South Jersey event to support Soroka Medical Center

American Friends of Soroka Medical Center will host Meet & Mingle in Margate on Aug. 16 to raise support for the hospital’s trauma care and expanding mental health services. The evening will feature Newsmax correspondent Sarah Williamson and spotlight Soroka’s role as a major southern Israel hospital under wartime strain.

Why it matters: - The event is designed to raise community support for Soroka Medical Center, Israel’s largest hospital in the south. - Funds and attention are tied to Soroka’s effort to expand critical mental health services, including PTSD care, while continuing lifesaving treatment during crisis. - Soroka’s work has taken on added urgency after the Oct. 7 attacks and a direct missile strike on the hospital in June 2025.

What happened: - American Friends of Soroka Medical Center will host Meet & Mingle in Margate on Sunday, Aug. 16. - The evening is aimed at friends and supporters from across the South Jersey region. - The event is chaired by AFS Board Member Mindy Gale Zeigerman and Jeffrey Amtman. - Committee members include Donna and Michael Brenner, Renee Stemmer, and Pam Lehrer and Howard Drossner. - Sarah Williamson, a Newsmax correspondent and Australian journalist, will feature at the event. - More information and registration are available at Soroka.org/SorokaHeals.

The details: - Soroka Medical Center treated hundreds of casualties after the Oct. 7 attacks while continuing to care for thousands of patients across southern Israel. - The hospital sustained a direct missile strike in June 2025. - Soroka staff continued delivering medical care after the strike while preparing for rebuilding. - Williamson is featured in Heroes of Truth, photographer Limor Garfinkle’s global storytelling initiative. - Heroes of Truth was developed after the devastation of Oct. 7 and focuses on people advancing truth and combating misinformation through their voices. - The project supports mental health care projects at Soroka, including PTSD services. - Williamson is a veteran conflict reporter specializing in foreign policy and geopolitics. - Williamson spent five years reporting from Israel and has covered the war in Ukraine from the front lines. - AFS Executive Director Rachel Heisler Sheinfeld said Soroka is rebuilding and expanding critical mental health services alongside world-class medical care. - Sheinfeld also said the South Jersey community’s support is deeply appreciated.

Between the lines: - The event blends fundraising with public storytelling, using Williamson’s conflict-reporting background to frame Soroka as both a medical and civic symbol during wartime. - AFS is positioning mental health care as a core part of Soroka’s recovery and long-term mission, not a separate add-on. - The Margate gathering also reflects how U.S. diaspora communities are being mobilized to support Israeli institutions facing direct wartime pressure.

What’s next: - Attendees will use the evening to support Soroka’s care mission and rebuilding efforts. - AFS expects the event to help advance support for expanded mental health services in southern Israel. - Further engagement is available through AFS channels and the registration page.

The bottom line: - The Margate event is a local fundraiser with a global backdrop: helping Soroka Medical Center treat patients, rebuild after attack, and expand mental health care for a region under strain.