Filled glasses, long gowns and elegant hors d’oeuvres were abound on March 17, at Chateau Luxe in North Phoenix. This is not an unusual site for this event venue, but in the middle of the festivities sat a fully set table, each chair holding the uniform shirt of a missing or murdered member of Magen David Adom (MDA).
American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) is the charitable arm that supports the Israeli organization responsible for emergency medical response, the blood bank, a breast milk bank and other lifesaving services. The Hope Gala was originally scheduled for this coming May, but with the current war situation in Israel the need for funds was so great that the event was moved up. The sold-out crowd of almost 600 people was comprised of all ages and stages of life, who came together to support Israel.
Cindy Sigona, who chaired the event along with her husband, Jon, explained in her address that she decided to channel her grief after losing her mother several years ago into supporting AFMDA and bringing more awareness of the organization to Phoenix. Her timing was prescient. While there was an event last year with a keynote by Lizzy Savetsky, an ardently pro-Israel social media presence, Sigona decided that for the 2024 event, “We were going big!”
Part of “going big” was bringing in New York Times bestselling author, actress and Israel’s former Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization, Noa Tishby.
“She would be the headliner we needed to have a greater presence and reach in the Phoenix community, and 580 people here are making a statement.
Tonight, is exactly what I envisioned,” said Sigona. She also pointed out how important it was that the table captains were reflective of all generations and from many different parts of the community.
