“Our Answer to Iran”: Sylvan Adams sets on rebuilding a resilient, flourishing Negev

For Adams, this effort is more than philanthropy; it’s a defiant statement, affirming that vitality is the best response to violence. His $100 million donation, part of a billion-shekel public-private partnership with the Israeli government and Clalit Health Services, will fund Soroka’s reconstruction into one of the most advanced hospitals in the Middle East. “The idea,” he explains, “is to create a state-of-the-art hospital, perhaps the best in Israel, possibly even in the entire region.”

Before the missile strike, Soroka already faced challenges. As the main hospital for the Negev, it had struggled with outdated infrastructure and chronic underfunding. Adams straightforwardly describes its condition: “It didn’t look like a modern hospital. It had outdated systems. The physical facilities required major upgrades.” The attack, though devastating, created both urgency andopportunity. “We’re turning a crisis into something positive,” he says. “The legacy of those ballistic missiles will be a modern hospital that’s the envy of the country.”

The new Soroka will feature a reinforced inpatient tower, expanded emergency and maternity services, and AI-powered diagnostic and imaging systems – a significant advancement in both architecture and ambition. Adams is experienced in visionary initiatives.

An Oleh himself, Adams has spent the last decade transforming Israel’s cultural and physical landscape: bringing the Giro d’Italia race to Jerusalem, funding Tel Aviv’s velodrome, and last year donating $100 million to Ben-Gurion University to support economic recovery in the south after October 7. Soroka, however, is distinctive.  “It’s about life,” he states, “ensuring that residents of the Negev have access to the same top-tier healthcare as those in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.”

And indeed, Adams’s vision for the Negev goes beyond hospitals and campuses. Recently elected president of the World Jewish Congress Israel Region, he aims to bring one million new immigrants to Israel within five years.

“The antisemitism we observe today, particularly since October 7, has deeply affected many diaspora Jews,” he states. “I’ve seen this across Europe and Canada – Jews questioning their future in their current homes. Israel remains their sanctuary, the only place where Jews can live freely.”

Adams hopes many of these new arrivals will settle in the Negev, fulfilling David Ben-Gurion’s long-standing dream of a thriving southern heartland. “We have not yet succeeded in fully populating the Negev,” Adams admits. “and we need a comprehensive strategy, including housing, jobs, healthcare, and education, to make the periphery the preferred choice.”

The Soroka project embodies that shared responsibility, with Adams describing it as “a public-private partnership that spans the spectrum,” with the government representing the public, Clalit Health Services as a hybrid nonprofit, and his foundation serving as the private philanthropy. “Together, we’re creating a model for national renewal,” he says.

Ever the optimist, Adams hopes this model inspires others, especially Israel’s wealthiest citizens. “You can’t imagine how rewarding it is to give away this money,” he says with a wide smile. “Spending on others brings more fulfillment than you can imagine; it uplifts the soul.”

Adams doesn’t limit his message to Israel alone, aiming it to Jewish donors abroad as well. “Investing in the Jewish people,” he states, “that’s meaningful and lasting. Trust me, there is truly nothing more fulfilling that this.”

Despite raising billions for Israeli projects, Adams emphasizes his motivation isn’t legacy. “I’m proud of my work for Israel,” he says, “but more than that, I’m proud to be a Jew. I often say: I’m a Jew first, then an Israeli. I wouldn’t be here if not for my Jewish identity. To diaspora Jews, I say: if you seek a meaningful Jewish life, live it here.”

“We’re a unique people,” he adds, “Throughout history, others like the Canaanites and Philistines have vanished, but only the Israelites remain. We never surrender. We rise, rebuild, and return stronger. That’s who we are.”

After the war, Adams’s outlook for Soroka and the Negev feels both bold and personal. “Ben-Gurion envisioned a thriving Negev,” he says. “Now, we are working to turn that vision into reality — in labs, lecture halls, hospitals, and emergency rooms.”

“You may destroy our buildings,” he concludes, “but you won't destroy our will. We defeat those who wish us harm by building a stronger, united Israel.” In Beersheba, cranes will soon replace missiles, and for him, every beam and plan is a statement. “Our response to Iran,” Adams asserts, “is life itself.”