Thirty years ago, Lloyd Goldman and his sisters, Katja Goldman Sonnenfeldt and Dorian Goldman Israelow, were looking for a way to honor their father, Irving Goldman, after his death, and their mother, Joyce, who had died 16 years prior. 

Their parents had long supported Jewish causes, as well as healthcare systems, so the answer came quickly: a donation to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s medical school, which would be renamed the Joyce and Irving Goldman Medical School. The university’s location in Israel also created a certain distance between the recipient and the siblings, a welcome benefit as they sought to keep the focus on the cause and not themselves, Lloyd Goldman told eJewishPhilanthropy.

Goldman, who is now chairman of the board of governors of Ben-Gurion University, is in Israel this week to mark the medical school’s 50th anniversary and participate in the school’s upcoming board meeting. 

He spoke with eJP about his family’s involvement with the university and how his philanthropic priorities have shifted amid rising antisemitism in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attacks.

The interview has been edited for clarity.

Judah Ari Gross: So how was the 50th anniversary gala on Monday night? 

Lloyd Goldman: It was wonderful. Medical school graduates and doctors and people who are associated with medical schools generally love people and life, so it’s an optimistic place.

JAG: Tell me a little bit about your family’s involvement with the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev medical school. You’ve been strongly connected to the medical school and the university in general for a number of years. So how did that come about? 

Well, my brother-in-law, Michael Sonnenfeldt, got involved with the university 40-some-years-ago probably through Robert Arnow [real estate developer and former chairman of the board of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev]. And early on in his career, Michael fell in love with Ben-Gurion University, and my sister and he donated what is now the Sonnenfeldt Auditorium. Back then, it was a really big gift for them as they were very young. And he introduced the rest of our family to the university. 

When my father passed away in 1995, we were looking for some way to honor him and his legacy and our mother’s legacy — my mother died in 1979 at a young age. My father always gave to causes in Israel and to Jewish causes, but he didn’t give often in his name, he gave anonymously. And my sister and I felt that it was nice to honor them, and to not give anonymously. He gave anonymously because he didn’t want to be called [by other causes for donations] — he wanted to be able to do it on his terms and to make it about the cause, not for the [renown]. And we felt it was appropriate to do a major gift in Israel, some place where we would not be seen every day so that it would not come back to us. We wanted to give not to bring attention to ourselves but to do something that improves the world and society.

My father believed in education, and he was involved in what was then the North Shore Medical Center [which later merged with the Long Island Jewish Medical Center and became part of the Northwell Health system], so we decided that [Ben-Gurion University’s medical schools] was an appropriate place. The university had a few things to raise money for including other things, but we decided the medical school was the most appropriate place. And we knew that we were not medically trained, we just knew we wanted a world-class institution, so we agreed with the medical school and the university that they would recruit an international advisory board, made up of half Israelis and half foreigners, to maintain a standard of excellence at the medical school that would be world-class. And the medical school has some unique traits that have been emulated around the world, but it also has the unique mission of improving the healthcare around the community, as opposed to just training young people to become great physicians and researchers. 

I continued to be involved with the university and the American Associates of Ben-Gurion University — now Americans for Ben-Gurion University — and they just kept pushing me up the mountain until I became chairman of the university. I wasn’t looking for that, but it’s just the natural movement. My brother-in-law Michael, was president of the American Associates a long time ago, and we’ve all, as a family, been supportive of many things at the university. Obviously, the Goldman Sonnenfelt School of Sustainability is named for my sister and brother-in-law. 

JAG: Yes, I spoke with your brother-in-law a few months ago about the Jewish Climate Trust. So I know he’s obviously involved on sustainability issues and climate issues.

LG: We believe Israel should be a leader, and most things it can be a leader in, and when it comes to technology and thinking outside the box, Israel is very nurturing. Israel should be able to do great things in the world. Hopefully the world sees that and the Jewish people as such. Unfortunately, there’s too much antisemitism in the world, and that seems to cloud that possibility.

JAG: In terms of your philanthropic priorities has that changed at all post-Oct. 7?

LG: There’s a certain sentiment that we need to put our names on things more just so the communities can see that great things are being done by the Jews. So in the U.S., I’ve publicly gifted the NorthWell Health System.

Other than Catholic health systems, it’s hard to find a healthcare delivery system that doesn’t have Jewish names attached to it. Jewish families look to make sure they take care of themselves and their community around them, and that’s what you find Jewish names in many education institutions and many healthcare systems. It’s just a common thread of taking care of your community and improving healthcare and education to better people.

But there is still a lot that we do behind the scenes because the object is ultimately to do good things, and we’re amenable — when applicable — to being publicly acknowledged.

JAG: Do you have any other plans while you’re here in Israel?

LG: The university keeps us busy, so not really. I am still very actively involved in real estate and the businesses we run in New York. I’m a part-time philanthropist — my main job for most cases is running a real estate business but I put in hours in the organizations we support.