With an inaugural event, hosted by Hadassah International, Christie’s Fine Auction House, and the Israeli Embassy at the Moscow residence of HE Dorit Golender, Israel’s Ambassador to Russia, a multi-layered partnership between Russia and Hadassah was launched.
Addressing the 60 guests, including top leaders of the Russian Jewish community and influential businessmen from Moscow, Munich, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, Ambassador Golender opened the evening, highlighting the Hadassah Medical Center’s pivotal role within Israel as a bridge to peace among nations. Guy Vesey, Director of Christie’s-Russia, explained the Chagall-Christie’s Project, through which individuals can donate to the Hadassah Medical Center’s new Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower by sponsoring one of the Chagall windows in the Abbell Synagogue at Hadassah Hospital-Ein Kerem, or donate art for auction by Christie’s with the proceeds supporting this new inpatient facility. (For further details on the Christie’s project, see http://v2023.hadassahinternational.org/news/article.asp?id=2268 for the International website June 13, 2012 article, “The Chagall Project and Christie’s Fine Auction House Offer International Art Lovers the Opportunity of a Lifetime.”)
Gady Gronich, Director of Hadassah International for Europe, announced the signing a few months ago of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Hadassah Medical Center and the Ministry of Health in Moscow. Initiated by the Hadassah Medical Center, this collaboration set the stage for the training of Russian physicians at Hadassah, joint research, and the sharing of medical expertise in the field of pediatrics, as well as many other medical exchanges. Four Russian physicians have already begun to train with their Hadassah colleagues in Jerusalem.
Executive Director of Hadassah International Melissa Kaplan, who was instrumental in bringing this launch to fruition and organizing the inaugural event, reports that she is now planning events for 2013 to engage new donors for our mission. These will increase awareness of the Hadassah Medical Center’s contributions to world health and acquaint philanthropists and art collectors with the various avenues available for giving their support to the Medical Center.