On November 2, 2025, a remarkable act of philanthropy took center stage in Jerusalem as Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams pledged $100 million to help rebuild Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva, Israel. The hospital, a critical institution serving the southern Negev desert region, had suffered severe damage from an Iranian missile strike during the 12-day war with Iran on June 19, 2025. The pledge, announced during the Israeli government’s weekly Cabinet meeting, is part of a sweeping initiative to not only restore but significantly modernize the region’s healthcare infrastructure.
Adams’ $100 million commitment isn’t standing alone. According to eJewishPhilanthropy, the donation will be matched by equal contributions from the Israeli government and Clalit Medical Services, the healthcare provider that operates Soroka. Together, these three partners are assembling a collective $300 million—about 1 billion shekels—aimed at transforming the hospital and, by extension, the entire healthcare landscape of southern Israel.
The lion’s share of this funding will go toward constructing a new, fortified hospitalization tower designed to withstand future threats and emergencies. But the vision goes further: $50 million is earmarked for rebuilding and modernizing existing hospital infrastructure, while another $50 million will support the expansion of emergency capacity, the modernization of critical and maternal care, and the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as AI-based diagnostics, precision medicine, and next-generation imaging. As Adams’ office put it, the goal is nothing less than to turn Soroka into “one of the premier hospitals in the country and in the Middle East.”
Speaking to eJewishPhilanthropy, Adams explained the urgency and importance of the project. “Soroka was already in desperate need of modernization, and then it was partially destroyed by an Iranian ballistic missile. The serious condition of Soroka became critical,” he said. Adams recounted how Moshe Bar Siman Tov, Israel’s Health Ministry director-general, approached him for help in the wake of the June attack. “I’m well known at the Ministry of Health,” Adams noted, referencing his history of significant donations to other Israeli hospitals, including Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, and Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Rishon Lezion.
Adams described the fundraising process as a catalyst for broader cooperation. “We began a dialogue. [I had the] opportunity to be the catalyst for two others to join: the government and Clalit,” he said. “This is a beautiful public-private partnership of an enormous size.”
The symbolism of rebuilding on the very site of destruction was not lost on Adams. In remarks reported by Associated Press, he declared, “Our answer to Iran is to build back bigger and better. On the very place where missiles fell, we will build in Beersheba, the capital of the Negev, a state-of-the-art hospital that will be one of the most advanced in the Middle East.”
The announcement drew high praise from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who lauded Adams as a “great friend and benefactor of the State of Israel.” At the Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said, “You raise Israel’s standing in so many fields and make a truly significant contribution. I want to thank you on my behalf, on behalf of the government, the citizens of Israel and especially the residents of the Negev.”
This $100 million pledge is among the largest single donations ever made in Israel’s history and marks Adams’ second major gift to Beersheva in just over a year. Shortly after the Oct. 7 attacks in 2025, he donated another $100 million to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, reinforcing his commitment to the region’s resilience and growth.
Adams’ philanthropic focus extends beyond healthcare. He has supported a wide array of causes in Israel, notably in sports, medicine, and education. He is perhaps best known internationally as the co-owner of the Israel Premier Tech cycling team. However, recent months have seen Adams step back from the team’s daily operations after it faced protests and exclusion from international races due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. According to the Associated Press, Adams stated he would no longer take “an active role” in the team after these disruptions.
For Adams, the Soroka Medical Center project is part of a larger vision to energize southern Israel and fulfill the dream of Israel’s founding prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, to “make the desert bloom.” He sees the hospital’s transformation as key not only to recovery from recent violence but also to the future vitality of the region. Adams has recently thrown his support behind an ambitious initiative to encourage 1 million people to immigrate to Israel over the next five years. “How are we going to bring 1 million new immigrants if we don’t have economic opportunity for them?” he asked rhetorically, highlighting the need for robust infrastructure and quality of life. “There’s a push factor of antisemitism [around the world]. The pull factor has to be that we make life easy for the immigrants… that they don’t have to downsize when they move [to Israel].”
Beyond the bricks and mortar, the project is about resilience and renewal. The June missile strike that devastated Soroka was a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability, but also of its capacity to rally and rebuild. The hospital serves as the primary medical facility for the Negev, a vast and often underserved area. Modernizing Soroka is, in many ways, an investment in the future security and prosperity of southern Israel.
The partnership between Adams, the Israeli government, and Clalit Medical Services is being hailed as a model of public-private cooperation. With $300 million in combined resources, the plan is to not only restore what was lost but to leap forward technologically and structurally. Integrating AI-based diagnostics and precision medicine is expected to position Soroka at the forefront of medical innovation in the region.
For the people of Beersheva and the wider Negev, the commitment represents hope and a tangible step toward recovery after months of uncertainty and hardship. As the rebuilding effort gets underway, the eyes of Israel—and indeed much of the world—will be watching to see how this historic partnership shapes the future of healthcare in a region that has long balanced adversity with aspiration.
With construction on the horizon and a vision for a world-class medical center taking shape, the story of Soroka Medical Center is evolving from one of destruction to one of determination, partnership, and renewal.
