Five Towns Therapists Heal Israeli Heroes in the Negev

By Elie Klein

More than 300 days after the atrocities of October 7, many Israeli families are still struggling to move forward, grappling with physical burdens and emotional traumas too great to bear.

At ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, a 40-acre state-of-the-art rehabilitation village in southern Israel that empowers those living with and touched by disability, physical rehab and emotional recovery specialists are helping war-wounded civilians and IDF soldiers reclaim their lives. The village’s Harvey & Gloria Kaylie Rehabilitation Medical Center, the first and only rehabilitation hospital in the region, is a godsend for the Negev’s hardest hit communities, harnessing the talents and experience of its full-time staff and a pipeline of US medical volunteers to help these heroic Israelis make miraculous turnarounds.

Hailing from both coasts and many points in between, the nearly 40 American volunteers are professional Physical and Occupational Therapists who left their patients and families behind for weeks at a time to do their part during Israel’s time of greatest need. Half a dozen are from the Five Towns.

Driven by a sense of communal responsibility, they came to give back. What they experienced, however, was a masterclass in humanity and resilience.

“In the weeks following October 7, I searched for something to do, a way to use my skills to help those in need. When I heard that ADI Negev was looking to shore up its staff with rehab professionals from the US, it quickly became clear that I had to join the effort,” said Sarah Yastrab, a resident of Woodmere who trained as an Occupational Therapist at LaTrobe University in Melbourne, Australia. “But I never could have imagined the magnificent oasis of love and hope that awaited me.”

In Yastrab’s experience, the human body is miraculous in its capacity to heal physically, when provided with adequate treatment. “But the assault to one’s dignity that accompanies the loss of independence following an illness or injury can leave a much deeper scar,” she explained. “That’s where ADI Negev thrives.”

“Patients arrive at ADI Negev having lost the ability to walk, talk or care for their most personal needs, and the professional staff, all gifted in their respective fields, expertly provide their services with an extra dose of dignity. An atmosphere of love and care pervades the rehabilitation village, and it restores hope and dignity to those who feel they have lost it. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before.”

Thanks to the support of the Israeli government and Jewish National Fund-USA, the Kaylie Rehabilitation Medical Center at ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran opened its doors in June 2022. Since then, the hospital’s first two 36-bed wards – Neurological and Orthopedic Rehabilitation – have increased the number of Israel’s rehabilitation hospital beds dramatically and kept families from the south together throughout the rehabilitation process while also immersing them in the village’s uniquely inclusive environment.

With many members of the hospital’s professional staff deployed across the country and in Gaza, ADI leaned on the Emergency Volunteer Project (EVP) and other partners to recruit volunteers capable of helping the medical center share its unique magic with at least some of the 20,000+ Israelis who have been war-wounded over the last nine months.

Woodmere resident Daniel Aryeh left his three Physical Therapy practices in Forest Hills, Great Neck and Hewlett behind for two weeks to join the effort but said he doesn’t regret making the sacrifice.

“There was a loss of revenue, but it was definitely worth it. You can’t put a price on helping your family in times of need, and all Jews are one big family,” said Aryeh, who graduated from NYU’s PT School. “And it really feels like a family at ADI Negev. The staff is so devoted to the patients, and they were all so welcoming and helpful to me. Within a day, I was brought up to speed and quickly became a part of the team.”

“While there, I worked with elderly patients and a lot of our amazing IDF soldiers. I was able help a lot of people relieve their physical pain and ease their emotional strain by listening to their stories. I also spent time exploring the expansive grounds, and I was blown away. There’s an outpatient center, a hydrotherapy complex, a safari petting zoo and therapeutic horse stable, and they are even developing a facility to help people grappling with PTSD. I’m convinced that there’s nothing the loving environment of ADI Negev can’t do, and I’m proud to have been able to experience it firsthand and become part of this special family.”

Though all of the volunteers have been impressed with the scope of ADI Negev’s offerings, they also appreciate the importance of its communal design and the ways in which it highlights the universal need for rehabilitation. For example, morning treatments at the Kaylie Rehabilitation Medical Center’s Therapeutic Sports Complex begin with geriatric rehab patients enjoying chair yoga on one side of the gym while war-wounded IDF soldiers get back into fighting shape on the other. Rarely does one see such a clear reminder that disability is a spectrum.

This was especially meaningful to Dr. Moshe Richmond of Lawrence, an Athletic Trainer, Physical Therapist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist who himself underwent extensive rehabilitation more than 20 years ago.

“In 2002, my life took an unexpected turn when I experienced a life-changing spinal cord injury. This challenging event marked the beginning of my journey into the world of physical therapy and strength and conditioning,” recalled Richmond, who received a Master’s from Long Island University Brooklyn and a Doctorate from Northeastern University in Boston. “Through rehabilitation, I discovered the profound impact these fields could have on one’s ability to lead a fulfilling life. At ADI Negev, this impact is abundantly clear.”

Yastrab added that ADI’s unique community focus removes barriers and allows for more genuine human interactions.

“When I was preparing for my trip, people kept asking me if I thought my Hebrew would be good enough to see patients. It turned out that it was. But I didn’t expect to also find myself joking with a patient in my broken French, using Google Translate to communicate in Russian, and evening learn a few words of Amharic,” mused Yastrab. “I met and connected with dozens of beautiful people from diverse backgrounds – Mizrahi and Ashkenazi, religious and secular, young and old – and it really felt like a tight knit community.”

“ADI Negev is located on a road that was overrun with terror and evil on October 7, but it was spared, because it’s a holy place that is writing the next chapter in the long story of Jewish strength and resilience. It was truly an honor to have worked at the village and become a member of the ADI family.”