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Doron Almog: About "them" and about us

Translation by Yehoshua Siskin 

Here are a few quotes from Doron Almog, a Major General (res.) in the IDF, founder of the Aleh Negev Rehabilitation Village, who was chosen yesterday as the new Chairman of the Jewish Agency:

  • "My son Eran suffers from both a mental disability and autism. He has never spoken, never called me Abba, and has never cried. Despite all of this, he is my greatest teacher in life."
  • "Who are the people whom we treat? Why care about them at all? In my view, they testify to our vulnerability, to our delicate status as strong and healthy individuals. At any moment, any one of us could be in Eran's situation. Whoever doubts this is welcome to visit our rehabilitation department and see successful human beings who lie in bed without moving. Don't look at them as 'different.' All of us are likely to become completely dependent on others sooner or later. And then we, too, will benefit from those who never lose the human touch."
  • "I was the first soldier to land in Entebbe (in 1976, in a commando raid to free Israelis whose plane had been hijacked). From my perspective, our activity is a continuous 'Operation Entebbe': to be the first responders in this area as well, to be leaders in the relationship we forge with the weak."
  • "Lovingkindness is one of the three pillars on which the world stands: Torah, Service of God, and Lovingkindness. It seems that society's values have become materialistic, that our culture is caught up with ratings and superficial standards of beauty, that appearances are all that matter. But at the same time I can say that I am privileged every day to see among us employees and volunteers who hug and kiss the vulnerable and rejected, whose appearance keeps many people away. In our dedicated caregivers, we see the true Israeli and Jewish DNA that lies within, where a lot more than what is seen from the outside is revealed."

May you enjoy much success in your new position. Shabbat Shalom.

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