Westhampton Beach emerged as a focal point of Jewish civic and political life this weekend. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Maryland Governor Wes Moore were among the political leaders who visited the community, where conversations about antisemitism, Israel and the responsibilities of public leadership took center stage.
United Hatzalah President and Founder Eli Beer took part in the weekend’s events and met with Governor Hochul beside one of the organization’s orange ambucycles.
It was a fitting prelude to Sunday afternoon, when friends and supporters gathered for United Hatzalah’s annual Hamptons event, hosted by Michele Mirman, Joe Sprung and Bear Givers.
The gathering featured Beer and acclaimed basketball coach and outspoken Israel advocate Bruce Pearl for a courtside conversation moderated by David Sterling.
Pearl spoke with conviction about leadership, Jewish identity and the importance of standing with Israel, particularly at a time when doing so often requires courage. His words resonated with a community that has repeatedly demonstrated that support for Israel must extend beyond expressions of solidarity.
“I learned an important lesson as a basketball coach,” Pearl said. “When the game is on the line, you do not stand on the sidelines. You step up, trust your team and take action. This lesson is United Hatzalah’s mission. It’s the essence of how the dedicated volunteers live every single day. But for them, it is not a game. A life is on the line. They drop everything and respond, no questions asked. For me, the same is true when it comes to standing with Israel. When Israel needs us, we must step up and act. No hesitations. I am proud to stand with Eli Beer and the global United Hatzalah family.”
During the event, Eli Beer remarked:
“Support for Israel is not an abstract idea. It means a commitment not only to the country’s survival, but to the lives of all its citizens, whether Jewish, Muslim, Druze, Christian or Bedouin. Support for Israel means ensuring that a medic is able to help a child who cannot breathe, a driver injured in a collision or a person whose heart has suddenly stopped. It means placing lifesaving equipment in the hands of trained volunteers who leave their homes, families and workplaces whenever an emergency alert sounds.”
That commitment was reflected not only by those who gathered this past weekend, but in the dedication of a new ambucycle by Joe Sprung and his family. The emergency motorcycle will soon enter service in Israel, allowing a United Hatzalah volunteer to move rapidly through traffic and reach patients during the critical first minutes of a medical emergency.
United Hatzalah extends its appreciation to Michele Mirman, Joe Sprung and Bear Givers for making the event possible, to Bruce Pearl and David Sterling for an inspiring conversation, and to the Westhampton Beach community for its generosity, friendship and continued commitment to saving lives in Israel.
Governor Hochul is also no stranger to Beer or United Hatzalah. Shortly after the October 7 massacre, she traveled to Israel on a solidarity mission and visited the organization’s Jerusalem headquarters, where she met volunteers responding to the unprecedented national emergency.
