An Israeli para athlete from Beit Halochem (Source: Beit Halochem UK)
Finding Purpose After Trauma: The Soldiers of Beit Halochem
By Randy Pinsky
The current war in Gaza and defending Israel against Iran and its proxies has resulted in thousands of injured soldiers in dire need of physical rehabilitation as well as emotional and psychological support. Organizations such as Beit Halochem (“House of Warriors”) have been there from the start to assist both medically, but also to give the veterans an alternative purpose in this renewed lease on life.
United in duty and recovery, they are truly Achim l’Chaim- Brothers for Life.
‘House of Warriors’
Beit Halochem was founded after the War of Independence in 1948 to address the needs of wounded soldiers as well as civilian victims of terror attacks through innovative rehabilitation and skill relearning. Since then, it has become a critical beacon of hope, offering top-of-the-line medical and individualized therapeutic treatments to its 60,000 members.
The organization is motivated by the need to “help our heroes rebuild their lives…and excel in living fully.”
Through adapted sports and activities, newly disabled individuals find a new purpose in life, regaining the capabilities they had lost, and alternative life paths.
Overwhelming the System
The intensity of the Israel-Hamas war has resulted in an enormous influx of injured and wounded soldiers, flooding the Beit Halochem centers. Whereas previously, they integrated around 300-500 individuals a year, there have been close to 15,000 new patrons since Oct 7, 2023. Two-thirds are reservists who left civilian life to don military uniforms. Many are admitted with limb disabilities, internal and spinal injuries, as well as ear, eye and head wounds.
In order to address the burgeoning need, the organization is in the process of building a fifth center in Ashdod to work in conjunction with those already established in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Be’er Sheva and Haifa.
Beit Halochem has become a critical second home for disabled soldiers and their families. Through a comprehensive program, they work on physical, mental - and personal - rehabilitation.
At the forefront of innovative forms of therapy, hydrotherapy and specialized post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling, Beit Halochem is determined to provide its clients with the means by which to “regain the dignity and quality of life they deserve.”
Recognizing the need to build a community of healing for sustainable recovery as well as the impact on spouses and family members, Beit Halochem also has an ‘Iron Mothers’ program. Caregivers learn how to understand trauma, find their role in the veterans’ rehabilitation process, as well as develop emotional resilience for supportive home environments.
“With Help From Beit Halochem, I Understood That Life Goes On” (testimony from a soldier)
Adapted sports are one of the most popular therapies at Beit Halochem. Beyond being a critical rehabilitation tool, athletic endeavors provide veterans with goals that address their need for competitiveness. Through team sports, many regain an ambition, something to occupy their troubled minds, and gives them fresh hope for a new purpose in life.
Sports can also be “an effective means to foster positive health and well-being, social inclusion and community building for people with a disability.” In fact, several veterans have gone on to garner international renown for Israel in adapted sports, demonstrating how the impossible can be realized.
“Sport is the One Thing That Can Save You” (quote by a soldier)
Recognizing the healing power of sports as well as the need for competition, the Israel Sports Association for the Disabled and the Bazan Group launched the ‘Beyond Limits’ program to train veterans for the Paralympics. While in rehab centers, they are introduced to adaptive sports, demonstrating the wide range of possibilities open to them. The focus on acquiring new skills and capacities is crucial for those struggling with the initial coming to terms with their new reality period, particularly for those with amputations or loss of function.
The organization is inspired by the “moral obligation to stand by those who choose to rise, lead and represent the best of the Israeli spirit.”
While the journey is long and arduous, veterans such as Ido Kander know firsthand the healing power of sport.
Severely wounded when he and other members of the 551st Brigade’s 697th Battalion approached a booby-trapped tunnel in Gaza, Kander reflected, “Sport is the one thing that can save you.” This idea was reinforced by Israel Paralympic Chair and Committee Chair Moshe Matalon who said, “Sport really helped my physical rehabilitation, my mental rehabilitation, my self-image, and my [feelings of] self-worth.”
“A Triumph of Body and Spirit”
Israel has always been a “Paralympic powerhouse” since the Games were launched in 1960, with para athletes being wounded soldiers and polio survivors. In their heyday of 1976, they “raked in a whopping 69 medals” at the Toronto Paralympics, followed by 46 in 1980.
In anticipation of the 2028 Summer Games, Israel’s Paralympic Committee spearheaded a project informally called ‘From Gaza to LA’, exemplifying triumph over adversity.
At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Israeli athletes[1] brought home 10 medals in mixed rowing, swimming, taekwondo, and goalball (played by blind players). The symbolic complement to the seven brought home during the Olympics, eerily the numerical date of October 7th (10/7), was not lost on anyone and reinforced the power of strength and resilience in the face of enormous challenges.
In fact, the flag bearer for Israel for the Paralympics was a survivor of the October 7 attacks; an incredibly powerful statement.
Different- But Still Unbeatable
In addition to the Paralympics, veterans from Beit Halochem took part in the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, all the more symbolic given the past grueling year and a half.
As stated on the organization’s site, “invictus means unconquered. The term embodies the fighting spirit of the participating men and women, as well as their motivation to move with their lives, to gain a new place in life, and to not let themselves be defined by the trauma they have suffered.”
Although the Israeli rehabilitation system is overwhelmed by the huge influx of need and there is criticism by centers such as the Zahal Disabled Veterans Organization that not enough is being done, groups like Brothers for Life (Achim L’Chaim) ensure that wounded soldiers will never be alone.[2]
Together, hopelessness can be transformed into hope.
Together, they can find new purpose and a reason to live.
[1] A delegation that represents Israel’s diverse society, made up of Jews, Muslims and Druze, and with equal male and female representation.
[2] “There is no other country that has this for its disabled veterans,” said Ora Seidner of the Zahal Disabled Veterans Fund. “We’ve had American vets visit us and cry [from envy] when they see how committed we are to the long-term rehabilitation for our men and women.”
