Merage Foundation Donates $1 Million to Soroka Medical Center After Iranian Missile Strike

The donation comes as Soroka works to restore operations following the June attack, which left at least 80 staff and patients wounded and forced the suspension of most services.

By Shula Rosen

Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba will receive $1 million in emergency funding from the Merage Foundation, less than a month after an Iranian missile struck the hospital, injuring dozens and causing significant damage.

The Denver-based philanthropic organization, founded by Persian Jewish entrepreneurs David and Laura Merage, has long supported development in Israel’s Negev region and Persian Jewish cultural initiatives.

The donation comes as Soroka works to restore operations following the June attack, which left at least 80 staff and patients wounded and forced the suspension of most services.

Nicole Hod Stroh, CEO of the Merage Foundation Israel, said the decision to help was immediate.

“The moment we learned Soroka had taken a direct hit, David told me to call our partners. We knew right away we had to act,” she wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Soroka, the only major medical center serving more than one million residents in southern Israel, has been a key partner for the foundation for decades.

“Soroka is the beating heart of the Negev and a lifeline for its people,” Hod Stroh said. “We stand by them now, as we always have.”

The missile strike destroyed parts of the hospital’s anesthesia wing, shattered windows, and collapsed ceilings. While no fatalities occurred, hospital leadership says the physical and emotional toll has been heavy.

“We are still in recovery and rebuilding,” director Shlomi Kadosh told visiting officials, praising staff for their “unimaginable dedication” under fire.

The Merage Foundation’s support builds on a history of rapid emergency responses. Following the October 7 Hamas attacks, the foundation and its Israeli arm provided urgent aid to Soroka, as well as assistance to affected communities across the south.

Jonathan Merage, the founders’ son, has been living in Israel since before the war and has launched several humanitarian initiatives, from mental health support for survivors of the Supernova festival massacre to household assistance for IDF reservists’ families.

For Soroka, the latest donation is both a financial boost and a show of solidarity. “From the north to the south, Israelis are showing strength, unity, and courage,” Hod Stroh said. “We are with them—today and always.”