Last weekend, 140 wounded IDF soldiers and 400 of their family members were hosted at the Leonardo Plaza Hotel in Jerusalem, thanks to the generosity of David Hager, an ultra-Orthodox businessman from Los Angeles, in collaboration with Netzach Yehuda. The two-day retreat provided a much-needed respite from the routine of rehabilitation wards.
On Thursday, Paralympic world champion and Paris Olympic gold medalist Assaf Yasur shared his personal story. After losing both his hands in an accident at the age of 13, Yasur resolved to live his life with passion and a drive for success.
Also among the attendees was Yishai Engelman, a rabbi at the Birkat Moshe hesder yeshiva (that combines Torah learning and military service) in Ma'ale Adumim and a father of four, whose youngest child was born during the war. Engelman served as a reservist in the 121st Battalion of the 8th Brigade, which has already completed over 250 days of reserve duty. During his third call-up, Engelman was critically injured in the Netzarim corridor and evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. He later spent two additional months recovering at Sheba Medical Center and is now undergoing outpatient rehabilitation at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.
Engelman shared that the Shabbat was the first since his injury that he and his wife were able to pause and enjoy a moment of peace. "It was 48 hours of tranquility, a time to recharge and uplift our spirits. We met people with similar stories, individuals we don't encounter in our daily lives. Hearing the experiences of other wounded soldiers made us feel like one big family. This Shabbat was deeply meaningful for me and infused me with renewed strength."
David Hager, who funded and organized the weekend, described witnessing the resilience of the Israeli people during the retreat. "I met wounded soldiers who endured severe injuries, many of whom have families, and yet they refuse to give up on themselves. I've traveled extensively around the world and have never encountered injured soldiers so determined to return to their units. They don't want their comrades to take on extra reserve duty without them. They feel it's unfair. The spirit of this nation, blessed with people willing to contribute and sacrifice for everyone, is truly extraordinary."
