A4BGU Brings Resilience, Hope and Humor to New York City Benefit
A4BGU Brings Resilience, Hope and Humor to New York City Benefit
October 3, 2025
Daniel Chamovitz (left), president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, with Eyal Pasternak, a BGU medical student who volunteered at Soroka University Medical Center in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
September 21, 2025 / A4BGU —A former Hamas hostage, an award-winning comedian and a medical student meeting Israel’s urgent needs will come together to deliver inspiration and hope at the Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) annual New York City Benefit on Oct. 19.
“Remarkable Resilience and the Way Forward” will feature testimonies from Sasha Troufanov, a Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) alumnus and hostage survivor who endured 498 days in Hamas captivity, and Noa Shuker, a third-year medical student and casualty officer in the Israel Defense Forces reserves. Alongside their powerful firsthand accounts of resilience will be a special performance by award-winning comedian and Broadway and television star Alex Edelman, whose hit show “Just for Us” played more than 500 performances worldwide before premiering as an HBO Original Comedy Special in April 2024.
Born in Russia, Troufanov was 3 when his family moved to Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the first communities targeted on Oct. 7. He studied electrical engineering at BGU before working for Amazon Web Services in central Israel. Shuker, of Beer-Sheva, works at Soroka and Barzilai hospitals, where she cares for wounded soldiers and supports their families as they navigate the social, mental and financial challenges of war.
Shuker’s contributions to Israel in challenging times underscore the deep impact of BGU’s Joyce and Irving Goldman Medical School, as proceeds from the Oct. 19 event will benefit that school.
BGU medical students volunteered at Soroka University Medical Center—the university’s main teaching hospital, near the front line of the attacks—on and after Oct. 7. The students assisted in various capacities, including triage and emergency surgeries. Their response to the mass-casualty event accelerated their training, while the experiences of that day reinforced their commitment to the medical field.
Now, A4BGU’s New York City Benefit will celebrate 50 years of excellence at the Goldman Medical School, an institution renamed in honor of Lloyd Goldman’s parents through a generous gift from Katja Goldman Sonnenfeldt, Dorian Goldman Israelow and Lloyd Goldman himself. Lloyd Goldman serves on the board of directors of A4BGU and as chairman of BGU’s board of governors.
This naming not only pays tribute to their parents’ enduring legacy but exemplifies the Goldman family’s deep and sustained commitment to advancing Jewish causes and healthcare in Israel. The family’s decision to direct their philanthropy toward BGU, rather than to institutions closer to home, was guided by a desire to underscore the significance of the mission rather than personal recognition—a principle underscored by Lloyd Goldman’s decades-long dedication to the university.
“At a time when health care and education are more vital than ever, the Goldman family’s leadership exemplifies the spirit of ‘Migdal Or’—a beacon of light to the world that BGU represents,” said Doug Seserman, CEO of A4BGU. “We are proud to stand alongside them in marking 50 remarkable years of leading medical education, innovative research and immense contributions to Israeli society.”
Tickets for the New York City Benefit start at $180. To register, visit: https://americansforbgu.org/events/nycbenefit-2025/.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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