Cape Town launch of South African Friends of Sheba Medical Center

Nilly Baruch, Professor Shani, Dr Golan, Mrs Louise Swart and Naomi Hadar

Israel’s largest and most comprehensive medical facility, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, unveiled its new South African Friends of Sheba Medical Center branch during the recent Chanukah holiday. 

A festive event was hosted to highlight the launch in Cape Town’s contemporary art gallery, “WHATIFTHEWORLD” 

Cape Town’s Nilly Baruch had an instrumental hand in organizing this special event, which included participants from the local Jewish community, South African Parliament members and medical doctors both from South Africa and Sheba.

The gathering featured guests from Sheba, including Professor Mordechai Shani, Chancellor of the Sheba Fund for Health Services and Research (and former Director General Emeritus of Sheba Medical Center), Yoel Har-Even, Sheba Medical Centre’s Chief of Staff and Dr. Talia Golan (nee Feinberg) – originally from Pretoria, South Africa and currently the head of Sheba’s Early Phase Clinical Trials Program and Medical Oncologist at Gastrointestinal Unit.

“I’m extremely proud of my Jewish South African roots. Africa is in my soul and it’s an honour to represent Sheba Medical Center, where we work to bring cutting edge care to patients, from IDF soldiers to people of all walks of life in Israel and around the world,” said Dr. Golan.

Professor Shani spoke as well, sharing the stories and unique history behind Sheba Medical Center. Both Professor Shani and Dr. Golan left the audience in awe with many participants seeking ways to be part of the South Africa Friends of Sheba initiative. 

Yoel Har-Even, Sheba Medical Centre’s Chief of Staff added, “We are looking forward to strengthening the relationship between the South African community and Sheba Medical Center in Israel. Our goals include formulating programs that will allow South African students from different spheres of the medical sector to intern and to specialize at Sheba Medical Center, assist disadvantaged communities in South Africa and the rest of the African continent by building bridges with us and ongoing support for Sheba’s highest standards of medicine, research, innovation and technology, transforming medicine in Israel and worldwide.”

Naomi Hadar, who spent the past 17 years as one of the most influential Jewish organizational community leaders in South Africa (IUA-UCF), was recently named as the new Executive Director of the South African Friends of Sheba Medical Center.

“It is a privilege to be a part of Sheba’s innovative medical centre, which provides global outreach to communities around the world, including the South African community. As our event in Cape Town took place during Chanukah, we hope to bring light to the South African Jewish community and the African continent as a whole. I am looking forward to helping Sheba make a difference in many people’s lives,” pronounced Hadar.

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