The Foundation was established in December 2008 in memory of Dr. Gideon Hirsch, who served as head of the Israel AIDS Task Force (initially as Chairman and later as Director) and to commemorate his life's work.

Dr. Hirsch greatly contributed to the battle against the spread of AIDS in Israel. Since learning that he was HIV positive, two decades ago, Dr. Hirsch stood at the frontier of the crusade against the harsh stigma that is associated with HIV/AIDS and he adamantly fought to overcome the misconceptions of the illness, which lead to discriminating social conventions. He was an exemplar of social activism, courage and triumph, and vigorously advocated for the rights of people living with HIV to live their life amongst a tolerant society, without fear and prejudice, and for their right to receive the best medical treatment available. His relentless efforts towards the welfare of people living with HIV brought the entrance of new AIDS medications into the Health Ministry's subsidized list of medicines and thus, he was responsible for the enhancement of the medical care provided to this population. Above all, he endeavored to change the anachronistic terminology that equates AIDS with death and sustains the inequity of people living with the virus.

Dr. Hirsch was the first to give voice to those whose opinion is not heard, to represent excluded populations, and to encourage social and communal responsibility. For him AIDS was the epitome of the society that he desperately wanted to change; a society afraid of foreigners, renouncing itself from the weak, refusing so often to first and foremost see each individual as a human being and to accept him as such. He established close ties with the Ethiopian community and was active among the gay community. In addition to his vocation as Director of the Israel AIDS Task Force, he was also active in the Doctors for Human Rights (DHR) Organization. It is no wonder then that many a time, The AIDS Task Force took upon itself the moral and constitutional obligation of the country by providing life saving treatment to underprivileged groups - victims of human trade, migrant workers and refugees living with HIV.

Dr. Hirsch made a brave and conscious decision to live a major portion of his life in the open as head of the Israel AIDS Task Force. His public exposure in the media as HIV positive came at the expense of his privacy, which although a costly price to pay,  he did so because it was important to him to convey the message that despite HIV, and in some cases because of it, life is worth the appetite and yearning that it provokes.

The Foundation's goals are as follows:

• To represent the interests of people living with HIV in face of the government authorities and the public health care system and to advocate for them.

• To promote parliamentary initiatives and legislative amendments to ensure human and civil rights and to prevent the discrimination of people living with HIV.

• To enhance the psycho-social services that provide hundreds of people with HIV and their relatives with support and counseling from the moment they are diagnosed as positive and during the difficult crisis of adjusting to their new status.

• To collect credible medical information concerning HIV and transforming it into educational materials accessible to the public by the various channels that the Organization employs (an internet site, brochures and leaflets, a newsletter and more). The AIDS Task Force maintains the largest and most professional body of knowledge concerning AIDS in Israel and it provides each target population with updated and precise medical information pertaining to it, which allows people living with HIV to make well informed decisions about how to manage their lives.

• To initiate public campaigns geared at dissolving the negative stigma associated with AIDS and overcoming the ignorance concerning it among the general population and among populations at risk in particular.

• To launch public and political activities to improve medical care for people living with HIV and to register and include new AIDS medications in the list of government-subsidized drugs according to the guiding recommendations for the treatment of HIV as administered by the International AIDS Society (IAS) and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

We would be grateful if you join us in our efforts to continue promoting Dr. Gideon Hirsch's legacy and life work for the better health of the entire population in Israel and for the constitution of a more tolerant society.

Donations to the Foundation can be made by bank transfer as follows:

Bank  Hapoalim LTD

Hakiria Branch – 508

Swift code: Poalilit

Acccount  number: 276543

Account name: ISRAEL AIDS TASK FORCE

For more information about the Foundation and the Israel AIDS Task Force activities, visit www.AIDSisrael.org.il or call 03-5613000.

The donation to the Foundation is tax deductible according to regulation 46 A of the Israel Income Tax Authority.