Israel is the land of opportunity in every sense. Its opportunities extend to tourists as well. We were the fortunate recipients of an opportunity to attend an inspiring event that took place at the Jerusalem Theater last week. At the invitation of our cousins from Karnei Shomron, formerly of Toronto, we attended the marking of the 10th anniversary of the partnership between AVIsrael and the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in providing services to individuals with hearing impairments. This partnership allows these people to be included as equals in the hearing world.
Our cousins Josie and Nathan Eisner (whom some of you may know from Moshava Canada) made aliyah in 1990 with their three children: Uri, 16; Chaya, 14; and Amnon, 10. Chaya and Amnon were born with profound hearing loss but, because of the proactivity of their devoted and creative parents, upon their arrival in Israel they were immediately mainstreamed into the Israeli educational system.
In Toronto, the Eisners had discovered the Auditory-Verbal approach for the hearing deficient and, through a great deal of lobbying and networking, were able to bring the system to the local day schools that their children attended. Thus at ages 14 and 10, Chaya and Amnon were fully mainstreamed and speaking as well as their Israeli classmates. Today, Chaya, 42, is a mother of seven, including one set of triplets and one set of twins. She and husband Tuvia reside in Karnei Shomron. Chaya was trained as a special educator and currently works as a family therapist. Amnon, now 38, is a married father of three, resides in Karnei Shomron and works as a building contractor. Both Chaya and Amnon are recipients of cochlear implants but only as of a few years ago. Their successful integration into Israeli society is the result of their early training in the AV system.
When Josie Eisner arrived in Israel, she was determined to introduce the Israeli medical profession to the AV system, which had worked so miraculously for her own children. Through networking, she connected with a former Torontonian, Elaine Matlow, herself a mother of twin daughters born with hearing loss. Together they banged on doors to have the AV system recognized as an alternative therapy to those being offered. Currently known as Ayala Matlow Tal-El, Matlow serves as the executive director of AVIsrael, whose headquarters are located in the Yad Sarah building in Jerusalem. The Eisners as well as their extended family continue to work tirelessly on behalf of the organization.
The gala event held last week marked the celebration of 10 years of a successful partnership between AVIsrael and Shaare Zedek Medical Center. The collaboration began when Dr. Roni Peretz returned from his sabbatical in the US, where he had seen the successful results of the AV system. He presented his findings to the Shaare Zedek director general, Professor Jonathan Halevi, who agreed to incorporate the methodology into their hearing center. Today Shaare Zedek offers therapeutic services to children with cochlear implants within the hospital as well as at sites throughout the country. Latest estimates show that the partnership between AVIsrael and Shaare Zedek treats over 700 patients per year.
The results speak for themselves. According to recently published research conducted by the National Insurance Institute and the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services, the success rate of completing Israel’s matriculation exams, bagruyot, among AVIsrael graduates is double that of hearing impaired graduates of other rehabilitation programs that do not include AV treatment—and significantly higher than the national average for all students.
“These exciting results support AVIsrael’s vision for young people with hearing loss to attend regular educational frameworks, pursue their dreams and fulfill their potentials. As a result of their AV education, youngsters with hearing loss can effectively contribute to society as independent and equal individuals.”
Included among the attendees at the evening were young people who are former and current recipients of the AV system, along with their grateful parents. They range in age from kindergartners to college students. Seeing them interact confidently and fluently with each other and the adults around them was inspiring.
The articulate emcee of the evening was Shachar Weinfeld, 25, one of the earliest cochlear implant recipients to be rehabilitated through the AVIsrael-Shaare Zedek collaboration. Currently he is a second-year student at IDC in Herzliyah pursuing a BA in law and government. At 7 months old, Shachar contracted meningitis, which resulted in his loss of hearing. Now the recipient of two cochlear implants and extensive rehabilitation therapies through AVIsrael, he is a fully functioning citizen. “My dream is to have a family and see my aspirations come true, to discover the world and enjoy every minute,” Weinfeld noted.
To learn more about AVIsrael and the joint program with Shaare Zedek Medicial Center visit [email protected]. To donate go to jgive/avisrael.
By Pearl Markovitz
