The Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation: Providing Lifelines to Critically Ill Children through its Partnership with Make-A-Wish Southern Florida and Make-A-Wish Israel
While some might see granting wishes as a heartfelt gesture, Eugene Frenkel, Chairman of the Board of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, calls it the “X factor” in helping children push through their fights against life-threatening illnesses. “We’re not a want. We’re not an option. We’re a need,” he said.
Eugene Frenkel recently joined Make-A-Wish Israel Co-Founder and CEO Denise Bar-Aharon at the 2024 Jerusalem Post Summit in Miami, where they discussed the importance of ensuring Make-A-Wish Israel continues to thrive in a post-October 7th world, even as other pressing issues take center stage.
“Nobody truly stops to think that life in Israel must go on,” Frenkel said. “Every day, children still get sick, families still face hardship, and the need for hope remains. No matter what, Israel as a country must keep moving forward. And happiness and hope must still exist.”
In the aftermath of the October 7th tragedy, the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation helped raise about $1 million in support to Make-A-Wish Israel. “We were at a standstill, and the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation came through when we needed it most,” Ms. Bar-Aharon said.
For years, the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation has been a steadfast partner of Make-A-Wish. In September, the Finker-Frenkel Wish House was unveiled, a five-story, state-of-the-art space, which now serves as the organization’s headquarters in Downtown Miami. The Wish House, offers Wish Kids a magical space to inspire creativity in granting their wishes.
Denise Bar-Aharon, who founded the Israeli branch of Make-A-Wish in 1996, has been pivotal in fulfilling the wishes of more than 6,000 children in Israel, bringing joy to countless families. Together, Make-A-Wish chapters and their dedicated supporters worldwide continue to make a lasting impact in the lives of Wish families, one wish at a time.
