A Technion Family Tradition
Barbara Dahl's desire to support Israel is in her blood. She grew up watching her grandfather, Mortimer May, rally support for the nation as president of the Zionist Organization of America in the 1950s. At age nine, she traveled with him to Israel and mixed with dignitaries like President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi and future Prime Minister Golda Meir.
"My grandfather was a hero for the Jewish people," she recalled. "I hope to carry on his legacy of serving others through my support for the Technion, whose scientific breakthroughs are benefiting not only Israel, but the world."
By including the American Technion Society (ATS) in their estate plans, Barbara and her husband, Bill, hope to continue their families' traditions of generosity and set an example for their own children and grandchildren. They have dedicated their estate gift to Technion brain research, an interest inspired by Barbara's career as a medical researcher.
Barbara's professional work led her to confront the effects of trauma on the brain. At age 25, she worked on a research team interviewing Vietnam War veterans who had been held captive by the Vietnamese, an effort led by the U.S. military. The experience instilled a fascination with the brain that only deepened when Bill and Barbara watched her father, Robert Blum, combat Alzheimer's disease at the end of his life. Now, their gifts are advancing brain research at the Technion.
"The brain is the computer of the body," she said. "It gets to the heart of who a person is. If we can learn more about the brain, we can make life better for individuals afflicted with mental health challenges and cognitive disorders."
The Dahls' gifts to ATS are empowering Technion researchers to deepen our understanding of the brain. Among other initiatives, their support has funded the May-Blum-Dahl Human MRI Research Center, which houses an MRI machine with research capabilities unmatched in Israel. The center, which bears the names of Barbara's father and grandfather, in addition to her own, represents a tradition that now spans three generations.
After their lifetimes, the Dahls' estate commitment will continue their support for brain research and, they hope, pass on the tradition of giving to their descendants.
"Through our estate gift, we want to exemplify the values we hope our children and grandchildren will carry forward," said Barbara. "For supporters of Israel and science, there is no better cause than the Technion."