{"id":1500,"date":"2025-05-01T16:37:17","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T16:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/?post_type=event&#038;p=1500"},"modified":"2025-09-18T05:43:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T05:43:19","slug":"united-hatzalah-2025-gala-at-the-motj","status":"publish","type":"event","link":"https:\/\/motj-dev.moonsite.co.il\/en\/event\/united-hatzalah-2025-gala-at-the-motj\/","title":{"rendered":"On Yom HaAtzmaut, MOTJ and United Hatzalah Honored Israel\u2019s Heroes"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":1535,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"class_list":["post-1500","event","type-event","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"type":"full","external_link":null,"headers_main_image":null,"date":"20250501","time":"","booking_link":"","carousel":[1535,1531,1529,1527,1525,1523,1521,1519,1517,1515,1513,1511,1509,1507,1505,1503,1501],"headline":"On Yom HaAtzmaut, MOTJ and United Hatzalah Honored Israel\u2019s Heroes","subtitle":"In a stirring celebration of courage, memory, and unity, the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem (MOTJ) and United Hatzalah joined forces on Yom HaAtzmaut to host a gala dinner that honored Israel\u2019s heroes\u2014past and present\u2014and affirmed the enduring bond between the State of Israel and its allies around the world. The gathering brought together dignitaries, philanthropists, and supporters from Israel and abroad, turning a national celebration into a powerful call for resilience, tolerance, and shared purpose.","meta":null,"description":"The setting was especially fitting. As both a symbol of moral clarity and a beacon of inclusivity, the Museum of Tolerance offered the ideal backdrop for an evening that honored life-saving courage while championing a climate of acceptance and solidarity. Throughout the night, speakers emphasized how the Museum\u2019s mission\u2014fostering dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect\u2014is intertwined with United Hatzalah\u2019s lifesaving work that knows no boundaries of faith, race, or nationality.\r\n\r\nAs such, the Jerusalem Award was presented to philanthropist and MOTJ Chairman Larry A. Mizel, whose leadership has made the Museum a cornerstone of moral education and civic engagement in the capital. The award recognized not only his vision for the Museum, but also his lifelong commitment to advancing Jewish values and human dignity.\r\n\r\nAlso honored that evening was U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who received the 2025 United Hatzalah Defender of Israel Award for his decades-long support of Israel. In one of his first major public appearances in his new post, where he was introduced by philanthropist Sylvan Adams and honored by Dr. Miriam Adelson and Pastor John Hagee, Huckabee delivered a rousing address that underscored the stakes facing Israel today.\r\n\r\n\u201cSomewhere tonight in Tehran, the supreme leader is probably meeting with the key people around him, and they are discussing what they have been talking about for 46 years, and that\u2019s how to murder everyone in Israel and all the people in this room,\u201d he said. \u201cWe should take them seriously. While they're speaking tonight about death, destruction, and darkness, we're sitting here, and we're talking about how to bring life.\u201d\r\n\r\nHe also emphasized Israel\u2019s right to \u201cexist in safety and freedom\u201d and affirmed that Jerusalem is the \u201cindisputable, indivisible capital of the Jewish State.\u201d His words echoed across a room filled with those committed to turning vision into action.\r\n\r\nHuckabee also praised the Museum\u2019s From Darkness to Light exhibit as \u201ca testament to the triumph of hope,\u201d and lauded United Hatzalah for living out those values daily. \u201cThey don\u2019t ask if someone is Jewish, Muslim, or Christian. They ask, \u2018How can I help?\u2019 That\u2019s what real tolerance looks like.\u201d\r\nUnited Hatzalah founder Eli Beer opened the evening with a sober reminder of the pain still gripping the nation. \u201cThis year has been hard for all of us,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are dealing with the worst enemy of humanity. But we will prevail, and our children and grandchildren will not suffer what we have.\u201d\r\nThrough the haze of grief and tension, stories of resilience shone brightly. One such story was that of Shalom, a volunteer EMT who rushed to Kfar Azza\u2014a small community only a few kilometers from the Gaza border\u2014still wearing his tallit, to offer aid in the south. Amid gunfire and chaos, he was handed two crying infants by a soldier. \u201cTake care of them,\u201d the soldier said. That moment changed Shalom\u2019s life\u2014he joined a combat unit shortly afterward. His story, one of many among United Hatzalah\u2019s 8,000 volunteers, exemplifies the movement\u2019s heart: selfless service across divides of faith, background, or nationality.\r\n\r\nOne of the most poignant moments came when Einat Avitan, mother of fallen IDF soldier Staff Sgt. Yair Avitan, rose to speak. \u201cHis life was cut short,\u201d she said, her voice steady with love and loss, \u201cbut his values live on.\u201d\r\n\r\nMore than a venue, the Museum of Tolerance offered a resonant backdrop for the night\u2019s dual themes: the enduring bond between Israel and the United States, and the imperative to build a society rooted in respect, compassion, and shared humanity. On a day that marks the rebirth of the Jewish state, the Museum stood as the ideal setting to celebrate both national pride and a climate of inclusion where all are welcome.\r\n\r\nAs the gala drew to a close, one truth became clear: the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem was not only a venue\u2014it was a message. On Yom HaAtzmaut, it embodied Israel\u2019s resilience and optimism, and offered a vision of what it means to build a society where all are valued and protected.","short_description":"The gathering brought together philanthropists, and supporters from Israel and abroad, turning a national celebration into a powerful call for tolerance, and shared purpose.","good_to_know":"","additional_content_icon":"file","additional_content":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>On Yom HaAtzmaut, MOTJ and United Hatzalah Host Gala Honoring Israel\u2019s Heroes - MOTJ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"On Yom HaAtzmaut, MOTJ and United Hatzalah Host Gala Honoring 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