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Some friendships begin in childhood and remain forever woven into who we become.
For me, Eli Baitelman A'H was not merely a name or a community story.
He was my childhood friend. My classmate. Someone I grew up with.
We shared years of life, memories, schools, laughter, community, and the ordinary moments that later become priceless.
And like so many people who knew Eli, I knew him as someone with warmth, heart, kindness, authenticity, and an ability to connect deeply with others.
When someone you know personally is suddenly gone, especially from something as devastating and unexpected as a heart attack, it changes you.
It forces difficult conversations.
Questions.
Reflection.
Could warning signs have been identified sooner?
Could awareness have helped?
Could screening, education, prevention, or earlier detection make a difference for someone else?
Those questions became the seed for action.
From that place, the Eli Baitelman Heart Foundation was born.
A mission built not only on memory, but on responsibility.
Not only on grief, but on saving lives.
“Whoever Saves One Life…”
The Torah teaches:
“Whoever saves one life, it is as if they saved an entire world.”
— Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5
This teaching sits at the very heart of this initiative.
Every human being carries an entire universe within them.
A spouse.
Children.
Parents.
Friends.
Students.
Colleagues.
Future milestones.
Dreams not yet fulfilled.
Acts of kindness not yet performed.
Lives not yet touched.
Saving one person from a preventable cardiac event does not simply save an individual patient.
It protects an entire world connected to that person.
And that understanding drives everything we are trying to accomplish.
The Silent Threat Many Never See Coming
Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death.
Yet one of its most dangerous characteristics is silence.
Many people who eventually suffer a serious cardiac event may have felt completely fine beforehand.
No dramatic warning.
No obvious symptoms.
Sometimes the first sign becomes the emergency itself.
That reality is what makes preventive screening so important.
One tool increasingly used in preventive cardiology is the Coronary Artery Calcium Score (CAC), sometimes called a cardiac calcium scan.
This simple, non-invasive CT scan can help identify calcified plaque within the coronary arteries, potentially providing important insight into hidden cardiovascular risk before a major event occurs.
Knowledge does not replace medical judgment.
Screening does not replace individualized physician care.
But informed awareness, guided by qualified healthcare professionals, can empower people to make thoughtful, proactive decisions regarding their health.
Sometimes, information can save a life.
Preventing the Silent Heart Attack
The Eli Baitelman Heart Foundation exists to help increase:
Heart health awareness
Education regarding preventative screening
Access to early detection resources
Responsible, informed conversations about cardiovascular risk
Community engagement around proactive wellness
Our goal is simple but powerful:
To help ensure that people who wish to take a proactive approach toward their heart health have access to trusted information, compassionate guidance, and pathways to appropriate screening.
Not through fear.
Not through pressure.
Through awareness.
Through dignity.
Through education.
Through action.
Medical Collaboration Rooted in Trust, Prevention & Excellence
The Eli Baitelman Heart Foundation is grateful to work alongside respected physicians and medical professionals who share a commitment to preventive cardiology, early detection, patient education, and saving lives through proactive care.
Dr. Ronald P. Karlsberg, MD
Our initiative proudly collaborates with Dr. Ronald P. Karlsberg, MD, a nationally respected cardiologist affiliated with:
Cardiovascular Medical Group of Southern California (CVMG)
Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Cardiovascular Research Foundation of Southern California
Dr. Karlsberg has dedicated decades to advancing cardiovascular medicine, cardiac imaging, prevention, and patient-centered heart care.
Through our collaboration with CVMG, community members have access to professional medical oversight, preventive cardiac evaluation pathways, and opportunities to explore Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) screening under the guidance of qualified physicians.
We are deeply appreciative of Dr. Karlsberg and the outstanding CVMG team for their partnership in helping bring preventative heart awareness and screening opportunities to our community.
Dr. Benjamin J. Cohen, MD, FACC
My Heart Vision – State of the HEART Cardiac CT
We are also grateful for our collaboration with Dr. Benjamin J. Cohen, MD, FACC, through My Heart Vision – State of the HEART Cardiac CT.
Dr. Cohen’s work focuses on expanding access to advanced cardiac CT imaging and helping individuals better understand their cardiovascular health through modern, evidence-based diagnostic tools.
Through this partnership, our initiative can facilitate additional access to screening and community outreach, including practical opportunities for individuals who wish to take a more proactive approach to understanding their heart health.
Together, these medical partnerships help support the mission of the Eli Baitelman Heart Foundation:
raising awareness, encouraging prevention, improving access, and helping protect lives through informed cardiovascular care.
Medical appointments, clinical decisions, and individualized recommendations remain under the direct care and supervision of licensed healthcare professionals and their respective medical practices.
Privacy. Dignity. Respect.
Health decisions are personal.
We understand that.
The Eli Baitelman Heart Foundation was intentionally designed around several core principles:
Privacy.
Respect.
Discretion.
Access.
Individuals deserve the ability to explore preventative care without stigma, embarrassment, pressure, or public exposure.
Medical information remains confidential.
No public disclosure.
No obligation.
Simply an opportunity to become informed and proactive about one’s health journey.
Access Matters
Too often, people delay preventative care because of:
Cost concerns
Scheduling barriers
Uncertainty about where to begin
Lack of awareness
Fear of what they might discover
We believe that access matters.
Awareness matters.
Education matters.
And in many cases, timing matters.
Through the Eli Baitelman Heart Foundation, efforts are underway to expand access to preventive screening opportunities within our community, supported by charitable funding and grants associated with this initiative.
Because no one should feel that proactive health awareness is beyond their reach.
Eli’s Legacy: A Big Heart That Continues to Save Hearts
Those who knew Eli remember a man of tremendous warmth, generosity, joy, and quiet acts of kindness.
A loving husband.
A devoted father.
A dedicated friend.
A person deeply committed to helping others.
He served the Jewish community, inspired students, families, colleagues, and friends, and carried his values into every chapter of life.
For me personally, this initiative is profoundly personal.
I am not speaking about a stranger.
I am speaking about someone I knew.
Someone I learned with.
Someone I grew up with.
Someone whose absence is deeply felt.
But Jewish life teaches us something powerful:
We do not allow memory to remain passive.
We transform remembrance into a mitzvah.
Into healing.
Into service.
Into responsibility.
If one person chooses to get evaluated after reading this page…
If one hidden risk factor is discovered earlier…
If one family is spared devastating loss…
Then Eli’s memory continues shining brightly in this world.
And perhaps, in some small but very real way, another world has been saved.
A SoulLinks Initiative: Caring for Body, Mind, and Soul
The Eli Baitelman Heart Foundation is an initiative of SoulLinks, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
At SoulLinks, we believe genuine care for human beings includes concern for the whole person, physical, emotional, spiritual, and communal.
Whether serving frontline professionals, families, individuals in crisis, or community members seeking meaning, support, education, or connection, our mission remains rooted in compassion, dignity, and service.
This initiative reflects those same values.
Because preserving life is holy work.
Take the Next Step
If you would like to learn more about heart screening opportunities, preventative awareness, or whether CAC screening may be appropriate for you, we encourage you to begin the conversation.
Get Started:
https://www.ebheartscreen.org/get-started
Learn More:
https://www.ebheartscreen.org
Support This Initiative:
Every contribution helps expand awareness, education, and access for others in our community.
Support the Eli Baitelman Heart Foundation & SoulLinks:
https://www.ebheartscreen.org/donate
Because sometimes saving a life begins with a conversation.
Sometimes it begins with awareness.
Sometimes it begins with taking the first step.
And sometimes…
It begins with honoring the memory of a childhood friend by helping protect another human heart.
לעילוי נשמת הרה"ת ר' אליהו בן הרה"ת ר' אברהם משה הלוי ע"ה בייטעלמאן
The Eli Baitelman Heart Foundation is a project of SoulLinks, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving individuals, families, and frontline professionals through chaplaincy care, education, compassion, and meaningful community initiatives.