Jacob and Milena Khotoveli to Be Honored at AFMDA’s Miami Gala, Hosted by ‘Nobody Wants This’ Star Tovah Feldshuh

Miami’s winter calendar is full of glittering charity nights, but few are tied as directly to saving lives as the 2026 Magen David Adom Miami Gala. On Thursday, December 17, 2026, American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) will gather supporters at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa in Aventura to benefit Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency services system, and to honor Milena and Jacob Khotoveli.

The cause is as immediate as it gets. AFMDA raises funds so that MDA’s 35,000 paramedics, EMTs, first responders and first-aid providers, volunteers and staff alike, have the training, equipment and medical supplies they need to treat all injured and ill people in Israel. This year’s gala carries the theme “Every Generation Answers the Call.”

Honoring Milena and Jacob Khotoveli

For the Khotovelis, the honor recognizes a commitment that is personal. Jacob Khotoveli, of Hollywood, Florida-based JBL Asset Management, is one of AFMDA’s closest supporters, and he has seen MDA’s work up close: last fall he traveled to Israel to tour its facilities.

Asked to sum up what the cause means to him, Khotoveli reaches for an ancient Jewish teaching. “Whoever saves one life saves an entire world!” he says. “The true measure of success is making a positive and meaningful impact for others.”

A Hero, a Michelin-Starred Chef and a Star Host

The evening will also present AFMDA’s Hero of Israel Award to Yaniv Hayun, the Israeli passenger credited with helping save more than 180 lives aboard a flydubai flight this fall, when he helped subdue a co-pilot who had attacked the captain in the cockpit.

Dinner comes with serious culinary credentials. The menu is by Chef Raz Shabtai, founder of Mutra in North Miami, which the MICHELIN Guide recognized as the world’s first kosher restaurant to earn a MICHELIN Star. Kosher dietary laws will be observed.

Hosting the night is Tovah Feldshuh, the singer, actor and playwright now known to a new generation as a star of Nobody Wants This.

Hili and Marty Scheck and Jessica and Larry Genet serve as event chairs, with Lindsay and Michael Tabacinic as Young Leadership chairs, alongside a host committee of more than 30 supporters that includes the Khotovelis themselves. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a VIP cocktail reception, followed by a general reception and dinner at 6 p.m. and the program at 7:30 p.m. Attire is cocktail.

Back at Turnberry, Where AFMDA Set a Miami Record

The return to Turnberry is a homecoming. The 2024 AFMDA Miami Gala, held at the same JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa that December, was the biggest and most successful in the organization’s Miami history, according to AFMDA. Hosted by Israeli actress Moran Atias, the night drew about 900 guests and raised more than $4.5 million for Magen David Adom.

Actor Liev Schreiber delivered a moving presentation honoring Israel’s medics, sharing the stories of MDA first responders who kept saving lives through personal tragedy. “When I was in Ukraine building Blue Check,” Schreiber said, referring to the organization he founded, “Magen David Adom was right there beside me, delivering bulletproof ambulances and world-class medical care.”

Patricia Heaton received AFMDA’s Champion of Israel Award for her work as founder of O7C, an organization calling on Christians and all people who believe in Western civilization and democracy to stand against the rise of antisemitism. “It was a joy to receive the Champion of Israel award as every single Israeli is a champion for the world,” Heaton said, “and if I can do my small part to bring attention to the protection of Israel, it is my true honor.”

Community leaders Jassi and Joey Antebi were awarded the Dor v’Dor Humanitarian of the Year Award for their contributions to MDA’s work in Miami, and MDA global president Ambassador Gilad Erdan was on hand to greet guests.

During the live auction, led by auctioneer Dave Keystone, guests funded numerous ambulances, setting a record for the most money raised in one evening at an AFMDA event in Miami. The night closed with an ambulance dedication and an afterparty.

Building on Last Year’s Gala

The 2026 gala also follows a moving night last December. As Haute Living reported ahead of the 2025 gala, that evening featured Eli Sharabi, and according to AFMDA it drew more than 500 people to the Miami Beach Convention Center, where Sharabi, freed after 491 days in Hamas captivity, joined MDA global president Ambassador Gilad Erdan and actor Jonah Platt to kindle the menorah on the second night of Chanukah.

That night was co-chaired by Eli and Tami Dadon and Terri and Jeffrey Sonn, and recognized Julia and Elie Deshe as Young Leadership Honorees. Both the Sonns and the Deshes return this year on the host committee.

The 2026 Magen David Adom Miami Gala takes place December 17 at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, 19999 West Country Club Drive, Aventura. Registration is open through AFMDA, and those who cannot attend can still support MDA’s work with a donation. As Khotoveli puts it, whoever saves one life saves an entire world.