The hospital with a heart... Dear friends,

Ihope you are managing to stay well and warm over the winter. Here at Shaare Zedek, we have started the year with many new beginnings which we share in Heartbeat with you.

We are delighted to have the doors of the hospital fully open again. We hope to welcome as many of you to visit in 2023 as possible. Some of our visitors have shared their reflections with us on pages 26-29.

All our visitors have been incredibly impressed by the new Cancer Centre. I was fortunate enough to be visiting the week of opening and remember fondly the staff, who spoke through tears, about the impact they could see the new facility was already having on their patients and urged me to thank our supporters who have made it happen. You can read more on page 6.

Here in the UK, we are very excited to welcome our new Chairman, Jonathan Paull. I first met Jonathan in 2014 when he chose to sail the Atlantic to raise money for us by way of thanks for the care his mother received in her final days. I knew then that he was an inspirational champion of our charity and I look forward to working with him and introducing him to you all. We bid a fond farewell to our outgoing Chairman, Michael Sorkin, who has loyally served us for 16 years. It has been a pleasure working with Michael. You can read more about the impact of Michael’s tenure and get to know Jonathan on page 4.

In times of change, Shaare Zedek remains the hospital with a heart. We have some remarkable patient stories to share. On page 10, you will read about Anna, who was airlifted from war-torn Ukraine for life-saving treatment at the hospital.

You will read about Nurse Ariel (page 17), whose proactive approach to his work put him in the right place at the right time to save a life. You will read about a rare case where our doctors delivered a baby whilst simultaneously saving the mum having a stroke (page 12) amongst other stories.

I love meeting people connected to our hospital who want to share their stories. I was fortunate enough to meet 90-year-old retired nurse Levannah Goldberg whose stories of working with Shaare Zedek legends Dr Wallach and Schwester Selma are shared on page 18.

We are always proud when Shaare Zedek’s expertise has a direct impact in the UK. On page 22 you can read about our collaborations in the fight against cancer.

You will also read reflections from Members of Parliament who have visited the hospital on learning visits. I look forward to sharing more news of UK collaborations as they develop. Do make sure to sign up to our online newsletter for the most up to date information and inspiration.

Heartbeat is all about wonderful people, innovative technology and some truly miraculous work. Please enjoy reading about our latest achievements, knowing your support and legacies are part of the miracle work we do. Thank you.

Simi Ben Hur Executive Director Shaare Zedek UK