$10 million latest gift to university puts Danna Azrieli family giving well over the billion-dollar mark
The University of Haifa this week received a transformative $10 million gift from the Azrieli Foundation to establish the “Azrieli Advanced Nursing Center.”
The donation ranks among the largest single grants ever given in the field of nursing to an Israeli academic institution and underscores the Foundation’s longstanding commitment to healthcare, education, and social advancement across Israel.
The new center will serve as a pioneering academic framework dedicated to the development, research, and deployment of advanced nursing roles within the Israeli healthcare system—spanning both clinical practice and management.
In close partnership with the Health Ministry’s Nursing Administration, it will elevate the standing and capability of expert nurses, positioning them as key players in shaping the future of healthcare delivery in Israel.
This landmark gift is not an isolated act of generosity. It is the latest chapter in the Azrieli Foundation’s decades-long legacy of strategic philanthropy, driven by a belief in the power of education, innovation, and compassion to uplift individuals and strengthen communities.
Founded by the late Canadian real estate visionary and Holocaust survivor David J. Azrieli, the Foundation is today one of the largest philanthropic organizations in Israel and Canada.
Its giving portfolio spans architecture, scientific research, education, neurodevelopment, Holocaust commemoration, and, increasingly, health and medical training.
Over the years, the Foundation has funded major initiatives at institutions such as the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv University, Bar-Ilan University, and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
In 2020, it made headlines with a $100 million investment in health and biomedical research, including the support of early-career researchers and brain science. It also underwrites the prestigious Azrieli Fellows Program, which nurtures outstanding graduate students, postdocs, and faculty who are pushing boundaries in their fields.
Now, with the creation of the Azrieli Advanced Nursing Center at the University of Haifa, the Foundation is signaling a bold new focus: empowering nurses to lead change from the front lines of care.
“This center is not only about education—it’s about transformation,” said Prof. Gur Alroey, president of the University of Haifa. “The Azrieli Advanced Nursing Center is leading the nursing profession into a new era, where multidisciplinary innovation shapes the future of healthcare.”
Alroey noted that the initiative dovetails with the university’s broader vision.
“In collaboration with our new Herta and Paul Amir School of Medicine, we are laying the foundation for joint training that brings together nurses, physicians, and professionals from the health and welfare sectors—fostering holistic, humane, and advanced healthcare.”
The center will focus especially on addressing national healthcare challenges: improving care for chronically ill and elderly patients, enhancing mental health services, and increasing access to quality healthcare in Israel’s geographic and socioeconomic peripheries.
Danna Azrieli, chair of the Azrieli Foundation Israel and of the Azrieli Group, emphasized the strategic importance of the gift:
“The establishment of the Azrieli Advanced Nursing Center at the University of Haifa represents another significant step by the Azrieli Foundation toward promoting the healthcare system in Israel. We believe that investing in nurses means investing in the backbone of medical care—professionals who are essential to improving health outcomes, reducing inequalities, and building trust in the system.”
As Israel grapples with a growing demand for healthcare services, a rising elderly population, and increasing mental health needs, the Foundation’s vision for the center could not be timelier.
With this gift, the Azrieli Foundation not only honors its founder’s legacy but helps redefine what leadership in healthcare can look like—from the ground up.
Danna’s sister, Naomi Azrieli, Chair and CEO of the family’s foundation was recently featured on the cover of Lifestyles Magazine/Meaningful Influence.
(Bottom: Naomi Azrieli)
