My Dinner with Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor came to our dinner for The Friends of Tel Hashomer, the Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Israel in 1992. This was a dinner with a purpose, and she was a lady with a purpose. She was, as we all know, a fierce battler in a war against AIDS.
I was president of The Friends at the time, and Ms. Taylor was our dream "get." But the obstacles seemed overwhelming. Every celebrity, indeed every person I know, receives an endless number of invitations and exhortations to contribute to many truly worthy causes. We could only imagine how many solicitations Ms. Taylor received. Even the wealthiest must turn down more requests than they could possibly accept.
So, why did Ms. Taylor accept our offer of the annual Humanitarian Award? She certainly didn't need the ego satisfaction of another dinner in her honor or even a nice award plaque. She allowed herself to be honored because there was a greater purpose--the establishment of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Institute at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center Israel. She said Yes because she wanted this night, as she wanted her life, to make a difference in the fight against AIDS.
There was an extra-added attraction to this dinner. She was presented her award by Jehan Sadat, the widow of Anwar Sadat of Egypt. This too was emblematic both of Ms. Taylor and the Sheba Medical Center, where neither religion nor nationality gets in the way of research, treatment and teaching.
Indeed Ms. Taylor's appearance at our dinner and her willingness to involve her friends have led to teaching and treatment not simply in Israel and not only of Egyptian and Palestinian doctors and nurses, but also throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Elizabeth Taylor's considerable beauty was far more than skin deep. She lent her grace and passion to the larger world and with great generosity of spirit did much to leave our world a better place for her having lived here. Fifteen-hundred of us cheered her that night and we, and so many millions more, continue to applaud both her passion and compassion.
©2011 Jonathan Dobrer
www.Dobrer.com
Leave it to Mr. Dobrer to show the other side. Most of us believed that Elizabeth Taylor was a flighty, self-centered, gold digger. It is pleasing to know that she also was interested in the health and well-being of others. Thanks for opening our eyes.
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