A massive philanthropic contribution from Jan Koum is poised to dramatically expand Shaare Zedek Medical Center, with a $200 million donation expected to significantly increase its capacity and mark the largest single gift ever made to Israel’s healthcare system.

The funding, provided through the Koum Family Foundation, will be used to construct a new inpatient tower that will also include residential accommodations for hospital staff. The expansion is projected to effectively triple the hospital’s size, which currently operates with roughly 1,000 beds. According to a source within the healthcare system, the necessary zoning approvals are moving swiftly through Jerusalem’s planning authorities.

This contribution edges past a major donation made last year by Anat and Shmuel Harlap to Beilinson Hospital, part of the Clalit network, which totaled $180 million. The Harlaps directed their funding toward the construction of the “Tower of Hope,” scheduled to open in early 2027. Once operational, the new facility is expected to enable the hospital to significantly expand the capacity of departments currently housed in the Gur Shasha hospitalization tower.

Another significant gift to Israel’s healthcare sector came last year from Sylvan Adams, who contributed $100 million toward building the Tkuma Building at Soroka Medical Center. The Israeli government matched that amount. The donation followed an additional $100 million contribution Adams made to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev after the October 7 attack, part of his broader effort to bolster development in southern Israel.

Taken together, these contributions reflect a broader trend in which private funding—largely from American Jewish donors—is playing an increasingly central role in expanding hospital infrastructure, often stepping in where government investment has lagged.

For Shaare Zedek, which operates independently and is not affiliated with one of Israel’s health funds, philanthropic support has long been a key driver of growth. A donation of this scale underscores the growing divide between institutions capable of attracting major private contributions and those that rely primarily on state funding.

{Matzav.com}