Program to Bring Injured Israeli Soldiers Stateside for a 10-Day Holiday

It’s safe to say that three weeks after giving birth, most young mothers don’t open up their homes to strangers—10 soldiers from a foreign country, no less.

But Yaara Bank-Plotkin isn’t most people. And even though she’s never met them, these Israeli soldiers aren’t strangers, she explained. They are heroes who defend the land of Israel. And they have each paid a terrible price for doing their duty.

Bank-Plotkin is one of many volunteers involved with Belev Echad (“One Heart”), a program now in its fifth year that brings wounded Israeli Defense Force soldiers and victims of terror on a 10-day trip chock-full of sightseeing and interaction with the New York Jewish community.

This year’s schedule, which runs this year from May 11 to May 20, entails a helicopter tour around Manhattan, a chance to meet the New York Yankees, tickets to a Broadway musical and a ride to Bear Mountain on specialized motorbikes.

Also on the itinerary is Shabbat dinner for 500 people; a visit to the Ohel, the resting place of the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—and his father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe—Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory; and a meeting with Consul General of Israel Ido Aharoni.

Belev Echad is run by the Chabad Israel Center of the Upper East Side in concert with the Chabad Terror Victims Project in Israel, which selects the participants.

The group travels by bus to different Jewish communities. (Photo: Bentzi Sasson)

“Everyone in my family was in the Israeli army,” said Bank-Plotkin, whose parents are Israeli and who was raised mostly in Queens, N.Y. “I didn’t have to serve. This is just another way to give back. We need to do whatever is possible for them. They are doing everything for Jews all over the world. They are protecting Israel for Jews all over the world.”

‘The Greatest Therapy’

The program was the brainchild of Rabbi Uriel and Shevy Vigler, co-directors of the Chabad Israel Center, which is situated on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and caters mostly to Israelis living in New York.

Part of the idea, according to Rabbi Vigler, is to provide Israelis who have suffered severe physical and emotional—many of whom are still in rehabilitation programs—with an active and enjoyable New York experience that offers a welcome distraction from their daily struggles.

But what separates Belev Echad from other programs that offer getaways to wounded soldiers, continued Vigler, are the extended interactions that take place between the participants and members of the Chabad center. Moreover, the Viglers’ own community gains an understanding of the IDF that goes far beyond news headlines.

“This is love therapy. When the community embraces the soldiers, that is the greatest therapy,” said Vigler, who was born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. He pointed out that an Israeli psychiatrist will be traveling with the group to study the effects of the trip.

The program provides therapy for the visitors' minds, bodies and souls. (Photo: Bentzi Sasson)

Bank-Plotkin said that in addition to scheduled events, members of the community can actually hop on the bus and spend the day with soldiers. Last year, she brought her now 4-year-old son along. And her family later visited with some of the same soldiers in Israel. With a three-week old daughter at home, she doesn’t think she’ll tag along this time around; however, she and her husband, Gabriel, plan to host the 10 male soldiers in their apartment for breakfast. (Belev Echad has run one previous trip for women and plans to do so every three years.)

“It actually does so much for them,” said Bank-Plotkin. “Israelis love New York. The experience here is amazing. A lot of them have such physical injuries and do everything despite them.”

Vigler noted that some of the soldiers are confined to wheelchairs. Many require a full-time aid to travel to the States. But the logistical difficulties, he said, are surmountable—and well worth it.

A highlight of the trip will be seeing a Broadway show and the nightlife in Times Square. Also on the schedule this year: a helicopter tour around Manhattan, a chance to meet the New York Yankees and a visit to nearby Bear Mountain. (Photo: Bentzi Sasson)

This year, for the first time, Belev Echad is bringing a non-Jewish soldier to New York. Zohar Ganam, 22, is a member of Israel’s Druze community. In June of 2013, he was pursuing a terrorism suspect outside Ramallah. While in pursuit, a wall collapsed beneath him, and he suffered several broken vertebrae and paralysis. Ganam and the other participants will be sharing their stories at various points throughout the program.

Chabad, emphasized Vigler, honors all who serve and defend Israel, whether they are Jewish or not.