Dr. Miriam Adelson spoke on Sunday at an Adelson School of Medicine's ceremony at Ariel University, urging the young doctors to put politics aside as they live up to Jewish values to preserve life and health. 

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The event, which marks the end of the first phase of the studies and the beginning of the clinical experience, was attended by the dean of the school, Shai Ashkenazi, with about 70 students getting their white robes. 

Adelson, who is a physician herself, spoke in her commencement address about the role students take, which is almost akin to being God. "For five decades, more or less, I have been a doctor, but it still moves me to see how many more people join our ranks," she said. "After all, we are like a special club that deals with the secrets of the human body, we hold the powers to preserve and protect life," she continued, recalling that her late husband, the businessman and philanthropist Sheldon Adelson, would have been "so proud to see all of you, the first class of graduates from a medical school bearing his name." 

Adelson, who is also the Israel Hayom publisher, recalled how it was Sheldon and herself who agreed to fund the creation of the medical school about a decade earlier when they heard that Israel was facing a shortage of medical professionals. 

Video: Dr. Adelson speaks at the Ariel University of Samaria event // Credit: Gil Cramer

Adelson continued, coming out against the threats made by some doctors in Israel that they could end up leaving Israel if the contested judicial reform passes. 

"It is no secret that I, too, have reservations over the scope and pace of the current judicial reform, but I would never even contemplate, for example, shutting down the center for addiction treatment that I founded with Sheldon in Tel Aviv 30 years ago," she said. "My friends, my colleagues in the medical profession, our role is no less crucial than that of IDF soldiers. They protect the country with their body, and we protect the body of every citizen. Doctors are what people see when they get born and when they part this world." She then went on to say that politics should have no role in pursuing a career in medicine. 

"Medicine is a blood and life pact, it is a commitment. Just like it would be inconceivable to get rid of a patient because he has become a burden or too challenging, we must stick by our country and community, regardless of what unfolds," she said. 

Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov praised the young students and told them that they face a unique challenge in that Israel's population grows by 2 % every year, or about a million people every five years. "We hope that in Ariel we double the number of students that study every year so that we have 2,000 annually." 

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Thank you, Sheldon.

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Sheldon Adelson was a Jew who loved his people and his country passionately. He was a goodhearted, loyal friend, and I'm very pained at his passing. It also hurts to think about the difficulty Miri, his wife, who took such good care of him, and his loving family are having. It is a comfort that his deeds will go down in the Jewish people's Book of Chronicles.

Sheldon Adelson was not an observant Jew, but his heroic actions for the sake of the state and the people were godly. I remember that at one of our meetings, he saw on his phone that his company's stock had gained. He told me with a smile, "Listen, I just made $150 million," but immediately followed it up with, "And every cent will go to my people."

Only a few know how hard Adelson and his wife forked for Israel's security, to keep the Land of Israel whole and to continue the chain of Jewish existence from one generation to the next. These might sound like grandiose words, but it's the truth.

Everyone knows about his contribution to projects like Taglit-Birthright, to Israeli academia, and Ariel University in Samaria, including the School of Medicine we had the privilege of fighting for and founding, as well as plenty of other projects. All these are only the part that's out in the open. He did a lot more in secret.

Adelson put all his weight behind getting the US to relocate its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, even when there were Israelis leaders who balked at the move. By doing so, the dear philanthropist effectively broke the glass ceiling of Jerusalem being recognized as Israel's capital. He held endless meetings with anyone he could in order to pull the US out of the bad 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and worked to secure American recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli – as well as many other discreet activities.

Dear Sheldon, you're up in Heaven now. Rest in peace, and know that with God's help, we will continue to defend the state and the people you loved so much. May your memory be a blessing.

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