hotel in Las Vegas to report on their successes and failures, with the Adelsons personally hosting all conference attendees and lecturers. The dates are coordinated in advance with the Adelsons' schedule, and they never, ever missed a single meeting.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
Successful because foundation members are the best scientists in America and tiny Israel, and Dr. Miriam Adelson likes to call the Israeli group she has nurtured "For Out of Zion Shall Go Forth the Law." The scientists have gained prestigious international recognition and more importantly, innovative therapies have been developed and are in the pipeline. The scientists have access to enviable joint research platforms, and just recently, an advanced platform was established for the identification of the tiniest of tiny amounts of protein, the importance of which is invaluable for advanced research.
The foundation's singularity – it is unmatched throughout the world – and its success are the fruits of Sheldon's vision and deep understanding, with Miri, the best adviser he could choose, by his side. We pray that the foundation and its continued operation will constitute a living candle whose flame will pave new paths for the good of mankind and serve as a living and breathing eternal memory of this incredibly special man.
Aaron Ciechanover is an Israeli biologist and a Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry.
