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Israel's national PTSD centre for Israeli veterans and victims of terror, Ashdod, Israel (Credit: Beit Halochem UK)[Missing Credit]
The Ashdod centre will immediately begin serving approximately 10,000 wounded veterans, including more than 3,000 suffering from war and terror-related PTSD.
Alongside PTSD care, the centre, which is spread across several acres, will also offer specialist physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, psychological counselling, sports, fitness and water sports facilities.
The opening of the Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein Soldiers’ Home – named after the founder of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews – is the culmination of years of fundraising, planning, and construction.
Addressing guests on the day, Herzog said Israel would “never be able to repay the profound debt we owe you and your families. But here today, we offer our deepest and most genuine support to those who fought for our lives and who must now reclaim their own lives and rebuild them.
“This is the promise of Beit Halochem. This is how we rebuild Israel, one brick at a time.”
A sports court in Beit Halochem's fifth centre in Ashdod, Israel (Credit: Beit Halochem UK)[Missing Credit]
Chief executive of Beit Halochem UK, Spencer Gelding, reflected on the event: “After years of fundraising and hard work, the dream has finally become a reality.
“Standing alongside so many of our brave veterans was incredibly emotional. Knowing what this centre will mean for their rehabilitation, their families and their futures made every bit of effort worthwhile.
“None of this would have been possible without our trustees, our incredibly generous donors and the dedicated staff at Beit Halochem in Israel.”
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks during the opening ceremony of Beit Halochem's new PTSD centre, Ashdod, Israel (Credit: Beit Halochem UK)[Missing Credit]
Beit Halochem chair Edan Kleiman, who spoke to the JC a few months after October 7 about his remarkable family history and how he first got involved with the organisation, told guests during the ceremony: “An injury can happen in an instant. Rehabilitation is a journey that takes years and, sometimes, an entire lifetime. No one should have to embark on that journey alone.”
Beit Halochem is now supporting more than 72,000 wounded veterans and victims of terror across Israel, an increase of more than 20,000 since October 7 and the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.
