American Wounded GIs to Visit Israel: A Mission of Friendship, Hope, and Healing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dr. Alex Grobman
Phone: (212) 213-8630
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
American Wounded GIs to Visit Israel: A Mission of Friendship, Hope, and Healing
From September 10 through the 20th, Harley Lippman, president of the America-Israel Friendship League, will lead a delegation of ten wounded American servicemen to Israel, where these American heroes of the current conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan will meet some of their Israeli counterparts and see how they are treated by their countrymen.
Mr. Lippman fully expects that, as a result of their trip to Israel, the wounded American GIs, none of whom is Jewish, will form lasting friendships with wounded Israeli soldiers and gain an appreciation of the kindness and expertise with which the disabled are treated in the Jewish state.
“America’s wounded GIs deserve the best care we can offer them. They have put themselves in harm’s way for us, and, on this trip to Israel, the veterans will have the chance to see for themselves other options for treatment that, perhaps, can be adopted in the US,” said Mr. Lippman.
Mutually Beneficial
The founder and CEO of Genesis 10, a business-and-technology consulting firm, Mr. Lippman is convinced the trip will be mutually beneficial for the participating Israelis and Americans, who represent the US Army, Air Force, Special Forces, and the Marines.
“Simply sharing their thoughts and feelings and learning how similar they are will be part of the healing process for both groups,” said Mr. Lippman.
His decision to lead the delegation was prompted by his love for both countries. The AIFL’s mission is to strengthen the ties of friendship between people of the United States and Israel, based on the two nations’ common values of ethics and democracy.
Heroes to Heroes
The inspiration for the trip comes from the Fort Lee, NJ-based Heroes to Heroes, an organization founded by Judy Isaacson Schaffer of Teaneck, dedicated to bringing disabled American veterans to Israel on trips designed to “educate, motivate, stimulate discussion and bonding with peers, and be a springboard for emotional and spiritual healing both during and after the experience.”
“There are over 37,000 men and women who have been injured during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Some have had successful re-entries into civilian life. Many find the return overwhelming and a constant struggle,” said Ms. Schaffer.
She pointed out that the soldiers’ often devastating wounds can lead to depression, isolation, suicidal tendencies, and actual suicides, as well as a host of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social challenges.
“Heroes to Heroes helps American disabled GIs bridge the gap between their military experience and civilian life,” said Ms. Schaffer.
A member of the executive board of Orthodox Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck, Ms. Schaffer took her motivation for founding Heroes to Heroes from the Talmud: Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.
Post-Military Lives
Together, AIFL and Heroes to Heroes will provide the visiting American wounded veterans with an experience available only in Israel: education on living with terrorism and understanding the importance of keeping terrorism from US borders; an exploration of Christian and Jewish holy sites; visits to Israeli facilities available to disabled veterans; and meetings with Israeli veterans who, despite their injuries, have been able to turn their professional and personal dreams into reality.
Some of the wounded Israelis who will meet with the Americans have become leaders in various fields.
“Our American veterans will get advice on turning their military service skills into marketable private-sector experience,” said Ms. Schaffer.
Beit Halochem
In addition to their physical injuries, many of the wounded American GIs still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mr. Lippman hopes that, in Israel, they will see how the Jewish state’s treatment centers incorporate a holistic approach to the condition.
One of the highlights of the trip will be a visit to Beit Halochem, literally “Home of the Warrior,” in Tel Aviv. Run by the IDF Disabled Veterans Fund, Beit Halochem has centers throughout Israel, ranging from 60,000 to 108,000 square feet. Most of the centers are equipped with swimming pools, gyms, fitness rooms, occupational and physical therapy units, auditoriums, classrooms, and areas for socializing, including cafeterias.
“After they leave the hospital, Beit Halochem is there to help them rebuild their lives. It is a place where the disabled can regain their dignity and quality of life,” said Ruby Shamir, executive director of AIFL’s Israel Office who is helping to coordinate the American wounded veterans’ mission to Israel.
Etgarim-Challenge
In addition, the Americans will engage in activities such as sailing with Etgarim-Challenge, the Israeli outdoor and recreation association for the disabled, which sponsors races and cruises for Israelis with a wide variety of disabilities, including the blind and those suffering from PTSD.
“Etgarim-Challenge engages in many activities throughout Israel, throughout the year,” said Ms. Shamir.
Through Etgarim-Challenge, the disabled in Israel enjoy sailing trips lasting from one to three days, instructed by top racers in a treatment that has become known as “adventure therapy by sailing.”
Full Itinerary
During their stay in Israel, the American veterans will visit, among other sites, Jerusalem and the Old City, Masada and the Dead Sea, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum, Tel Aviv, the Sea of Galilee, the Golan, and IDF army and air force bases.
Of particular interest to the wounded veterans will be visits to Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem and its Hadasit Technology Transfer Company, which sponsors and promotes many of the renowned medical center’s novel therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical devices; the Rehabilitation Hospital at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv; and the Natal Israel Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War.
They will be addressed by Israeli leaders, including Likud MK Haim Katz, who serves as chairman of the Knesset’s Labor, Welfare and Health Committee; and Prof Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies.
In Sderot, Mayor David Buskila will brief them on the constant barrage of rockets fired on the city by terrorists in Gaza, and Israel’s response to the terror.
More Than Survival
Mr. Lippman and the ten wounded American GIs will be accompanied on their trip by Arturo Marguia, a wounded US Army Captain, who serves as a coach to his fellow wounded American servicemen and acts as a liaison on their behalf to the Obama administration.
Mr. Marguia, who received a traumatic brain injury when a rocket-propelled grenade blew up during a security-and-combat patrol in the Iraq desert in September 2006, urges wounded veterans to continue their treatment and exert themselves to the fullest in order to heal.
“It’s not enough to survive,” said Mr. Marguia. “You have to live.”
Mr. Lippman is certain the message will be reinforced during the trip to Israel.
“They are going to realize they are not just heroes to their fellow Americans, but also to the Israelis, who constantly recognize their own brave servicemen and women and will extend that care and kindness to the American wounded veterans,” he said.