Your Daily Phil: Harlaps donate $180M in largest-ever gift to an Israeli hospital
Good Wednesday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on Shmuel and Anat Harlap‘s $180 million gift to central Israel’s Rabin Medical Center — the largest-ever donation to an Israeli hospital. We speak with friends and colleagues of prolific activist Jacqueline Levine, who died earlier this month at 99, and have the scoop on several major Jewish organizations calling for the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nominees for antisemitism envoy and international religious freedom ambassador. We feature an opinion piece by Beverley Shimansky and Jay Solomon looking to the year ahead as Jewish students return to campus across Ontario, Canada, and one by Pete Shevenell about tapping the full potential of digital Jewish communal engagement. Also in this issue: Rose Horowitch, Andrew Wirth and Mark Rothman.
What We’re Watching
The Jewish Federations of North America is organizing a briefing this afternoon with Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, the Israel Defense Forces’ international spokesperson.
The University of Michigan is hosting two anti-Israel speakers today: former Columbia University protest leader Mahmoud Khalil and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
What You Should Know
Shmuel and Anat Harlap donated $180 million to central Israel’s Rabin Medical Center, the hospital announced on Wednesday, believed to be the largest-ever single gift to an Israeli hospital and the largest single gift ever made by Israeli donors, reports eJewishPhilanthropy‘s Judah Ari Gross.
The donation will go toward the construction of a new center for cardiology and neurology at the hospital, which will be dubbed “Hope Tower,” at the Harlaps’ request, according to Rabin Medical Center, also known as Beilinson Hospital, which is located in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva.
“We are donating this tower and calling it ‘Hope Tower’ because it needs to be a lighthouse of hope, to radiate hope, to give people hope, and to show the entire world that… all of the components — Jews, Muslims, Christians, Haredim, secular people, Circassians — all of the components of Israeli society can stay here and be healed here,” Shmuel Harlap said after the signing of the agreement on Tuesday. “Therefore, we hope that the Hope Tower will symbolize the future of the State of Israel — the biggest and most significant cardiological and neurological center in the Middle East.”
Shmuel Harlap, who has a doctorate in Platonic philosophy, holds the controlling interest in Colmobil, Israel’s largest car importer. (In the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attacks, he donated 120 cars to the kibbutzim that were targeted.) Harlap was also a significant investor in the Israeli driverless-technology company Mobileye, which was purchased by Intel for $15.3 billion, reportedly earning him $1 billion.
“This is a historic moment in which Anat and Dr. Shmuel Harlap have changed the Israeli philanthropic field and set a new standard for dedication to society and public health,” Pinchas Cohen, chairman of the board of Friends of Rabin Medical Center, said in a statement. “This donation is not just a milestone in the creation of the future of medicine, it is a symbol of mutual responsibility, of exemplary citizenship, of humanity and of belief in the power of hope.”
The Harlaps’ record-breaking gift — apparently the third largest ever made to an Israeli organization — joins a number of nine-figure donations made to Israeli institutions since the Oct. 7 terror attacks. Soon after the attacks, Canadian-Israeli philanthropist Sylvan Adams pledged $100 million to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; last July, an anonymous American donor gifted $260 million to Bar-Ilan University; and earlier this summer, Jon and Mindy Gray donated $125 million to Tel Aviv University’s medical school. (The largest donation ever made to an Israeli institution was a $400 million endowment to Ben-Gurion University in 2016 by Dr. Howard and Lottie Marcus.)
“Such a donation is rare and moving, particularly as this is a ‘blue and white’ donation,” Dr. Eytan Wirtheim, director of the medical center, said in a statement, referring to the colors of the Israeli flag to signify a domestic contribution.
BARUCH DAYAN EMET
Jacqueline Levine, activist for Soviet Jewry and civil rights, dies at 99
When Martin Raffel, former senior vice president at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, remembers Jackie Levine, he thinks of the time they got arrested together. In March 1986, at the height of the movement to free Soviet Jewry, Raffel, Levine and four other members of the American Jewish Congress walked up to the gates of the Soviet Embassy in Washington singing Hebrew songs, he told eJewishPhilanthropy’s Nira Dayanim. They left in the back of a police van. Levine, an activist, lay leader and fundraiser, died on Aug. 11 at 99.
Making the world better: Among many other positions, Levine, who repeatedly smashed glass ceilings for women in the Jewish communal world, served as national chair of the Mobilization for Soviet Jewry, through which she organized a march that brought 250,000 American Jews to Washington to advocate for Soviet Jewry’s right to emigrate. Until the “March for Israel,” in November 2023, the “Freedom Sunday” march for Soviet Jews was the largest rally of Jewish people in modern history. “She didn’t act like she was a big deal. She just was,” Steve Gutow, former president of the Jewish Council of Public Affairs, told eJP. “She made the world better. Not many people can say that. When you met her, you felt like you were more than you were before. She would always make people feel like we were really changing the world. And maybe we all really are, if we let ourselves.”
SCOOP
Jewish groups urge confirmation of religious freedom ambassador, antisemitism envoy
Several major Jewish organizations are calling on the Senate to “swiftly” confirm President Donald Trump’s nominees for special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism and international religious freedom ambassador, reports Gabby Deutch for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider. In April, Trump tapped Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, an Orthodox businessman and Chabad rabbi who served as a campaign surrogate, to serve as the next U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, and has named former Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) as the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Both positions require Senate confirmation, and neither has had a confirmation hearing yet.
‘Utmost importance’: The groups, led by the Jewish Federations of North America, wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that filling the roles is “of utmost importance in fighting growing antisemitism and ensuring freedom of religion or belief worldwide,” according to a draft obtained by JI. “We dare not delay in filling these critical positions that protect human rights around the world,” the letter states. “To that end we strongly urge you to prioritize filling these positions, sending a powerful signal to governments around the world that the United States upholds our constitutionally guaranteed rights to life and liberty, to freedom of religion and belief, and calls on them to do the same.”
Read the full report here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
BACK TO CAMPUS
Unapologetically Jewish and stronger than ever
Last September, tens of thousands of Jewish students across Ontario packed their bags for their first year at university. Like every new student, they felt a mix of nerves and excitement, imagining late-night study sessions, new friendships and romantic relationships and the independence of campus life. But these students carried with them more than just backpacks and laptops, Many carried a quiet fear, wondering what would it mean to be visibly Jewish on campus,” write Beverley Shimansky and Jay Solomon, chief campus and culture officer and chief advancement officer for Hillel Ontario, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Choosing joy: “A year later, while the epidemic of anti-Jewish bigotry rages on, students are returning to campus with a renewed sense of determination. They will live proudly, joyfully and unapologetically as Jews. As the largest regional Hillel in the world, Hillel Ontario will stand beside them every step of the way. … This year, our work is anchored in five priorities — each a response to this moment and each a commitment to our collective future.”
BE WHERE THEY ARE
It’s time to take a serious look at digital media engagement
“If we fail to invest meaningfully in digital engagement, we risk leaving a vital part of our community underserved and disconnected,” writes Pete Shevenell, president of Lost Tribe, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Not an either/or proposition: “Lost Tribe’s Jewish-proud, Israel-positive posts on TikTok and Instagram reach millions, generating thousands of comments and sparking a vibrant global dialogue about Jewish culture. A yearlong study of Lost Tribe’s impact, conducted by Rosov Consulting and funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation, found that young people can be meaningfully inspired toward Jewish pride, identity and purpose, and a stronger connection to Israel, through a deliberate, values-driven embrace of new media. … This is not about replacing in-person connection, which will always be at the heart of Jewish life. But if we make a space for digital connection at that heart, we open the door to a future where far more Jews gather at the table.”
Worthy Reads
A Complicated Heritage: In the Clarion (Miss.) Ledger, Jay Weiner reviews The Jewish South: An American History by Shari Rabin, which challenges Jewish readers to look at their co-religionists attitudes and behavior in the antebellum American South. “[Rabin writes:] ‘Most Southern Jews took pleasure in the tremendous privileges they now enjoyed, not only as citizens but as members of white ruling minorities. They established comfortable households, they participated in the system of chattel slavery, and they developed strong local loyalties. … Despite ample evidence to the contrary, most southern Jews loudly proclaimed that, at least in the places where they lived, prejudice was a thing of the past… [having] every reason to embrace the comforts that the new social order provided them and to ignore or accept the exclusions and injustices that made them possible.’” [ClarionLedger]
Southern Comfort: The Atlantic’s Rose Horowitch spotlights the growing popularity of southern universities among prospective Jewish students, as many of the Ivies and small liberal arts colleges in the Northeast face widespread anti-Israel and at times antisemitic activism. “No doubt some Jewish students have opted out of the Ivy League simply because they think the South is the place to be. Even so, an atmosphere of fear has clearly taken hold among many Jewish families. Jewish leaders at Columbia, Harvard, and Yale told me that just about every parent of a prospective student asks if their child will be safe on campus. … Of course, the parents who reach out to campus rabbis in the first place are a nonrepresentative subset of Jewish families. Anxiety around anti-Semitism is concentrated among students who are religiously observant and more likely to participate in Jewish organizations, several of the rabbis told me.” [TheAtlantic]
An Ancient Tension: In The Jewish Independent, Andrew Wirth explores the Torah’s approach to balancing “responsibility to our own community and way of life versus our responsibility to others” in the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy). “Devarim emphasises national destiny and a militant ethos which echoes in current events. … However, Devarim is also a book of mercy and love. The Torah teaches ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ … It is challenging to contain these conflicting moral commitments. We feel it within ourselves and see it in growing polarisation within families and the broader the Jewish community. Some respond by lapsing into uncritical loyalty to Israel and hatred towards the other — others feel unable to remain in relationship to the Jewish national project or indeed the Jewish community. However, at its most fruitful this tension leads to what political theorist Michael Walzer called the ‘connected critic… situated in a society, and committed to the best interpretation of its moral self-understandings.’” [JewishIndependent]
Word on the Street
Philadelphia’s Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History was again vandalized this week — the second time in just over a week — with red paint sprayed on its Israeli flag…
Shortly after members of the Democratic National Committee passed a resolution on Tuesday voicing support for humanitarian aid to Gaza and calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas, Ken Martin, the party chair, announced that he would withdraw the measure, which he had introduced, and instead form a task force to continue discussing the matter, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Kassel reports…
Business Insider profiles Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, whose recent philanthropy and public commentary have been bringing him further into the spotlight…
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law yesterday new legislation that requires all colleges in the state to designate anti-discrimination coordinators to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act; the move has been hailed by local Jewish organizations in light of rising antisemitism on campus…
The Wall Street Journal spotlights the high-profile, high-stakes divorce proceedings of David Geffen, who did not sign a prenuptial agreement with his now-estranged husband, amid allegations of drug use and unequal power dynamics…
Norges Bank Investment Management, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, is ending its investments in Caterpillar as well as five Israeli banks, after its ethics council reviewed the companies’ ties to Israeli construction and Palestinian home demolitions in the West Bank…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the decision by Australia to expel Iran’s ambassador in Canberra, calling it a positive “first step,” days after he had criticized Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for being “weak” and failing to adequately address antisemitism in the country…
In The Wall Street Journal, Tevi Troy reflects on the slow pace encouraged by vacation life…
The National Library of Israel signed a memorandum of understanding with Our Jewish Story, under which it will house 1,000 recordings of first-person stories from Israeli society…
Physicist Rainer Weiss, who won the Nobel Prize in 2017 for his role in developing a mechanism to predict intergalactic events, died at 92…
Transitions
The Jewish Communal Fund elected four new trustees to its board: Barry Bergman, Leonard Berman, Judy Lobel and Zena Tamler…
Emily Jaeger was appointed founding director of the Conservative movement’s new Social Justice and Public Policy Center…
Mark Rothman has been named interim CEO of Jewish Long Beach (Calif.), and Elisha Breton was hired as its Jewish community relations director…
Commentator Batya Ungar-Sargon is joining NewsNation, where she will host an eponymous weekend program…
Pic of the Day
Backpacks full of new school supplies are distributed on Tuesday at P.S. 133 in Bellerose, Queens, to hundreds of local students at an event co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and New York City Council Member Linda Lee, with support from the nonprofit Supplies for Success.
“This event reflects the heart of JCRC-NY’s mission to build bridges across diverse communities and build a more interconnected New York for all,” Mark Treyger, CEO of JCRC-NY, said in a statement. “The event also highlights JCRC-NY’s commitment to support students, educators and school communities. As a former educator, I know how meaningful these events are for families, and we are proud to continue building community alongside Council Member Lee within her great and diverse district.”
Birthdays
Vice chairman at IBM and lead independent director on the board of Apollo Global Management, Gary Cohn…
Chatsworth, Calif., resident, Ruth Ann Kerker Hapner… Board chair for North America at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Mark S. Freedman… Author, essayist and journalist, Michael Wolff… President of the Israeli Jewish Congress focused on battling antisemitism, he is a former senator in the Russian Federation, Moshe Shlomo (Vladimir) Sloutsker… President of Cornell University until June 2024, Martha Elizabeth Pollack… Israel’s ambassador to the Czech Republic, Anna Azari… Executive director of J Street Israel, he served as Israel’s consul general to New England from 2006 until 2010, Nadav Tamir… Private equity investor and a trustee of the Jewish Federations of North America’s board, Neil A. Wallack… Israeli-born CEO of Insitro, she was a professor at Stanford for 18 years and a 2004 winner of a MacArthur genius fellowship, Daphne Koller… Director of National Intelligence throughout the four years of the Biden administration, Avril Haines… Co-founder of the 2017 Women’s March, which she departed citing concerns over antisemitism, Vanessa Wruble… Managing partner and founder of G2 Investment Partners, Joshua Goldberg… Former director general of the Israeli Ministry of Finance, now CEO of the Strauss Group, Shai Babad… Mayor of Evanston, Ill., Daniel Kalman Biss… Senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Richard Goldberg… Director of the JCRC at the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida in Jacksonville, Nelson France… Co-founder of theSkimm, Danielle Merriah Weisberg… Member of AJR, an indie pop multi-instrumentalist trio, together with his two brothers, Adam Metzger … Michael Weiss… Director of the Botanical Garden and senior lecturer, both positions at Tel Aviv University, Yuval Sapir… Talia Rubin…
