Matan Adelson Marries Yahav Chaliva at Timna Park

Matan Adelson, the youngest son of Dr. Miriam Adelson and the late Sheldon Adelson, capped a five-day wedding celebration with an evening ceremony at Timna Park in Israel's Arava desert. Adelson married his longtime partner Yahav Chaliva in front of roughly 200 guests who traveled from outside Israel. Miriam Adelson, Israel's wealthiest citizen, stayed on the dance floor until 3:30 a.m., according to family members present.

Who did Matan Adelson marry and where?

Matan Adelson, born in Los Angeles in 1999, is the majority owner of Israeli basketball club Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. He graduated from Stanford University with a degree in economics before taking over the club in 2023.

Adelson married Yahav Chaliva in an evening ceremony at Timna Park, a nature reserve roughly 25 kilometers north of Eilat known for its red-rock canyon scenery. According to the couple's own wedding website, the celebration ran from September 3 to September 7, 2026, across multiple locations before ending at Timna Park. Event producer Tali Yaakobi, whose past work includes weddings for as many as 500 guests at the same venue, handled production.

Who attended the wedding celebrations?

Roughly 200 guests traveled from outside Israel for the wedding weekend, which spanned Jerusalem, Herzliya, and the Arava desert before ending at Timna Park. Yasmin Lukatz, Miriam Adelson's daughter and Matan's sister, documented the celebrations on social media, including footage of her mother on the dance floor.

Lukatz, a businesswoman and a panelist on Keshet 12's Israeli version of Shark Tank, wore a design by Israeli fashion house Vivi Bellish to the wedding, styled by Liat Ashuri with jewelry from Keren Wolf. Adam Adelson, Matan's older brother, also attended. The Jerusalem Post identifies Adam as a driver for Wright Motorsports.

What does Matan Adelson own in Israel?

Matan Adelson owns a majority stake in Hapoel Jerusalem B.C., one of Israel's best-known basketball clubs. The Jerusalem Post reports that he bought a 90 percent stake in the club in 2023.

After the purchase, Adelson hired Alon Kremer as the team's chief executive and brought in Gal Mekel, a former Israeli NBA player, as a consultant and minority stakeholder, according to his Wikipedia entry. The club is his most visible business role, and it sits alongside the family's much larger holdings, which his mother oversees. For the wider picture of the sport, see Olam's analysis of Israeli basketball as soft power.

How did Miriam and Sheldon Adelson's family come together?

Sheldon Adelson and Miriam Adelson married in 1991. BuzzFeed News reported that the couple held two ceremonies, a religious wedding at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem and a party in Las Vegas.

Collive reports that about two weeks before the wedding, the couple visited the Lubavitcher Rebbe at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, when he was in his 60s and she was in her 40s. According to Chabad.org, Miriam asked the Rebbe for a blessing for a child, and he handed each of them a dollar bill for the children yet to be born. The couple went on to have two sons, Adam and Matan.

Sheldon Adelson died on January 11, 2021, at age 87. Chabad.org's list of his survivors names his wife Miriam, sons Gary, Adam and Matan, and daughters Shelley Adelson, Sivan Dumont and Yasmin Lukatz.

What role does Miriam Adelson play in business, philanthropy and politics?

Miriam Adelson, born in Tel Aviv on October 10, 1945, is a physician who specialized in addiction medicine and began her career as a medic in the Israel Defense Forces, according to the Jerusalem Post. She became Israel's wealthiest citizen after her husband's death and has continued to run the Adelson family's business and philanthropic interests, including majority ownership of Las Vegas Sands and the Dallas Mavericks. Olam's full profile of Dr. Miriam Adelson covers her medical career, her giving and the family business.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Miriam and Sheldon Adelson gave about a quarter of a billion dollars to Birthright Israel by 2015, making them the program's largest donors. Wikipedia reports that she donated $106 million to Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, making her the campaign's third-largest donor. The Jerusalem Post also describes Israel Hayom as a daily owned by the Adelson family.

How visible is Matan Adelson in Israeli public life?

Matan Adelson's public profile has grown alongside his mother's. In 2023, the Jerusalem Post named him alongside Miriam Adelson among the 50 most influential Jews.

In October 2025, the Jerusalem Post reported that he accompanied his mother to the visitors' gallery of the Knesset plenum for President Donald Trump's address. His ownership of Hapoel Jerusalem fits a pattern of Adelson family investment in Israeli media, sports and civic institutions.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Matan Adelson?

Matan Adelson, born in 1999, is the youngest son of Miriam and Sheldon Adelson and the majority owner of Hapoel Jerusalem B.C., having bought a 90 percent stake in 2023, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Who did Matan Adelson marry?

Matan Adelson married his longtime partner Yahav Chaliva at Timna Park in Israel's Arava desert, ending a five-day celebration attended by roughly 200 guests from outside Israel.

Where was the Adelson wedding held?

The celebration spanned Jerusalem, Herzliya and the Arava desert and ended with an evening ceremony at Timna Park, a nature reserve about 25 kilometers north of Eilat.

Who are Matan Adelson's siblings?

Matan Adelson's siblings include his older brother Adam and his sister Yasmin Lukatz, who documented the wedding on social media. Chabad.org's list of Sheldon Adelson's survivors also names Gary, Shelley Adelson and Sivan Dumont among the Adelson children.

The wedding put the Adelson family's business, philanthropic and sporting circles in one room, and it shows how Matan Adelson, who owns Hapoel Jerusalem, is stepping into a public role beside his mother. More profiles of influential families appear in Olam's Israeli founders and companies section.