Gateways is thrilled to announce that we have received a new $2 million gift from the Adelson Family Foundation. This transformative commitment will enable Gateways to continue to build on our existing work, be creative as we implement our new 5-year strategic plan and make significant strides toward sustainability.

Please read the official press release from Combined Jewish Philanthropies below:

THE ADELSON FAMILY DONATES $6 MILLION TO THREE
GREATER BOSTON JEWISH INSTITUTIONS
Gifts to support Jewish special education, health care and elder services

Boston - June 7, 2012 – Dr. Miriam Adelson and Sheldon G. Adelson today announced three gifts totaling $6 million from the Adelson Family Foundation to institutions representing Greater Boston’s Jewish community.  The grants will assist Hebrew SeniorLife, Gateways: Access to Jewish Education and Chelsea Jewish Foundation.

“Miri and I are honored to continue our support for these three great Boston institutions, which have created outstanding national models for caring for the elderly, treating the sick and expanding Jewish opportunities for children with special needs,” Sheldon G. Adelson said.

“If a community is measured by how it cares for its most vulnerable members, Boston’s Jewish community can look with pride at the services rendered by these three organizations,” Dr. Miriam Adelson added. “We have admired their work and are happy to be able to support their continued efforts.”

Hebrew SeniorLife (HSL) will receive $3 million to complete its $100 million campaign and will establish the Adam and Matan Adelson Multigenerational Program in honor of the Adelsons’ two youngest children.  The program will support HSL’s robust volunteer programming across its extensive network of care.  Previously, the Adelsons donated $20 million to NewBridge on the Charles, HSL’s innovative 162-acre retirement community in Dedham, Mass., named the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Campus, which provides independent and assisted living as well as long-term and post-acute care.   

Len Fishman, CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife, said, “We are incredibly grateful to the Adelsons for repeatedly investing in the vision of NewBridge on the Charles on the campus that bears their name. Their generosity made possible a community where seniors of all abilities and incomes enjoy a connected, purposeful life. By naming the Gloria Adelson Field Health Center they made possible a revolutionary new model of long-term care that respects the individuality, dignity and independence of the frailest and poorest members of our community. And now, by creating the Adam and Matan Adelson Multigenerational Program, they are supporting the original vision behind the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Campus—L’Dor VaDor—a community where old and young people play, learn and interact in ways that benefit multiple generations.”

Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, which creates opportunities for Jewish children with special educational needs to engage meaningfully in Jewish learning, will receive $2 million. Part of the gift will be structured as a challenge grant to encourage others to support Gateways. Gateways partners with Jewish schools across all denominations throughout Greater Boston, providing both direct services and professional development that foster inclusivity. The organization also provides its own programs of formal and informal Jewish education, including a Sunday school and b’nei mitzvah preparation, specifically designed for students with special needs.

“We are thrilled with the Adelsons’ continued investment in Gateways,” said Arlene Remz, executive director of Gateways.  “This transformative gift validates Gateways’ critical role in the Greater Boston Jewish education system, enables us to grow strategically to meet the increased demand for programs and services and builds long-term sustainability.”

Chelsea Jewish Foundation will receive $1 million to support its unique, specialized residences for patients with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and multiple sclerosis (MS) at the Leonard Florence Center for Living.  In addition to this latest grant, the Adelsons previously contributed $5 million for this project.

Barry Berman, CEO of Chelsea Jewish Foundation, said, “We are so grateful for the continued support that Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson have demonstrated in making the Leonard Florence Center for Living the first nursing home of its kind in the nation to provide specialized care to individuals with ALS and MS, as well as short- and long-term care to its residents.”  He continued, “The Adelsons’ generosity has allowed us to provide programs and services to those in need while perpetuating the legacy of philanthropy of Leonard Florence for whom the building is named."

“The Boston Jewish community has been blessed again by the Adelsons’ extraordinary generosity,” said Barry Shrage, president of Combined Jewish Philanthropies.  “In addition to these three gifts, their contributions to the Rashi School, Beth Israel Hospital, Temple Emanuel, Gann Academy and so many other local charities have had a transformational impact on our community.  Their continuing commitment to caring for the vulnerable and supporting Jewish education is in keeping with the best Jewish values.”

Dr. Adelson is an Israeli-born physician who works in the area of treating the disease of substance addiction in the United States and Israel.  Mr. Adelson is Chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp.  The Adelsons reside in Las Vegas, Nevada.