Drying little tears in Jerusalem

Regine Sixt on mission to help sick children in Hadassah hospital while bringing Arabs, Jews closer

Ynetnews|Published: 08.08.10 , 08:00

Regine Sixt is a woman on a mission: Helping children worldwide get healthier and bringing a smile back to their faces. Her efforts brought her to Israel's capital too, where she has helped ease the suffering of both Arabs and Jews.

Sixt, who co-owns the Sixt Group international car rental and leasing company with her husband, founded her children's aid association in Munich, focused on "Drying Little Tears", in 2000. Her foundation has supported suffering children in 90 countries, including a special focus on Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital.

"My love for Israel is and has always been immense and unconditional. I visited Israel as a student and have always been fascinated by its beauty and its people. Whenever Israel calls me, I am available," she said. "As a German I am committed to Israel and the Jewish people."

"In our more-than-ever before globalized world, I feel we must all start taking a share of responsibility," Sixt added. "My personal aim is to take action whenever and wherever it is needed."

The aid association supports the Mount Scopus Department of Pediatrics at the hospital, in cooperation with the Hadassah Medical Relief Association. The project holds special meaning because of its contribution to peaceful coexistence, helping both Israeli and Arab children. The organization's website notes that Mount Scopus allows Arabs and Jews to freely mingle, restoring a sense of normalcy in an otherwise tense region.

'Making sure Shoah won't happen again'

In an advertisement published to draw attention to the special venture, Sixt noted that Hadassah "nurtures the ground for more solidarity and comprehension between the Israeli and Palestinian people as well as between people from all over the world."

Sixt, who has visited Hadassah several times, has been honored with Hadassah International’s Citizen of the World Award following her efforts.

However, her involvement with Israel ventures is not limited to the Hadassah project.

"I am on the Board of Governors of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I am also a member of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, board member of the Jerusalem foundation, the Simon Peres foundation for peace and a lot more," she said. "I have been financing the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation of Stephen Spielberg together with two leading media companies in Germany. This is a nonprofit organization established to record testimonies in video format of survivors and other witnesses of the Shoah. My aim is to make it accessible for school children in Germany so that we can make sure that the Shoah will never happen again."