Eleven local shuls joined JNF and Daily Giving in sponsoring an evening of inspiration featuring IDF Major Or Maatuk. After sustaining life-threatening injuries while leading his Givati troops in Gaza, Maatuk was airlifted to the ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran facility, where he was treated for over eight months. Through state-of-the-art medical treatment and technology, the some 100 shards of shrapnel that had invaded his body and caused severe damage to his vital organs were mostly removed. Close to 85% recovered, Maatuk, wife Hodaya and adorable 3-year-old Yaeli left the facility only last week to begin their travels abroad to inform international audiences about the horrific events of October 7 and his miraculous recovery through the skilled care he received at ADI.
Introducing the program held on Tuesday evening at Beth Abraham was Dr. Shilo Kramer, native American who made aliyah four years ago and now serves as the director of orthopedic rehabilitation at ADI Negev. The inspiration for the evening came from Debbie and Michael Blumenthal of Englewood. Michael had witnessed the superior facilities and services of the ADI Negev facilities firsthand on his second mission to Israel, and felt that they should be brought to the attention of American audiences. Partnering with JNF represented by Rachel Kahn, the evening was coordinated byTeaneck resident Rina Mogul, who had served as a volunteer at ADI in her capacity as an occupational therapist. Among those in attendance were other volunteers who had spent up to two weeks in Israel through programs sponsored by JNF.
In 2005, Doron Almog, now serving as the head of the Jewish Agency, helped found ADI Negev, the first facility in the Negev to treat children and adults with special needs, which included his own son Eran. In June 2022, the newly expanded state-of-the-art facility was dedicated by then Prime Minister Naftali Bennet. Housing a 72-bed hospital with the capacity to treat 83 patients, the facility was the first to service 20% of the Israeli population that resides in the Negev and comprises 60% of the Israeli geography.
The hospital was designed by the Israeli architect of the Supreme Court and has the elegance of a five-star hotel. Among its facilities, the ADI hospital includes two orthopedic wards with 40 beds each, hydrotherapy pools, ceiling harnassing and more state-of-the-art therapy equipment. The modern shul, which functions 365 days a year, was built with a hydraulic bima to accommodate the needs of the daveners. The hospital is housed in the midst of an entire village, which hosts a petting zoo, safari, and gyms featuring the most up-to-date equipment. In addition to its extensive physical therapy offerings, ADI offers full-service mental and cognitive therapies, with skilled psychologists and social workers.
When Maatuk was flown to ADI he was suffering severe physical injuries compounded by extreme trauma. As a career soldier having served in the IDF for 12 years, he was scheduled to command a 700-man Givati brigade on October 8. Needless to say, when called into action on October 7, he headed South to Kfar Aza with his brigade commander, where he manned the only namer, specialized Givati tank, to enter the area. For three days they took direct hits until they reached a Hamas base. Throughout this time he protected his fellow tankists with half of his body outside the tank. When hit directly by an RPG, Maatuk fell back into the tank bleeding profusely with about 100 pieces of shrapnel lodged in his body. Airlifted to Sheba Hospital, where after five days he did not wake up, he was taken to ADI to be treated for a traumatic brain injury. After eight months of many surgeries and extremely intense physical and emotional therapy, he has returned to 85% of his former abilities. His goal is to return to his role as a major in Givati, the position he was to assume on October 8. He is scheduled to return to Israel in three weeks and assume the training of hundreds of new troops.
An anecdote that Maatuk likes to share occurred early on in his treatment when he was still unresponsive. His wife, Hodaya, placed a cell phone to his ear with a message that little Yaeli had recorded. “Abba, I love you and want you to come home to me soon. And don’t forget to bring me a chocolate egg like you always do.” Her message went viral and shortly afterwards, Maatuk’s hospital room filled up with hundreds of chocolate eggs!
Or Maatuk concluded with a powerful message to the community. “My service to Israel and the IDF is my life. I was well aware of the risks to my life when going in. After the miraculous treatment I received at ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran I realized that these services should be available to the hundreds of courageous soldiers currently serving in the South of Israel. I urge your community and communities throughout the U.S. to donate generously to this ‘jewel’ of a medical community so that it can share its expertise with those bravely defending our nation.”
To donate to ADI go to https://adi-il.org/donate-rerhab/. To learn about the many programs of JNF go to jnf.org
