Here in the U.S. we can also celebrate stem cells this year, following a ballot measure to decriminalize and fund such research that passed (by a slim majority) in Michigan in November. The CureMichigan proposal allows fertility clinics to donate for research embryos that would otherwise be discarded, and lets researchers create embryonic stem cell cultures to study disease. Several Reform Rabbis and other Jewish community members worked in support of the proposal, backed by strong URJ policy supporting stem cell research.

Many doctors and research scientists believe that stem cells may hold the key to treating and potentially curing diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, in addition to their tremendous value for tissue and organ transplants.

Innovations like the windpipe transplant serve as a constant reminder of the potential of stem cells to relieve human suffering and allow so many men, women, and children to live longer, healthier lives. However, these cures will never emerge if primary research, and the funding for it, is curtailed by federal and state laws limiting work with both adult and embryonic stem cells. The Reform Movement has long been an outspoken supporter of stem cell research, consistent with one of our core Jewish values: pikuach nefesh, the obligation to save a life. As we continue to hear these amazing stories, let us not forget all the behind-the-scenes work that enables such breakthroughs, including the public policy that is so critical to shaping our priorities and opportunities as a nation.