American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem

10/02/2026

As we continue to treat, and pray for, Neriyah Leiter, Ambassador Leiter has shared some of his thoughts from his son's bedside -- read more on his substack:

https://yechielleiter.substack.com/p/thoughts-from-neriyahs-bedside?utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&triedRedirect=true

09/24/2026

Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, Israel's Ambassador to the United States, spoke shortly after arriving at Shaare Zedek Medical Center Jerusalem to be with his son, Neria, who was seriously injured in yesterday's ramming attack.

Neria's condition stabilized further overnight, but he remains in very serious, life-threatening condition. The teams at Shaare Zedek continue to care for him around the clock.

In the middle of this unimaginably difficult night for the Leiter family, Neria's eldest sister, Sarah, unexpectedly went into labor after visiting her brother. Overnight, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, two weeks before her due date.

She is now recovering in Shaare Zedek's maternity ward, just 40 meters from the intensive care unit where her brother is fighting for his life.

It is difficult to put into words what this night must have been like for the Leiter family, celebrating the birth of a baby girl while praying for Neria's recovery.

Please keep Neria and the entire Leiter family in your prayers, and pray for the complete recovery of Neria Dov ben Chana.

09/23/2026

Shaare Zedek Medical Center Jerusalem update regarding the condition of Neria Leiter:

Earlier today (Wednesday), the Trauma Unit at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center treated Neria Leiter following a ramming attack outside of the city.

The patient underwent life-saving stabilization in the Trauma Unit before being transferred to the Operating Theater. There he underwent a complex neurosurgery procedure which continued for several hours to further stabalize his condition.

At this time, Mr. Leiter remains in extremely serious and life-threatening condition.

His care involved coordination between multiple areas of the hospital including surgical and intensive care teams who continue to actively treat Neria at this time.

Hospital social workers are alongside the patient’s family at all times.

Below are updates (HEBREW) from Shaare Zedek Director of the Trauma Unit, Dr. Alon Schwartz and Shaare Zedek Deputy Director General Prof. Alex Ioscovich.

09/18/2026

Medical and rabbinic team members at Shaare Zedek Medical Center Jerusalem are currently staffing a "pre-Yom Kippur" hotline where the public is invited to pose questions regarding fasting and observance of the day for people with medical issues.

Questions can be answered in a variety of languages including English, Hebrew, Yiddish, French and Spanish.

The hotline is available now at +972-2-564-5038 (open until 20:00 Israel time) or questions can be sent in by email to [email protected]

09/15/2026

The SZ Women’s Division Thousand Dollar Club had a fun and delicious morning with Adva of !

We learned how to make three pareve treats: a no-bake biscuit cake, Lotus cream cups, and Dubai chocolate, and enjoyed every bite. 🍫🍰

Thank you, Adva, for such a sweet morning!

09/14/2026

"Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center is the first in Israel to use the innovative ILY robot that crushes kidney stones using an interactive wireless remote control and a laser."

But now there is an even better method to crush kidney stones, and Israel is one of only about 11 countries around the world that have the new technology.

09/10/2026

Shana Tova from Shaare Zedek Magical Center! 💫⚕️🪄

08/10/2026

In the Wake of October 7: World-Renowned Retina Specialist Prof. Norman Saffra Arrives in Israel to Volunteer at Shaare Zedek for the Second Consecutive Year

We would like to introduce you to Prof. Norman Saffra, a world-renowned expert in the fields of retina and neuro-ophthalmology, and Chairman of the Ophthalmology Departments at Maimonides Midwood Medical Center and St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in New York.

Over the past two weeks, Prof. Saffra came to volunteer in the Ophthalmology Department at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, treating patients and teaching residents from his rich experience. This is the second consecutive year that Prof. Saffra has chosen to come and volunteer at the medical center.

Prof. Saffra's decision to volunteer in the Israeli healthcare system came in the wake of the events of October 7. To this end, Prof. Saffra obtained an Israeli medical license and even completed the bureaucratic procedures to receive Israeli citizenship. Moving forward, Prof. Saffra hopes to make full Aliyah and live in Israel.

When asked why he chose to volunteer specifically at Shaare Zedek, Prof. Saffra explained: "I chose Shaare Zedek because it is the most humane and professional place in the field of ophthalmology that I have found among all hospitals in Israel, and even in the world."

Alongside his professional and academic contributions, Prof. Saffra is raising funds to support the purchase of an OCT machine for the Ophthalmolgy Dept. Its state-of-the-art technology is like an ultrasound that non-invasively uses light to take 3D pictures to spot early signs of eye disease like glaucoma or macular degeneration.

The entire executive management of Shaare Zedek and the Director of the Ophthalmology Department, Prof. David Zadok, extend their deep gratitude and appreciation to Prof. Norman Saffra for his dedicated volunteering, his Zionism, and his professional partnership.

www.acsz.org/oct

06/24/2026

This week, Shaare Zedek Medical Center marked the opening of the newly upgraded and renovated Stefan Adelipour Pediatric Shock, Trauma and Burn Treatment Center in the Glaubach Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine .

The Center’s upgrade was motivated by Shaare Zedek’s ongoing commitment to enhance our care for children requiring urgent care and in particular in the wake of traumatic accidents and incidents. The upgraded Center has introduced new equipment that relies on advanced diagnostic and treatment technologies, alongside our historic commitment to individualized and compassionate care for children and families in particularly challenging sittuations. The Center is designed and equipped to allow for quick, accurate and advanced care in those cases where every second matters.

The upgrade project was overseen by the Department’s Deputy Head Nurse Talya Charnosvitov who was responsible for managing all aspects of the development process and ensuring it upheld the highest medical, design and patient-care standards.

Shaare Zedek’s Pediatric Emergency service is a leading center of urgent care in the Jerusalem region treating over 40,000 children annually - the most active in the city and the third largest in all of Israel.

Shaare Zedek Medical Center Director General Prof. Ofer Merin said, “The Pediatric Emergency Department at Shaare Zedek is a symbol of medical excellence defined by professionalism and the highest levels of pediatric care. Since opening the Glaubach Department nearly two decades ago, we have transformed into a regional and national leader in large part due to the remakable dedication of our staff. This project will further establish this reputation and position our pediatric trauma service to respond to every type of relevant need. We express our deep thanks to the staff of the Department and our logistical and development departments that spearheaded this critical effort.”

Dr. Giora Weiss, Director of the Glaubach Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine added, “The Trauma Center is the beating heart of our Department and this project will enable us to provide advanced care in better conditions that are specifically geared to the unique emotional needs of children and families in extremely challenging times in their lives.”

Dr. Gal Pachis, Director of the Emergency Medicine Service at Shaare Zedek said, “We are always working to enhance our commitment to the best clinical quality and patient-care experiences. This project is a welcome example of our investment in upgraded infrastructure and technical capabilities all designed to ensure our pediatric patients are receiving the comprehensive care they need.”

Efrat Even, Head Nurse in Division of Pediatrics said, “The opening of this new trauma center is an important development for our patients and families and is a further reflection of our commitment to excellence, innovation and professionalism combined with speed and compassion in those most difficult moments. On behalf of all who will benefit from this project, I express our deep thanks to everyone who made this possible and we take deep pride in our staff who work tirelessly every day and night on behalf of the children and people of Jerusalem and the region.”

06/18/2026

Following the quick and professional intervention of medical teams at Shaare Zedek Medical Center Jerusalem, the life of a one-year-old child, who had not received the recommended course of infant vaccinations, was saved after arriving in the hospital in a life-threatening condition.

The case began when the infant was brought by ambulance to the Glaubach Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Shaare Zedek in serious condition. While first responders initially suspected the boy had attempted to swallow a foreign object which had become lodged in his throat, initial clinical examinations by the emergency room physicians determined that not to be the case.

Upon discussion with the boy’s father, the hospital teams understood the baby was unvaccinated which led them to surmise he has been infected with the infection, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) which had caused the tightening of his throat. Further clinical and lab testing confirmed that initial diagnosis.

With the patient exhibiting extreme breathing complications, the pediatric anesthesiology team at Shaare Zedek, led by Dr. Mordechai Sherki and Dr. Shmuel Basmut, with the assistance of nurses Naava Vanda and Benny Greenwald, immediately began a complex intubation procedure to stabalize the patient.

Dr. Efrat Blankenstein, a resident physician in the Department of Pediatric explained, “This child was literally minutes away from dying. This is a rare case that we haven’t seen at Shaare Zedek in several decades and until now had been the type of theoretical case that we only train for. If the baby had undergone the proper round of vaccinations, this could have been completely avoided. Thankfully our trauma teams were prepared with the proper equipment and staffing support, otherwise this story would have had a completely different ending.”

“Incidence of cases like this, where infections constrict the throat, have gone down considerably due to a common vaccine used to address Hib,” explained Dr. Shani Messner-Fieiereisen, a resident in the Pediatric Department. “This condition can lead to an infection around the cartilage tissue that is designed to prevent food from entering into the treacha and when inflamed it can block the respiratory tract. Symptoms can appear suddenly and intensify very quickly.”

Dr. Moria Paizer-Rosenberg from the ENT Department at Shaare Zedek added, “The initial report came that the baby was chocking as a result of something he had eaten. But we quickly determined that it was something else altogether based on the fiber-optic imaging scan we performed to view the child’s upper respiratory tract and to see if there was indeed a blockage. We are all deeply grateful that we were able to save the child’s life due to the close cooperation between all our teams that enabled us to provide the immediate life-saving intervention he needed at that time.”

PICTURED: Dr. Dr. Moria Paizer-Rosenberg, and Dr. Shani Messner-Fieiereisen (left) and Dr. Efrat Blankenstein (right) See less