'Some of these children do not have the luxury of time'

Denise Bar-Aharon, Co-Founder and CEO of Make-A-Wish Israel, and Eugene Frenkel, Chairman of the Board of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, told attendees at the Gala event launching the 2024 Jerusalem Post Summit in Miami on Monday evening that the wishes the organization grants to sick children have been documented to save lives.

Make-A-Wish exists in fifty countries around the world, and grants wishes to seriously ill children between the ages of three and eighteen. The Israeli branch of the organization, founded by Bar-Aharon 29 years ago, has fulfilled the wishes of some 6,000 children in Israel. Bar-Aharon cited a scientific study conducted by professors at IDC Herzliya in 2015 that proved that fulfilling the desires of a seriously ill child can improve their overall health.

“Wishes are transformational. They’re not nice to have. They’re must-haves,” said Bar-Aharon, adding, “Some of these children do not have the luxury of time.”

Eugene Frenkel, Chairman of the Board of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, termed granting wishes to sick children as “the X factor” of what it takes to help them conquer life-threatening illnesses. “We’re not a want. We’re not an option. We’re a need,” he said. The Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation recently opened the Finker-Frenkel Wish House, a five-story, 30,000-square-foot facility in Miami offering critically ill children a space designed to ignite creativity and help them discover their wishes.

Bar-Aharon recounted how the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation assisted Make-A-Wish Israel after October 7, raising over $1 million for the organization at a most difficult time. “We were stuck, and the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation saved the day.”

Frenkel shared, “When you think about October 7 and the charities that are supported after October 7, soldiers, hospitals, and defense are obviously top priorities. “But nobody is really thinking about the fact that Israel must go on. Every day, lives must go on. Children still get sick. People still get sick. Israel as a country must go on. Happiness and hope still have to exist, and that is exactly what Denise is doing.

“When Denise came to us and said, ‘I don’t know how we’re going to be able 7 to go on as a concern in the state of Israel right now when all of these other priorities exist, we as a family, came forward and we said, ‘We’re going to do this right.’ We’re going to continue being behind Make-A-Wish in Israel and Make-A-Wish all over the world as a family to continue granting wishes and granting hope to children who are fighting and surviving.” Readers interested in more information on becoming involved with Make-A-Wish Israel can write to makeawish.org.il.

 The Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation sponsored a portion of the Jerusalem Post Miami Summit.