‘Australia’s gift to Israel’
"Currently residents of the city requiring rehabilitation as a result of disease, illness or injury travel long distances for treatment, often facing delays impacting their chances of recovery."
Believed to be the largest ever single donation from Australia to Israel, a grant from the Gandel Foundation is enabling construction of a milestone rehabilitation centre in Jerusalem.
Scheduled to open next year, the multimillion dollar facility at Hadassah Hospital’s Mount Scopus campus will serve thousands of patients needing medical rehabilitation for disease, illness or injury across Israel.
While the size of the donation from Melbourne philanthropists John and Pauline Gandel hasn’t been disclosed, The AJN understands the double-digit amount is around one-and-a-half times the previous largest Australian donation to Israel – a $A20 million gift to Tel Aviv University made in 2017 by the late Sydney philanthropist Millie Phillips.
The need for the facility – to be known as the Gandel Rehabilitation Centre – was identified by Hadassah Australia, its president Ron Finkel told The AJN this week. “What we are doing is something for the people of Jerusalem.”
Currently residents of the city requiring rehabilitation as a result of disease, illness or injury travel long distances for treatment, often facing delays impacting their chances of recovery.
To fill the dire need for a local facility, the Israeli government has partnered with Hadassah on the new $US100 million development, which has been classified as a priority project.
The Gandel Rehabilitation Centre will provide 132 in-patient beds and cutting-edge rehabilitation and research facilities, including occupational therapy, physical therapy and hydrotherapy departments, advanced robotics, technological incubators, medical centres of excellence, conference rooms, laboratories, clinics and outpatient areas, a synagogue and a rooftop healing garden.
Describing the donation as “truly a remarkable and transformative contribution”, Finkel said, “Through their immense generosity, leadership and visionary gift, John and Pauline Gandel and their family are providing a 21st century realisation of the spirit and values of Henrietta Szold, the founder of the Hadassah movement, and of her famous words, ‘Dream, and when you dream – dream big.’
“Hadassah Australia is incredibly proud to be playing a small part in helping realise the Gandel family’s iconic legacy contribution to Jerusalem and the State of Israel,” he said.
Hailing the donation as “Australia’s gift to Israel”, chair of the Hadassah Medical Organisation (HMO) and former Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik said the centre is set to become “one of the most impactful and vital institutions” in the country, while Dr Tamar Elram, director of Hadassah Hospital Mount Scopus, insisted, “Lives will be changed for the better because of the care it will offer.”
Jorge Diener, executive director of Hadassah International, welcomed the Gandels “into our very special family of international donors who support the HMO as the largest benefactor in the history of Hadassah International worldwide fundraising”.
“Their commitment to this life-saving project will help to heal our world,” he said, while Rhoda Smolow, national president of Hadassah/Women’s Zionist Organisation of America, thanked the Gandels for “this magnanimous gift”.
Announcing the donation, John and Pauline Gandel stated, “Our philanthropy in both Australia and Israel is about creating a positive and lasting difference in people’s lives, and what better way to achieve that than through enabling the best medical and rehabilitation care for disease or injury, for anyone who may need such help?
“We are incredibly proud to be involved with this strategic project which we know will, for the first time, provide a vital, first-class rehabilitation service and treatment. We are confident the centre will benefit not only the people of Jerusalem but the whole of Israel, and it will help improve the quality of life of countless individuals and their families.
“We congratulate Hadassah and the State of Israel on this critical initiative and we are only too happy to be a part of this truly wonderful, momentous development.”
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