By:   Ryan Torok

Via:  jewishjournal.com

The Israeli American Council (IAC) honored Miriam and Isaac Shepher at its sixth annual gala. The March 9 event, which took place at the Beverly Hilton hotel, raised about $2.5 million for the organization.

The Shephers, pro-Israel philanthropists and the founders of Life Alert, a medical response system for home emergencies, expressed gratitude for the honor. Miriam Shepher is a board member at IAC. The lavish affair’s keynote speaker was Noam Bardin, co-creator of Waze, the Israeli navigation app purchased by Google for approximately $1 billion in 2013.

Waze is just the beginning of a new generation of startups coming out of Israel,” he said. “The challenge Israeli startups have is thinking big,” added Bardin, who believes an open-mindedness toward the prospect of relocating from Tel Aviv to the Silicon Valley is essential for any success-driven, Israel-based technology company.

“I’m accused of not being a Zionist because I believe that to succeed in tech, you have to be in Silicon Valley. … Our challenge here is to help Israelis see [the importance of] this [attitude] and create an environment where you go head to head with the biggest countries in the world.”

The event featured performances by the Israeli pop-rock band Ethnix and the Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble and drew approximately 1,000 people, among them Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer, who delivered remarks that focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran and ways that Israeli-Americans can take advantage of living in a country that “allows you to be full members of society and to keep your identity at the same time.”

Attendees also included pro-Israel philanthropists Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, as well as IAC board member Adam Milstein, who was seated at the head table with his wife, Gila, the event’s chair. IAC board member Naty Saidoff and his wife, Debbie; IAC board chairman Shawn Evenhaim and StandWithUs CEO Roz Rothstein also turned out.

The IAC describes its mission as “strengthening the Israel-American community, the State of Israel and securing a strong Jewish future.”