American Jewish leaders in NY pledge $200,000 to overburdened Ashkelon hospital

UJA-Federation of New York Operation Protective Edge Solidarity Mission is touring Tel Aviv and cities in the hardest-hit areas in South.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
A military ambulance at Barzilai Medical Center. (photo credit: TOVAH LAZAROFF)
A military ambulance at Barzilai Medical Center.
(photo credit: TOVAH LAZAROFF)
Some 20 top leaders of UJA-Federation of New York, who are currently in Israel on the UJA-Federation of New York Operation Protective Edge Solidarity Mission, pledged $200,000 on Tuesday to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, which has been hit hard by Hamas rocket fire.
 
The donation was announced in a meeting at the hospital by Linda Mirels from the UJA-Federation of New York and Barzilai director-general Dr. Chezi Levi. The gift will be used to purchase a laminectomy set for the emergency room, laser equipment for eye surgery and an ophthalmic ultrasound scanner and an anesthesia machine for the operating room.
 
As part of their visit, the group is touring Tel Aviv and cities in the hardest-hit areas in the South, where they will visit trauma centers, hospitals and bomb shelters and receive briefings from key national security advisors. They will also meet people from the UJA-Federation’s network agencies, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Israel Trauma Coalition and the Jewish Agency. The UJA-Federation has to-date committed $2.1 million in emergency aid for Israel.