I was sorry to hear of the passing of Sheldon Adelson, a Jew who loved his people and loved Israel. He was a huge American patriot, who saw anchoring the alliance between Israel and the US as a mission. While alive, his story about a kid who sold newspaper becoming a successful businessman fired up the imaginations of everyone around him. His determination and ability to spot opportunities, take risks, be daring, and carry out plans were his trademarks.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Aside from his global businesses, in the last few decades Sheldon used his abilities to influence public life. It would be hard to count the many and varied philanthropic initiatives to which Sheldon contributed his wealth, most of which deepen the ties between the Jewish people to their land and legacy.
Sheldon fostered links between Diaspora Jewry and the state of Israel by giving to Yad Vashem, Taglit-Birthright, Garin Tzabar - Israeli Lone Soldier IDF Program, and medical and academic projects. The Innovation Center at Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya and the Adelson School of Medicine at Ariel University, where we met last Hanukkah, were an investment in Israeli research, medicine, and development. The importance of founding such an institution at this time cannot be overstated. Generations of doctors and other medical workers will thank him for the initiatives, and we will all benefit from the fruits of the investment and the belief that beat in Adelson when he was determined to launch an excellent new faculty of medicine that opened its doors to all Israelis and everyone who wants to learn.
In places where there were no men, Sheldon "strove to be a man," to invest his wealth and time, to be there, to help and offer support.
More than anything, Sheldon believed in the strategic alliance between Israel and the US, and saw deepening the ties between the two countries as the surest investment in the future of the Jewish people and the state of Israel.
I extend my condolences to Miriam, the love of his life, and his partner on the path of contributing to building up the nation and the land, as well as to the entire family.
May his memory be a blessing.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
