$10 million latest gift to hospital by Ernest and Evelyn Rady once again puts children at the center of their thoughtful giving, raising their overall philanthropy to over $400 million
Ernest and Evelyn Rady are once again putting children at the center of their philanthropy, pledging a new $10 million matching gift to Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, for pediatric care at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem.
The gift, made through the Rady Foundation, will help create the Rady Pediatric Center and support three urgently needed programs: a renovated pediatric inpatient surgery department, an expanded and fortified neonatal unit, and a new combined pediatric-adult pulmonology center.
Because it is structured as a matching grant, Hadassah must raise an equal amount to receive the Radys’ full commitment—potentially generating $20 million for children’s medicine in Jerusalem.
It is the second consecutive year that the San Diego couple has made a $10 million challenge gift to Hadassah for pediatrics. Their 2025 gift was also matched by other donors, helping bring additional resources and attention to the hospital’s efforts to care for children and families.
In practical terms, the latest investment will help modernize a surgical department that treats more than 3,600 children annually, double neonatal capacity to 56 incubators and support a pulmonology center expected to perform more than 500 bronchoscopies each year.
For Ernest Rady, the connection to Hadassah is deeply personal and longstanding.
His mother served as president of Hadassah in Winnipeg, Canada, and he grew up hearing about the organization and its work in Israel.
Decades later, that early familiarity has become a major commitment to one of Jerusalem’s leading medical institutions.
“I followed Hadassah and the good work they do; what they do in Israel is really important,” Rady said. “The thing that is most important for me is taking care of children.”
That focus has defined the Radys’ extraordinary philanthropic legacy.
In San Diego, their support for Rady Children’s Hospital has transformed pediatric health care across the region.
The family has been involved with the hospital since the 1980s and is its largest funder.
Their major gifts have included $60 million in 2006, $120 million in 2014 and $200 million in 2019, supporting facilities, genomic research and long-term expansion plans.
The scale of that giving is remarkable, but so is its consistency.
The Radys have repeatedly directed their resources toward the places where long-term investment can make the greatest difference: hospitals, children, families and the health professionals who care for them.
Their philanthropy has helped build capacity, expand access to advanced medicine and give physicians and nurses the tools they need to save and improve lives.
Their new pledge to Hadassah brings that same vision to Jerusalem. The pediatric surgery department, neonatal unit and pulmonology center are not abstract projects.
They will serve children who need surgery, newborns who require intensive care and patients living with serious respiratory conditions. They will also bring reassurance to parents facing some of the most frightening moments of their lives.
Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz called the gift an investment “in hope, healing and the well-being of countless children and families,” saying its impact would be felt for generations.
Rady himself has characteristically resisted praise, preferring to direct attention to the people doing the daily work at the hospital. “Don’t thank me; thank the people who do the work; thank the people at Hadassah,” he said.
That humility has become one of the striking features of the Radys’ public life. Ernest Rady has often said he would rather keep a low profile, even as his philanthropy has helped reshape major institutions.
He has supported Jewish and non-Jewish causes alike, served as chair of the San Diego region of Israel Bonds and chaired the board of the Jewish Federation of San Diego. Yet the through line in much of his giving remains clear: a belief that children deserve the strongest possible care and that healthcare institutions need sustained, serious support to meet that responsibility.
With this latest $10 million matching commitment, Ernest and Evelyn Rady are not only strengthening Hadassah Hospital’s ability to treat young patients today. They are encouraging other donors to join them in building a safer, more resilient future for children in Jerusalem.
Their generosity has already left a lasting mark on San Diego. Now, through the Rady Pediatric Center at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, it is poised to bring hope and healing to countless families in Israel as well.