Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg and her fiancé Tom Bernthal have donated $5 million to the United Hatzalah Women’s Unit in honor of her parents, Adele and Dr. Joel Sandberg.
The unit will be named the Adele and Joel Sandberg Women’s Unit.
The donation was made during a United Hatzalah event held Sunday evening in Miami, Florida that honored Adele and Dr. Joel Sandberg and Dr. Ari Ciment “for their dedication to Israel, their community and to saving lives.”
Also in attendance were the former US Ambassador to Israel and his wife David and Tammy Friedman, the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava, and Mark Gerson the Chairman of United Hatzalah and Co-Founder of the Gerson-Lehrman Group.
The event was the first of its kind for the organization since the onset of the Corona pandemic. It took place at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Aventura, Florida.
Sheryl Sandberg, author of the best-selling books Lean In and Option B, was keynote speaker at the event, attended by more than 500 people. The event adhered to strict coronavirus protocols, but nevertheless raised $18 million to help support the lifesaving work done by United Hatzalah’s emergency medical response volunteers throughout Israel around the clock – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. In addition to the address by Sheryl Sandberg, the event, which was chaired by Tila Falic Levi, also featured performances by Gad Elbaz, Chico Castillo, and DJ Aviel.
The Gala also included a Host Committee of Miami community leaders, and was chaired by United Hatzalah Global Events Ambassador Laura Schwartz.
“A strong relationship exists between the people of Miami and United Hatzalah, and myself personally,” noted United Hatzalah President and Founder Eli Beer.
“After I got sick with COVID-19 the doctors here in Miami University Hospital saved my life. My good friends Adele and Dr. Joel Sandberg were a major part of my recovery, thanks to them I made it through my ordeal,” Beer explained.
“The relationship became stronger during the collapse of the Champlain Towers, a tragedy that affected the entire community of Miami, when United Hatzalah volunteers from the Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit rushed to assist the family members, neighbors, community members, and first responders, who were affected by the horrible tragedy that took place here.
“Now we have come together once more to strengthen the bonds of friendship and life-saving even further. It is because of the women and men who drop whatever they are doing and rush to help others, no matter what time of day or night, and where the emergency may be, whether in Israel, or right here in Miami, and likewise because of the people who come out to events like this to support them that we are able to save as many people as we can,” he said.
“Together, we are a force for good in a world that needs each and every one of us to help and support each other, especially in times of crisis.”
