Eli Beer

I have a challenge.

As my great friend, and the United Hatzalah Chairman Mark Gerson, says: “Eli you need to lose weight.”

I agree. However, losing weight is — for me as for almost everyone — easier said than done. But there is something that will motivate me to do anything. That is to strengthen United Hatzalah, and in so doing, to save more lives. As I so often say, “Without the generosity of our donors, our volunteers would be working with Band-Aides.”

A United Hatzalah lunch in Miami in early February was held at a club that also had a locker room. The locker room had a scale. I weighed in — at 240 pounds. Mark said that is 70 pounds too many, but we settled on 50.

Consequently, Mark and I made a deal. Mark and his wife, Rabbi Erica Gerson, will pledge $20,000/pound for every pound that I lose — assuming that I lose all fifty by Rosh Hashanah (September 25) and other donors match them. Recognizing that I might put back on the weight, we came to another stipulation. If I am 190 pounds or under by Rosh Hashanah 2024, all of the donors will make the same donation.

Please join Mark and Erica in helping me to lose weight — and to strengthen United Hatzalah, to save lives, simultaneously.