We are excited to announce that, Shraga Eli Stern, who up until now lead the BFL Experience in Israel, just relocated to Chicago to become the associate director of the BFL Chicago region.
Shraga served as an officer in the IDF for eight years. In 2016 Shraga was stabbed in the chest by a Hamas terrorist as he stopped him from launching a terrorist attack. In his own words.
“My biggest takeaway from all my years of IDF service is that no person gets left behind. It was a strong gut instinct that led me to ask my team to stay and keep looking for the terrorist. Something I had learned from my officers in the IDF. During the ensuing fight, I sustained wounds to my lungs and honestly, I didn’t think I would live. My team stayed by my side and got me evacuated to the hospital where I began the slow process of recovery.
Years later by “chance” I met Dan Levitan, BFL Chairman, during a family visit to the US Dan connected me with Brothers for Life. I had been trying to recover on my own with many challenges. It was only after a band of brothers made sure I wasn’t “left behind,” that I really began to make progress. My BFL brothers have stayed with me every step of my journey.
Now it’s my turn to give back. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to come back to Chicago, my mother’s hometown, where she was born and raised before making Aliyah, and where I have roots and family. I’m excited to help build a BFL community here.
I’m proud to be a part of this remarkable organization. I am eagerly looking forward to meeting you, our Midwest partners, and supporters in the coming months. Thank you for everything you do for me, our Injured Israeli soldiers, Israel, and the Jewish people. Unfortunately, more soldiers are being injured every week, and even this morning I heard news that a soldier was stabbed. All of us feel it every time this happens, and we will be there for this new member for everything.
Shraga can be contacted at US Phone 773.560.9278 or email shraga@https://www.brothersforlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/pastedImagebase6418-1024×715-1-3.jpg.com.
From Israel Shabbat Shalom
Yaniv
PS After a long COVID hiatus, 2022 has allowed us to host soldier healing delegations again and the impact on our soldiers and communities has been overwhelming. This week we have the Johannesburg Delegation (September 1-9) and next week the Seattle Delegation (September 6-13). We would like to thank all of our BFL families for helping change the lives of our wounded soldiers. It is wonderful to be reunited again!
