Sabine Sterk – Wow-Special in Uniform
Wow… thinking of a title of this blog I can only come up with a three letter word WOW. Yesterday we were at an event about the fantastic project “Special in uniform.” Starring Lt.Col. Tiran Attia and Eli Mandelbaum (Journalist).
Lt. Col. Tiran Attia
The Army especially is known all-over the world as a masculine, macho society where there is not a lot of place for emotions, feelings and moral standards. However, not in Israel, not the IDF. Tiran started with the event that turned his point of view, that turned his life. From a rather cold “military” opinion, he transformed into a human with a dedication towards other humans, to people with special needs…
He told that he got severely injured in an explosion during the second Lebanon war. He was paralyzed from the neck down and didn’t want to live anymore. He tried to stop treatment and didn’t want to eat or drink. While being in this situation of devastation a group of people with special needs came to visit him and one of them, a girl, took his arm, touched him and tried to make him feel something. Although he didn’t answer, he felt her efforts and energy. When she left, she turned around and said to him “all will be okay.” Soon After he felt slow, slowly that the feeling in his body came back and three months, after a severe revalidation, he was back on his feet, with the help from Hashem.
He realized that Hashem created people like his image and who was he, Tiran, to tell that people with special needs are less than other people. He recognized every person, created as the image of Hashem, has his own abilities and talents and is useful. He decided to dedicate his life to this exceptional program.
Nowadays there are more than 400 soldiers with special needs and 250 more on the waiting list to enter the program. This program’s goal is to let them serve the country, to include them in the army society with the abilities & talents they have and help them to develop themselves into specialists on their own level and help them to enter the Israeli labor society after the army. The advantages are huge first the individual with special needs develops him/herself, which leads to more of significant self-esteem, more happiness. The family, friends, and neighbors are seeing the capabilities of these soldiers and ‘regular’ soldiers in the army can take them as a huge example that nothing in life you can take for granted and you have to fight for your happiness and quality of life.
Imagine how proud this young soldier, his family and his country can be ❤
Yesterday, I was touched and emotional. It runs into my mind… “how on earth people can hate Israel, hate the IDF”, this program is the ultimate proof how special this army and this country is. I am so proud of this and at the other hand, more flabbergasted about everlasting Israel- and Jewhatred around the world. Take an example of Israel, look into your heart and see the truth.
Am Yisrael Chai
This program needs a lot of money, you can always donate, email Tiran or go to the website: http://www.jnf.or
