The word for “peace of mind” or “tranquility” in Hebrew is shalva, and that is exactly what the Israeli organization Shalva provides for parents of mentally and physically challenged children.

More than 500 children participate in a range of therapies and activities administered by Shalva without fee at facilities in Jerusalem, Alon Shvut, and the Galilee. Shalva’s center in Jerusalem boasts a pool, a playground, and a children’s synagogue. Temporary overnight accommodations for children give family members a break from full-time care. The Me and My Mommy program helps new mothers attend to their special needs babies and is expanding to include mothers of 2- and 3-year-olds.

An American base of donors is an important source of financial support for the organization, which has a $3 million annual budget. And so the New York-based American Friends of Shalva hosted a fund-raiser Sunday night at Pier 60, which raised $1.5 million and celebrated the organization’s 15th anniversary.

Kalman and Malky Samuels founded Shalva in 1990, inspired by their son Yossi. At just 11 months, Yossi had a reaction to a DPT vaccination: He lost his sight and hearing and became acutely hyperactive. He spent his early childhood in isolation, unable to communicate. But when he was 8, he learned Hebrew finger spelling, and a vital spirit emerged. That breakthrough led the Samuels to create a place where children like Yossi could also learn to communicate and embrace life.

Though several couples received recognition at the event for their support, Yossi was the guest of honor everyone wanted to meet. With a film crew trailing him (he will soon be the subject of a documentary on Israeli television), Yossi greeted his admirers with a wide smile and several taps on the hand. Many asked him about his passion, automobiles (he can identify cars by one touch of the door handle).

“Yossi is for me a personal guide, my hero. He taught me to be a true friend,” his father, Mr. Samuels, said. “My heart melts when he tells me how grateful he is to be blessed with good health and loving friends.”

One of the more whimsical places in the Shalva center in Jerusalem is the multisensory room, which engages a child’s senses with spotlights, mirrors, vibrating cushions, a water bed, and glass tubes filled with bubbles.

The event on Sunday also offered a stimulating sensory experience, under the imaginative direction of one of the dinner chairwomen, Lisa Low.

For example, guests walked through a dark tunnel so they could experience the discomfort of not being able to see. But make no mistake: This was not an evening of deprivation. The charitable spirit embodied in the honorees, including Morris and Melissa Chehebar, Derek Caldwell, and Orit Tannenbaum, filled the room with a sense of plentitude.

At dinner, guests rotated among four counter-style dining stations, each featuring a different menu: The crunchy station offered wasabi cashews and fried chicken; the sweet-and-sour table showcased salmon and duck with an orange glaze; spicy dishes included kimchi and fake crabmeat cocktail, and savory dishes included braised ribs (all the food was kosher).

Dessert included piles of pineapple, mango, strawberries, and grapes. More sinful eaters devoured doughnuts fried to order, crepes right out of the pan, candy apples, and candies called Gushers.

“You can find great causes, but they don’t always come with good people, too. The people here tonight are full of integrity and sincerity,” donor Dawn Arnall said.