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By: Fern Sidman

As Israel continues to grapple with the catastrophic fallout from the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre—an unprecedented assault that left 1,200 dead and over 250 civilians taken hostage—its national fabric remains profoundly shaken. From the ravaged kibbutzim in the Negev to overburdened emergency medical response units and traumatized university research communities, the collective toll on Israeli society has been both harrowing and enduring.

Yet, amid the anguish and uncertainty, a beacon of enduring support shines from abroad. Steeped in the ancient Jewish tradition of tzedakah (charitable giving), Israel has been the beneficiary of extraordinary philanthropic aid from global benefactors. At the forefront of this ongoing effort is the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, which has played a pivotal role in strengthening Israel’s healthcare resilience and national recovery.

Recently, The Jewish Voice spoke with Sandor Frankel, a distinguished New York attorney and lead trustee of the Helmsley Trust. A Harvard Law School graduate and former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Frankel represented the late Leona Helmsley and her foundation for nearly two decades. Under his stewardship, the Trust has deepened its commitment to safeguarding Israeli lives and fortifying its civil infrastructure.

“The Helmsley Charitable Trust works to strengthen the health, safety, and security of the people of Israel—for the benefit of the country, region, and world,” Frankel explained.

Since launching its active grantmaking in 2008, the Helmsley Trust has disbursed over $4.5 billion across a wide spectrum of charitable endeavors, including $700 million specifically earmarked for projects in Israel. These efforts range from expanding access to world-class medical services in underserved regions to elevating Israel’s capacity for groundbreaking scientific and medical research.

A major focus in the post-October 7 era has been mental health, an area where need has surged to critical levels. As Frankel noted, “There is no one in Israel who has not been directly or indirectly affected. The emotional trauma has permeated every corner of the nation.”

In response, Helmsley has prioritized rehabilitation programs and infrastructure to support those battling psychological distress. One prominent initiative is a new mental health facility at Ezrath Nashim – Sarah Herzog Memorial Hospital in Jerusalem. In 2023 alone, the Trust granted $2.38 million to launch the planning and development of this center, which aims to provide comprehensive mental health services for individuals affected by war-induced trauma.

Perhaps the most ambitious Helmsley-backed project is unfolding in northern Israel: the Helmsley Rehabilitation Center of the North, located at Tzafon Medical Center in Tiberias. In a region heavily impacted by Hezbollah’s escalating threats from Lebanon, the need for robust medical infrastructure is urgent and undeniable.

With a $15 million grant, the Trust is bringing to life the first full-scale rehabilitation hospital in Israel’s north. This state-of-the-art facility already includes a pediatric rehabilitation department and will eventually house specialized units for neurological, orthopedic, cardiac, pulmonary, and geriatric care.

“Advanced rehabilitation services are desperately needed in Israel’s north,” Frankel emphasized. “The new center will eliminate the burdensome need for northern residents to travel long distances to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem for care.”

Israel’s Ministry of Health has corroborated the critical demand for such services in the northern region, particularly amid intensifying border tensions. The Helmsley Center stands not only as a practical solution to a logistical challenge, but also as a powerful symbol of equitable healthcare for all Israelis—regardless of geography or income.

Beyond infrastructure, the Helmsley Trust also collaborates closely with Israeli universities, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations, providing financial and strategic support to help drive scientific innovation and bolster Israel’s global image as a hub of medical excellence and humanitarian values.

“Our aim is to expand access to healthcare, elevate Israel’s contributions to global science and medicine, and foster international understanding of Israel and its people,” said Frankel.

One of the most impactful recent donations came in January 2025, when the Helmsley Trust awarded $6 million to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem for the development of the Helmsley Comprehensive Cardiac Care Center. The grant is being used to renovate and modernize three cardiac catheterization laboratories as well as the hospital’s cardiac inpatient ward.

“This initiative ensures that Jerusalem residents have access to cutting-edge cardiac treatment delivered in world-class facilities,” Frankel told The Jewish Voice. “It reflects our commitment to Israel’s long-term health and medical resilience.”

This cardiac care initiative builds on an earlier Helmsley investment in Shaare Zedek’s oncological services, with the Helmsley Cancer Center officially inaugurated in June 2023. The 130,000-square-foot facility, led by esteemed pulmonologist-oncologist Professor Nir Peled, is the most comprehensive cancer treatment center in the city, integrating diagnostics, radiation, chemotherapy, and holistic patient care under one roof. Spread over six floors, the center includes an advanced CT imaging suite and four linear accelerators—critical for state-of-the-art radiation therapy.

According to Frankel, the Helmsley Trust provided vital funding not only for the center’s construction but also for the acquisition of high-tech equipment. The nearly $100 million complex now stands as a flagship model of whole-person medical care in Israel.

Beyond hospital systems, Helmsley has extended its life-saving reach to Israel’s emergency medical services, contributing $8 million to Magen David Adom (MDA) and $1 million to United Hatzalah. These funds have been crucial in helping emergency response teams operate in the intensified conflict zones and prepare for continued security challenges on Israel’s borders.

In March of this year, as part of its growing commitment to building a healthier, more inclusive Israeli society, the Helmsley Trust announced a $1 million grant to the Jerusalem Foundation in support of a groundbreaking initiative: the construction of a new, state-of-the-art center for Tsad Kadima, a nonprofit organization serving youth and adults with complex physical disabilities in Jerusalem.

This transformational project—valued at $6.7 million—will create a permanent home for Tsad Kadima in the heart of Jerusalem’s Talpiot business district, providing critical resources for an often-overlooked population. The new facility, known as the Center for Active Living, will span 15,000 square feet (1,400 square meters) across four fully accessible floors. It is scheduled to open by late 2026.

“This project marks a key expansion of Tsad Kadima that will enable the organization to better serve children and adults with complex disabilities,” Frankel told The Jewish Voice. “At Helmsley, we work closely with community organizations to improve health outcomes, and this grant will contribute to the resilience of communities in Israel.”

Founded in 1987 by parents of children with cerebral palsy and education professionals, Tsad Kadima pioneered the introduction of the Conductive Education (Pető) model to Israel. The organization now operates nine centers nationwide, and its holistic approach integrates physical, emotional, educational, and social support for individuals with severe physical disabilities.

The forthcoming Center for Active Living will be the flagship of the organization’s efforts—“the showpiece and gem”, as described by Professor Jacob Yahav, Chair of Tsad Kadima’s Board of Directors.

The multi-purpose facility will significantly increase Tsad Kadima’s capacity, enabling them to assist 60 individuals at a time—a 50 percent expansion over the current limit at their rented location. More importantly, the new center will empower participants to pursue independent, integrated lives, with services designed to nurture both self-sufficiency and social inclusion.

Among the key features of the new center are a training apartment to teach life skills and support overnight stays for independent living trials, an entrepreneurship hub to foster vocational creativity and self-employment, a fully accessible gymnasium tailored to a range of physical needs, a technology room equipped for cognitive and motor development, dedicated arts and therapy rooms for creative expression and emotional healing, community programs by day, and independent living simulations by night, as well as safe rooms and bomb shelters on every floor, reflecting both modern accessibility standards and the realities of life in Israel.

The Helmsley Trust’s grant is part of a broad coalition of support. This capital project is being implemented in collaboration with the Jerusalem Foundation and the Jerusalem Municipality, which together recognize the transformative social value of Tsad Kadima’s mission.

“The new building will be located in the center of Jerusalem’s Talpiot business district next to the Makor Haim neighborhood,” said Prof. Yahav. “It is ideally situated for community integration and accessibility, and will become a landmark of inclusion and innovation.”

The new Tsad Kadima center is not simply a building. It is a declaration—that individuals with disabilities have a rightful place in the urban fabric of Israeli society, that they deserve opportunity and independence, and that their contributions are vital to the country’s future.

“This isn’t just about infrastructure,” said Frankel. “It’s about expanding access, unlocking potential, and enabling individuals with disabilities to live fuller, more empowered lives.”

As Israel rebuilds from recent trauma and conflict, projects such as this shine a light on what resilience truly looks like—not just defense and survival, but compassion, vision, and a commitment to leaving no one behind.

In a bold move to reshape the future of healthcare innovation and digital medicine in Israel, in February of this year, the Helmsley Trust announced a $5.45 million grant to the Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) for the construction of a state-of-the-art Medical Technologies Building. This transformative investment underscores Helmsley’s enduring commitment to advancing healthcare infrastructure, research, and education in Israel.

The new facility, to be named in honor of the Helmsley Trust, will rise as a landmark structure on HIT’s rapidly expanding campus in Holon, just south of Tel Aviv. The 77,000-square-foot building will encompass six floors featuring cutting-edge classrooms, immersive research laboratories, innovation hubs, and design studios aimed at cultivating the next generation of healthcare professionals and digital medicine innovators.

“Helmsley is committed to supporting the Holon Institute of Technology in educating young people, bolstering Israel’s healthcare system, and expanding opportunities for students who want to enter the fields of science, applied mathematics, engineering, and so much more,” Frankel said. “Investing in HIT’s vision is an important step toward our broader goal—ensuring access to quality healthcare services for all Israelis.”

The $19.6 million project is being carried out in partnership with Israel’s Council for Higher Education and is expected to be completed in 2027. Once operational, the facility will provide learning spaces for at least 850 students and feature modern meeting rooms and a large public auditorium.

The Helmsley-funded Medical Technologies Building will consolidate a broad spectrum of multidisciplinary health programs under one roof, offering students hands-on training in digital health, clinical technologies, AI-driven healthcare systems, medical device development, and health data analytics.

The building’s distinctive architectural design—featuring glass and aluminum facades and a sleek, curved roof—will stand out as a futuristic centerpiece within HIT’s 56-year-old campus. But it’s not only aesthetics that set the new structure apart. The space is engineered for collaboration, serving as a nexus between academia, the healthcare industry, and the public sector.

But perhaps the most poignant testament to the Trust’s mission lies in its work with communities that bore the brunt of Hamas’s barbarity. Among them, Kibbutz Be’eri—a once-thriving agricultural settlement located in the Gaza Envelope—suffered some of the worst destruction during the October 7 attacks. With much of its farming equipment looted or destroyed, the kibbutz faced a paralyzing economic setback.

In a deeply collaborative gesture, Helmsley representatives met directly with Be’eri’s residents to determine how best to support their recovery. On May 12, 2025, the Trust announced a $2.2 million grant to the Association for the Betterment of Eshkol Region Residents, aimed specifically at revitalizing Kibbutz Be’eri’s agricultural operations.

The funds have already been used to purchase a fleet of new tractors and advanced farming equipment, allowing Be’eri’s farmers to return to the fields and resume the labor that has long sustained their community.

“Be’eri is not just a farm—it is a symbol of Israel’s pioneering spirit,” said Frankel. “Supporting its recovery is not only a moral obligation, but an investment in Israel’s future as a resilient and innovative society.”

More than a logistical upgrade, the equipment represents a tangible step toward psychological and economic recovery. It enables families to reclaim their livelihoods and signals the beginning of a broader capital campaign, launched this May, to restore and elevate the kibbutz and the entire Eshkol region.

“Helmsley’s support represents more than new tractors,” said Yarden Tzemach, Head of Agriculture at Kibbutz Be’eri. “Agriculture is the fabric of our lives — it’s how we live, work, and grow together. It also represents the Zionist dream of working the land and holding it. As our community makes long-term plans to rebuild our physical structures and our local industries, this support strengthens the foundation we need to move ahead.”

The Helmsley Trust’s multifaceted efforts—from high-tech oncology and cardiac care to grassroots agricultural renewal—underscore its role as more than a donor. It is a strategic partner in Israel’s reconstruction, rebuilding not just physical infrastructure but the emotional and societal scaffolding of a nation in recovery.

“We are dedicated to the health, safety, and security of the people of Israel,” Frankel reaffirmed. “And in places like Kibbutz Be’eri, that means standing with communities not just in their moment of tragedy, but in their journey back to life.”

As Israel navigates the long road from anguish to renewal, the enduring support of the Helmsley Charitable Trust affirms that Israel’s healing is not solitary—it is strengthened by the solidarity of those who believe in its future.

And in the hands of steadfast allies like the Helmsley Trust, Israel’s future—though battered by war—remains fiercely guarded, deeply supported, and imbued with hope.