JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli judoka Yarden Gerbi, a bronze medalist at the Rio Olympics, brought in $52,100 for charity in an auction for her Olympic name patch.
Twenty-two individuals placed 87 bids for the signed and dedicated patch during the weeklong auction on eBay that closed Monday. The buyer was not identified.
The proceeds will be donated to the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center to be used to purchase medical equipment, Gerbi said in her description on the auction website.
Gerbi defeated Miku Tashiro of Japan for Israel’s first Olympic medal since the 2008 games in Beijing. Another Israeli judoka, Ori Sasson, won a bronze medal in the men’s judo competition.
“The medal is for all of Israel, for everyone who supported me and cheered me on,” Gerbi said after her victory. “I’m waiting for someone to wake me up. I gave my soul and it paid off. Whoever said you can’t succeed in Israel is wrong.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
