Sylvan Adams Champions Negev Revival with $200 Million Investment

Canadian-Israeli philanthropist Sylvan Adams visited Beersheba this week, underscoring a bold and transformative commitment to rebuilding and revitalizing Israel’s south. With two unprecedented donations totaling $200 million, Adams is positioning the Negev not only as a region of recovery, but as a rising center of Israeli innovation, health, and education.

Adams, who also serves as President of the World Jewish Congress Israel, met with Beersheba Mayor Ruvik Danilovich and toured key institutions and infrastructure in the city. His visit marks a pivotal moment in a sweeping philanthropic campaign aimed at strengthening civilian resilience in the wake of recent conflict.

At the heart of this effort are two major donations: $100 million to Soroka University Medical Center and $100 million to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. These are among the largest private contributions ever made to southern Israel.

During his visit to Soroka his first since the announcement Adams toured the facilities and met with medical staff and leadership. The hospital recently sustained damage from an Iranian missile strike, exposing vulnerabilities in Israel’s southern civilian infrastructure.

“Visiting Soroka and witnessing firsthand the strength, professionalism, and dedication gives me belief that we will succeed in creating the best hospital in the country, and eventually, the entire Middle East,” Adams said. “This project is a pillar of the South’s health-care system and an anchor of my vision to see a million new immigrants to Israel.”

Soroka’s Director General Prof. Shlomi Codish praised Adams’s partnership as a game-changer. Strategic development plans now include a new inpatient tower, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation building, and a Clinical Research Center all backed by Adams’s support.

The hospital’s revitalization is just one piece of a much larger vision.

Adams also visited Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where he has long supported innovation and academic excellence. Touring the Sylvan Adams Sports Center and meeting with university leadership, he reaffirmed the institution’s vital role in shaping the future of the region.

The donations come at a time when the Negev faces both great challenges and unprecedented opportunities. Adams’s vision is rooted not just in charity, but in nation-building. As president of the World Jewish Congress Israel, he has launched a campaign to bring one million new immigrants to Israel many of whom, he believes, will settle and thrive in the South.

With each step he takes, Adams is helping turn the Negev from a frontier into a foundation of medicine, education, growth, and unity.

Israel’s strength is not only measured by its defense, but by how it heals, teaches, and grows. Sylvan Adams’s leadership in the Negev is a testament to the power of vision, generosity, and unwavering belief in the future of the Jewish state.

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