Who We Are

Helen and Irving Schneider were major donors to Schneider Children's Hospital in Long Island, where Dr. Phil Lanzkowsky served as CEO. When they recognized Israel had no dedicated pediatric research hospital, Mr. Schneider and Dr. Lanzkowsky traveled there to explore whether the model could work. Their feasibility study concluded “yes”—if centrally located, research-driven, and integrated with Israel's health system.

At the groundbreaking ceremony on April 11, 1988, the Schneider family laid a cornerstone declaring the hospital would serve "as a bridge to peace linking this nation to its many neighbors." Construction included two underground floors to meet security requirements, purpose-built pediatric spaces, and infrastructure ready for national emergencies. When it opened on October 29, 1991, with Israel's First Lady cutting the ribbon, the sickest children from across the country immediately arrived.

Schneider Children's opened cardiology, cardiac catheterization, oncology, and neonatology departments. The Hematology-Oncology Department relocated from Beilinson Hospital under Prof. Rina Zaizov's leadership. Pediatric subspecialties scattered across Israel were consolidated under one roof. By 1993, Schneider Children's had become Israel's definitive referral center. That September, Michael Jackson—then at the height of his global fame—visited young patients, signaling that the hospital was becoming a center of gravity.

For four years, the hospital operated as "Children's Medical Center of Israel." Helen and Irving Schneider had initially resisted using their name, but confusion with the neighboring adult hospital made a distinct identity necessary—and the founding family deserved the recognition. In July 1995, the hospital became Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin attended the ceremony.

Schneider Children's achieved breakthroughs that redefined what was medically possible: a kidney transplant in a one-year-old—the youngest in hospital history. Six infant heart surgeries performed in one week. An artificial heart implanted as a bridge to transplant in a critically ill teenager. The most complex pediatric cases no longer required treatment abroad. In 1998, Jordan's ambassador visited a Jordanian child receiving oncology treatment—the cornerstone vision in action.

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In 2003, Schneider Children's physicians identified a pattern of severe neurological damage in infants. Investigation traced it to vitamin-deficient Remedia baby formula. Within 24 hours of Schneider Children's alert, the Ministry of Health removed all products from shelves nationwide. The same year, a Palestinian family's organ donation initiated a domino transplant that saved four children's lives—requiring surgical excellence and institutional coordination few centers could match.

As a research and teaching hospital, Schneider Children's integrated clinical care with scientific discovery. Physicians identified disease-causing genes, pioneered pediatric endocrinology advances, and trained generations of specialists. Prof. Rina Zaizov and Prof. Zvi Laron were awarded Israel Prizes—Israel's highest civilian honor, comparable to the Nobel Prize—for medical research. Schneider Children's academic stature now matched its clinical reputation.

While Israel led globally in health-tech, children's health remained underfunded. Schneider Children's became a testing ground: artificial pancreas systems giving diabetic children normal lives, minimally invasive cardiac interventions, advanced genetic diagnostics. As innovation accelerated and demand surged, the hospital expanded—renovating emergency medicine, intensive care, and surgical capacity. Groundbreaking for the Southern Wing extension began in 2016.

Children from Jordan, Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Iraq, and beyond have received treatment at Schneider Children's since its earliest years. Shanghai Children's Medical Center sent delegations to learn from Schneider Children's model. The hospital's founding principle—that excellent pediatric care serves everyone—has been practiced from the cornerstone forward.

The Schneider-Lesser Family Pavilion opened in 2023—a six-story glass building adding surgical suites, intensive care beds, and advanced diagnostic facilities. Helen and Irving Schneider's daughter and son-in-law, Mindy Schneider Lesser and Dr. Michael Lesser, continued her parents' legacy as lead donors. The expansion prepared Schneider Children's for the country's demographic growth and increasing demand for specialized care.

During COVID-19, Schneider Children's established sterile wards and reorganized staffing while maintaining life-saving operations. In November 2023, following the October 7th Hamas attack, the hospital received 19 rescued children, 6 mothers, and 2 grandmothers—providing immediate medical and psychological care. Throughout the war, surgeries continued, transplants proceeded, chemotherapy was administered—even as staff sheltered from missile attacks. Schneider Children's proved itself Israel's pediatric anchor in peace and crisis—exactly what Helen and Irving Schneider envisioned four decades earlier.