Dear Friends,
There is a group of BFL brothers that stands out as the true miracles of our organization. They are those soldiers who were injured so severely that their doctors thought they would not survive. But by their unbroken spirit, and the love and dedication of our BFL brothers, they thankfully prove their doctors wrong.
Most of these wounded soldiers can’t leave their homes by themselves and require a great deal of support. As part of our BFL Scholarship program over 70 soldiers dedicate over 3,700 volunteer hours annually to help these brothers reclaim their lives. We are deeply honored to dedicate these volunteer ours to the memory of our beloved Sponsor and mentor, Mr. Eric Samson ZT’L, who inspired Jews around the world to give of their hearts to those in need.
One of the most seriously injured soldiers among our members is Yehuda HaIsraeli.
Yehuda, Givati Brigade
Yehuda served in the Givati Brigade. When Operation Protective Edge broke out Yehuda had been on his way home for a short vacation but turned around and rejoined his unit. He was sent to Rafah to help rescue Lieutenant Hadar Goldin who had been kidnapped by terrorists. During the operation, Yehuda was hit in the head by shrapnel from a rocket. For two months he underwent a series of surgeries in an effort to save his life. Miraculously, Yehuda survived and continues to rebuild his life. David Cohen, one of our scholarship recipients, is one of the volunteers who works with Yehuda:
“In the first few meetings, I had many concerns. Yehuda’s trauma was severe, and he was unsure about what he wanted from me. Initially, he didn’t cooperate very much. But BFL volunteers have a combat soldier mentality; we will NEVER give up on our brothers. Yehuda and I went for walks, dipped in springs, studied prayers, and talked about life together. We got to know each other, and are now Achim L’Chaim!
“Yehuda turned 30 this month and in honor of his birthday, Maor, Elad, Yehuda, and I all went on an ATV ride and had dinner together at a restaurant. He was so happy! His happiness was the greatest gift he could give us.”
Happy Birthday Yehuda
David, Yehuda, Elad and Maor enjoying an AV ride
“I was honored to receive a phone call from Yehuda on Rosh Hashanah who called to wish me Shana Tova. On his birthday when I wished him Mazal Tov he replied, “I love you.” I felt just as excited as when my daughter tells me “I love you daddy.”
When I think of Yehuda, I remind myself that as a Jew every day begins with a night followed by a day. I don’t think this is accidental. I believe God created the day to follow the night to show us that there is always hope and something to live for. I am eternally grateful to you and our extended BLF family who help us bring the light of hope to brothers struggling through darkness.
In gratitude,
Yaniv
PS: This week we have flown 3 brothers, Avraham Kaneti, Yonathan Aharoni, and Omer Levit to the Hanger Clinic in Gig Harbor, Washington to get state-of-the-art ExoSym™ prosthetic braces. The ExoSym™ brace allows veterans with severely limited mobility to walk independently again and in many cases even run. For the next 2-weeks, they will be fitted with braces, given prosthetic support and optimization training.
