(Courtesy of Herzog Hospital) Last Thursday night, December 8, the Aronoff and Gdanski families of Englewood hosted a very special evening to raise awareness for Israeli children who are living on respirators at Herzog Medical Center in Jerusalem. The hospital is currently caring for 60 such children and adolescents while also treating an additional 180 adults on respiratory care. It is the largest respiratory care department in Israel.

The event’s theme was “Light Up a Child’s Life This Chanukah,” with the purpose of raising funds to purchase an Eyegaze device so that the nonverbal, ventilated children can use their eyes to communicate, play games and continue to learn at the on-campus school. Accredited by the Israeli Ministry of Education, this is the only school of its kind in the world. All children receive six days a week of education, with a curriculum tailored to each individual child, and based on their own intellectual capabilities.

In attendance was Dr. Yehezkel Caine, president of Herzog Medical Center (surgeon and former IDF Colonel, Israeli Air Force), who spoke about the important work the hospital is doing not only with children in their care, but with the other specialty departments that include: geriatric medicine and rehabilitation, mental health and psychotrauma, and brain science research.

This 450+ bed hospital, located at the entrance to Jerusalem at Givat Shaul, is the oldest hospital in Israel, and was the first mental health institution established in the Middle East in 1896. Originally called Ezrat Nashim, it was renamed Herzog Hospital in the 1980s in memory of Rabbanit Sarah Herzog, current President Isaac Herzog’s grandmother, who served as the hospital’s volunteer president for 40 years.

If you would like to learn more about Herzog Medical Center and contribute to the purchase of an Eyegaze machine for the Children’s Department please visit www.afherzoghospital.org.