(JTA) — The U.S.-based Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is donating more than $5.5 million to strengthen health care in Israel.
The grants announced Thursday focus on southern Israeli communities hit hard by last summer’s conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and ongoing rocket fire.
The grants will complete a medical rehabilitation center under construction in Sderot; help build a regional medical center for the growing Halutza community in Israel’s northwest Negev region; and build an expanded, centralized national dispatch center for United Hatzalah.
“Like so many of our grants, those announced today reinforce the Trust’s commitment to helping all Israeli residents living in Israel’s periphery and in the center lead healthy lives in very challenging circumstances,” Helmsley trustee Sandor Frankel said.
Since 2009, the Helmsley Trust has committed $150 million to an array of charitable organizations for Israel-related projects including scientific research, trips to Israel and communications.
