A year and a half after its opening as part of the rapid response operation to receive war wounded, The Hadassah Women's Organization and Hadassah management officially inaugurated the new state-of-the-art rehabilitation center in Israel this evening.
The Gandel Rehabilitation Centre at Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital began receiving wounded from the war known as "Iron Swords" a year and a half ago, and hundreds of victims of the fighting and difficult events in the south and north of the country have been rehabilitated there.
This week, the center was officially opened in a moving ceremony attended by rehabilitated soldiers, the President of the State, the Prime Minister, the President of the Hadassah Women's Organization, the Chairman of the Hadassah Board of Directors, and the medical center's management and staff.
The center, whose construction was primarily funded by the Gendel family, originally from Australia, features a therapeutic pool with a modular floor that adapts to patients' needs, state-of-the-art patient lifts, computerized systems for measuring range of motion, and an advanced gait analysis laboratory.
These days, Hadassah decided to take a break from her intense work toexpress its gratitude to everyone who participated in the creation of the center.
During the event, the stories of several patients from the center were shared. With great determination and the support of the professional teams, they recovered from their injuries through remarkable rehabilitation and continued to strive with every step and movement to reintegrate into their lives.
The new center opened its doors thanks to a major fundraising campaign conducted by the Hadassah Women's Organization and Hadassah International. This national project originated with Dalia Itzik, Chairwoman of the Hadassah Board of Trustees and former Speaker of the Knesset, and was funded by the State of Israel. The center was named Gendel in honor of John and Pauline Gendel of Melbourne, Australia, who run the Gendel Foundation and are considered the center's largest donors in recent years. They made a multimillion-dollar donation—the largest the foundation has ever made to projects worldwide—which they dedicated to its creation.
President Yitzhak Herzog said: "The Gendel Rehabilitation Center offers the essential gift to every human being: hope. Hope to heal the soul and strengthen the body, hope for independence, hope to dream again, hope to achieve and realize their dreams.
During this long war, Michal and I visited countless wounded. Time and again, we saw helicopters land one after another, sometimes almost without pause, bringing heroes in olive-green uniforms, heroes bearing the Hadassah logo. And here we saw how, in an instant, Hadassah medical teams transformed into elite units fighting for the lives of combatants. Here at Hadassah, skilled hands, generational experience, unwavering determination, and boundless wisdom joined forces with the finest professionals and the most loyal messengers of the healthcare system in the State of Israel.Dear friends, with your own hands, you are rebuilding the State and society in Israel." May the work of rebuilding that begins here bring healing and recovery to each of us, and to all of us together
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Hadassah Women’s World Organization, Dalia Itzik, Chair of the Hadassah Board of Trustees, Prof. Yoram Weiss, Director General of Hadassah Medical Center. Thank you for everything you do for Hadassah patients, with patience and discretion. I want to tell you: you are extraordinary. You have excellent doctors and you do magnificent work.
I came here at the beginning of the war, about two years ago, with a congressman from Florida. We toured the wards of the wounded, and it was very difficult. I have seen terrible things on the battlefield, but seeing these young heroes who had lost limbs and suffered serious injuries was moving. Seeing their courage, their indescribable hope… I had to hold back my emotions; it was a great inspiration to me.
Here at Hadassah, I have witnessed a level of medical commitment, meticulous care by the medical teams that is unparalleled in the world. The doctors here are the best professionals. The rehabilitation center that is…” “This building is much more than just a rehabilitation center.” This building, what we see here, is a building of hope and of the new world of tomorrow, and that is what I saw in the eyes of the wounded soldiers. I want to thank everyone at Hadassah for their work helping the wounded reintegrate into life.
Ms. Carol Ann Schwartz, President of the Hadassah Women’s World Organization: “We joined the national mission and inaugurated the Gandel Rehabilitation Center ahead of schedule, driven by a sense of calling to treat and rehabilitate the wounded. The mission we joined is far from over. Many of those being rehabilitated face physical and mental challenges daily, and their struggle has lasted for months and even years. We are committed to continuing to support and assist them every step of the way.” The generosity that made the creation of the center possible reflects the trust and determination of Hadassah Women’s Organization members and supporters worldwide in Hadassah’s activities and mission. We will continue working for the heroes and heroines who risked their lives, in the long rehabilitation process they are undergoing, and for all people in Israel who need medical care and rehabilitation.
Ms. Dalia Itzik, Chairwoman of the Hadassah Board of Directors, stated: “Immediately after October 7, we all understood the magnitude of the situation and mobilized to bring forward the emergency opening of the rehabilitation center by a year and a half. Since then, thousands of people have received treatment at the center, including hundreds of soldiers and war victims.” Investment in infrastructure and equipment, along with intensive fundraising efforts, has made it possible—thanks to the extraordinary generosity of many people in Israel and around the world—to establish the most advanced rehabilitation system in the Middle East, for the benefit of those heroes and heroines who deserve to reintegrate into life stronger than ever. Hadassah Medical Center is a beacon of wisdom and knowledge, with exceptional teams and cutting-edge technologies. They all work together at the Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital and lead the field of rehabilitation in the State of Israel, for both soldiers and civilians.”
Professor Yoram Weiss, Director General of Hadassah Medical Center, stated: “For over a year and a half, the teams at the Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Mount Scopus have demonstrated their remarkable capacity for recovery and emotional and psychological support, with unwavering professionalism, humanity, and compassion. Every soldier or civilian who enters our rehabilitation system makes us their ally, and our Hadassah staff are by their side every step of the way, at every moment, and with every achievement, no matter how great. The Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Mount Scopus impresses everyone not only with its appearance and size but also with the essence and soul it embodies. It puts into practice the principles of mutual guarantee and Zionism, core values of Hadassah, and enables those undergoing rehabilitation to begin a new life strengthened and prepared for various challenges, accompanied on their return home with the same spirit of victory and determination.”Diplomacy.co.il congratulates The Hadassah Women's Organization and Hadassah management for this remarcable achievementPhotos Silvia G. GolanMore pics at Facebook: Israel Diplo / Diplomacy Israel / Silvia G.Golan
