* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Doron Almog, founder of a Negev rehabilitation center, writes about a recent memorable moment as follows: “On October 7th, Michael Gottesman, a member of the emergency security team in the town of Shlomit close to the Gaza Strip, hurriedly rode to the adjacent community of Pri Gan in order to engage terrorist forces that had infiltrated there. After several hours of arduous fighting, Michael was wounded in his hand and evacuated under enemy fire.
After his hospitalization, he was sent to the day clinic at the ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran rehabilitation village. Due to his injury, Michael experienced significant loss of function in his hand and has had to relearn how to do simple tasks such as holding his cell phone and picking up his children.
Last week, in the middle of being treated by Oriah in the occupational therapy clinic, he finally succeeded to see positive results. For the first time since he was wounded, Michael was able to raise a glass all by himself and, before drinking from it, say the blessing of “sheahkol niheyeh bidvaro” (that everything came into being through his word; it’s the blessing declared before drinking water, coffee, or any other beverage except wine). It was the same injured hand with which he had neutralized Hamas terrorists.”
May you and all the wounded have a speedy and complete recovery, Michael. We can only imagine how many wonderful heroic acts like this are taking place each day in rehabilitation clinics throughout Israel.
