Sheldon Adelson's death is a great loss to the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
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Sheldon felt he had a historic mission, seeing his wealth as a kind of trust placed in his care to strengthen the Jewish people and the State of Israel. To those who didn't know him he sometimes seemed tough, but in his interactions with young people he showed his gentleness and warmth toward the Jews and Israel. He never forgot where he came from. He was surrounded by childhood friends who remained close to him for decades, and always treated those who were less fortunate with the same warmth.
Together with his wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson, Sheldon did more than anyone else in Jewish history to strengthen Jewish education and identity, mostly through his flagship project: Taglit – Birthright Israel. He loved to recall the thousands of times young Birthright participants approached him to say, as he put it, "the five magic words": "This trip changed my life". The program, which brought 750,000 young Jews to Israel and through them has impacted 2 million family members, is the strategic enterprise that Sheldon and Dr. Miri Adelson took upon themselves – an enterprise that is just beginning and will influence our lives for decades to come.
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For me, he was the ultimate winner. He coped with many health issues throughout his life, but always pulled through. His prominent characteristic was an ability to face challenges and overcome them. He was astute and sharp-witted, a dear friend with a huge heart.
Sheldon Adelson was without a doubt a great man of his generation, and that is how he will be remembered. May his memory be blessed.
Gidi Mark is the CEO of Taglit-Birthright Israel.
