By COLlive reporter
Sheldon Adelson, the 28th richest person in the world who generously distributed his money to causes close to his heart such as political campaigns, support for Israel and Jewish institutions, passed away on Monday night, eve of 28 Teves, 5781.
He was 87 and had complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Born in 1933, Sheldon Gary Adelson grew up in a poor neighborhood of Boston, the son of Sarah (née Tonkin) and Arthur Adelson. He went from a teenager selling newspapers on a street corner to becoming one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs.
Adelson once told of having to fight back bullies while growing up in Dorchester, MA, recalling a lunch he once had with a non-Jewish friend who referred negatively to a mutual acquaintance as a Jew, even though the mutual friends was famously otherwise identified, and had a name which didn’t sound Jewish either. Turns out he had a Spanish sounding name due to his Jewish lineage from Spain.
That episode convinced Adelson there was no escaping your Jewish identity or ancestry. “And if I am going to be held responsible for being a Jew, then I want to be a Jew,” he said. “And that means defending Jewish interests wherever you can and supporting Jewish life.”
In addition to the Nevada-based Las Vegas Review-Journal, Adelson owned the Israeli daily newspaper Israel Hayom and weekly newspaper Makor Rishon.
Adelson and his wife, Miriam, were President Trump’s largest donors. The couple have donated more than $525 million to federal political campaigns and committees since the 2010 cycle, per OpenSecrets. In 2018, Trump awarded Miriam Adelson the President Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — for her and her husband’s philanthropy.
Adelson was a long-time donor to Chabad of Southern Nevada, directed by Rabbi Shea and Dina Harlig.
Adelson and his wife were major donors to the Birthright Israel organization, urging many to travel to Israel. “Connection to Israel is the most important thing for a Jew,” Adelson once said.
He often told how his father could not afford to travel to Israel, and when Sheldon became successful enough to be able to pay for his father’s trip, his parents could not go anymore. After his father’s passing, he took a pair of his shoes to Israel and went to a park and walked in his father’s shoes.
He wasn’t satisfied walking on the pavement and instead veered off the walking path on to the ground itself. “I wanted those shoes to touch the soil of the holy land,” he said. And therefore, now he and his wife dedicated significant resources to ensure those who want to, can go to Israel, without the worry about having to pay for it.
Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Executive Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) in Washington, DC, maintained a long-standing friendship with Adelson. Adelson spoke at an event for Grad students and young professionals at the Chabad Lubavitch Center in Washington, DC in 2015.
“Sheldon was a real warrior for Israel and the Jewish people,” Rabbi Shemtov said. “Struck by the ugliness of antisemitism, beginning early in his life, he strengthened himself in his Jewish identity and was very proud of it until his very last day among us.
“Together with his noble wife, Miriam, he helped revolutionize Jewish philanthropy and its leaders to refocus serious resources on Jewish needs in an all but unparalleled manner. A fierce advocate for Israel and a lover of the Jewish people, he was a grand thinker who backed his big words with real actions.”
Rabbi Shemtov remarked that even in the past year, during the COVID pandemic which caused shutdowns at Adelson’s businesses, Adelson had gone above and beyond for his employees, and displaying extreme kindness.
“He kept paying his enormous staff from his own funds for many months, after the covid shutdown of businesses and most hotels, resorts and others had stopped paying their workers,” Rabbi Shemtov said. “Perhaps one of the last things he told me, just a few weeks ago, was that he didn’t get to receive a dividend from his corporation this year, but he felt he still had to keep his employees paid even from his private resources because it was the right thing to do.”
“This is a prime example of decency to that workforce and a Kiddush Hashem people will remember for a long time.”
Adelson and his wife Miriam merited to meet and receive a blessing from the Rebbe at Lubavitch Headquarters – 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, NY, on 27 Sivan 5751 (June 9, 1991).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Sara and I are heartbroken by the passing of Sheldon Adelson. He was a wonderful friend to us personally and an incredible champion of the Jewish people, the Jewish state and the alliance between Israel and America.
“With his wife Miri he contributed endlessly to strengthening the Jewish people and the Jewish state, funding breakthroughs in medicine and science and advancing higher education. He gave anonymously to help victims of terror and countless other people in need.
“Sara and I join Miri and the family in mourning a great friend, a great man, and a great Jewish patriot. We will never forget him. May his memory be blessed.”
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.
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Kah I became frum after visiting Israel on birthright. I would not be where I am today with my beautiful Jewish family and Kinderlach without this giant of a man. BDE
Sheldon Adelson adopted his first wife’s three children and had two children with his second wife.
Seems the other other two children were his second wife’s, from her previous marriage.
I see it’s my old Chaver Rabbi Alter Bukiet from Lexington Mass. who brought Sheldon to the Rebbe. Kol hakovod! Surely he should get an honorable mention!
BDE. So very sorry to hear. He was a giant; supporter of Jewish and other causes worldwide.
He knew rabbi Krinsky and his family as a child and he used to help rabbi Krinsky in Vilma and he helped yehuda kaploun with his business
What a huge loss to this world. A giant of a man. May Hashem comfort his family amongst all mourners of Israel.