Campaign All Star
For Steve Hilton, being a proud supporter of Israel has never been optional.
“If you ask me why I support Jewish National Fund-USA and why I’m involved in Jewish philanthropy, it’s because I promised my father that ‘never again’ would mean something,” he says.
Steve’s father, Samuel, was the sole member of his family to survive the Holocaust, losing over 100 relatives and surviving five concentration camps. A father of four and the founder and executive chairman of Meritage Homes, Steve believes that helping people build a personal connection to Israel is a powerful way to strengthen Jewish communities in the United States.
He first led a group of men on a trip to Israel in 2017, hoping to foster future Jewish leadership in his own community in Arizona. While there, they visited ADI Negev, a 40-acre, state-of-the-art rehabilitative village in the Negev supported by Jewish National Fund-USA.
Steve says that he was deeply moved by what he saw there and by founder and chairman, Major General (Res.) Doron Almog. Steve calls Doron “one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met,” and the two have since formed a friendship, visiting each other frequently over the years. “There’s so much philanthropy that people do, and you can’t always see the tangible result of where your dollars go,” he says. “Here you can see the money at work. It’s a modern miracle.”
Since that first trip, Steve has led several more missions to Israel. On October 7, he was in Dubai, scheduled to lead a group in Israel the following week. Even though it immediately became clear that the trip would be canceled, he and his fellow trip leaders decided to continue to Israel as planned and help in any way they could. They visited hospitals, met with survivors, and purchased supplies and relief goods, all while dodging rocket attacks in bomb shelters. Upon returning to Phoenix, he spoke at a Jewish National Fund-USA event about the unimaginable things he had seen and helped raise $1.5 million for the Israel Resilience Campaign.
Steve returned to Israel again in January, this time bringing a delegation from Phoenix that included Jewish and non-Jewish community leaders and several young adults, including his son. Even though the trips continue to evolve with the times, Steve’s purpose remains the same. “I tell them, ‘Don’t just think this is a vacation to Israel. After the trip, come home and do something. Come home and be somebody,’” he says.
Two young men who participated in Steve’s first trip were alarmed by growing Holocaust denial and misconceptions, especially among young people. They became leaders in promoting state legislation to make Holocaust education mandatory in Arizona, which passed in 2021.
Steve and his wife, Suzi, were recently welcomed into Jewish National Fund-USA’s World Chairman’s Council. According to Deb Rochford, Jewish National Fund-USA’s National Campaign Director, Steve has not only made an impact with his support but has encouraged others to do the same. “Steve is a leader who embodies optimism and fosters a strong sense of community in Phoenix,” she says. “His unwavering commitment to Zionism and frequent visits to Israel spark passion in younger leaders and inspire them to join him in the pursuit of a brighter future for the Jewish people.”
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