By: Nativia Bühler

Last June, an Iranian missile hit a school in Bnei Brak next to ALEH’s center for disabled children. The blast wave tore through the surrounding buildings. Windows were blown out and walls buckled. Inside the ALEH center, the force of the blast caused widespread destruction, including to special medical equipment used to treat and care for some of Israel’s most severely handicapped youngsters.

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has been assisting the ALEH center in Bnei Brak in recent years, including our donation of a customised ambulance needed to take the children to medical check-ups in area hospitals. Read our previous report here.

At the time of the missile strike, there were just seven weeks left in the school year for Israeli children. For the 300 children in the ALEH center, and another 100 residents in adjoining residential facilities, there was no where else to go. These are some of Israel’s most vulnerable children, living with complex disabilities, and totally dependent on round-the-clock medical and therapeutic care.

Within days, staff removed everything from the lower floors and relocated operations into underground protected areas before the twelve-day war with Iran finally ended last June. After hard work and perseverance, there was minimal disturbance, and by July and August, the children were once again receiving care and therapy. Under pressure in temporary settings, the team kept going. This is the spirit of Israel, not allowing terror or fear to stop them from their humane tasks.

This resilience reflects a much larger reality in Israel today. According to national data, over 1.7 million people in Israel live with some form of disability, nearly 18% of the population. This includes thousands of children who require specialised educational and residential frameworks, and demand continues to grow. In times of war, their vulnerability is compounded, as accessible shelters, protective spaces, and adapted equipment are often limited, placing significant strains on families and care centers like ALEH.

Thanks to government assistance and faithful donor partners like the ICEJ, restoration at ALEH moved forward at remarkable speed. By September 1, just weeks after the strike, children were already returning to restored classrooms.

Today, the school is 90% rebuilt. Walking through the center, you would not know it had been hit. The halls are bright again. The rooms are restored. For the recent Purim festival, the children decorated the building based on beloved storybooks.

Approximately 20% of the rebuilding investment went toward replacing and upgrading critical therapeutic and medical equipment. Through the ICEJ’s support, ALEH received:

• 11 hospital beds
• 5 therapeutic bathing beds
• A patient lift system

These are not small items. And they transform the daily lives of these children.

“The new bathing beds are terrific, it makes life so much easier,” said an ALEH caregiver.

For children who require full assistance with mobility and hygiene, such equipment ensures dignity and safety. The patient lift allows children to move securely between bed, bath and therapy. These are simple acts most of us take for granted, but here they require specialised tools.

The equipment is already in daily use. After the trauma of the missile strike, seeing the children benefit from these upgrades is deeply moving.

An ALEH representative wrote us that: “We were so happy to have the opportunity to show you firsthand the restoration of our center following the missile strike, and to share the incredible impact the equipment you donated is already having on our children’s lives. We are deeply proud and grateful to have such dedicated friends by our side.”

ALEH is also constructing a dedicated facility for young adults aged 21 and over. In Israel, many individuals with severe disabilities must leave normal educational frameworks at 21, with limited solutions available. ALEH is working to change that reality, ensuring lifelong care. Their long-term vision includes a 16-floor visionary residential tower in Ramla, an answer to the growing national need.

Most of ALEH’s staff have served for years, some even for decades. Their dedication carried the children through those first chaotic days after the rocket blast. Destroyed buildings stood nearby, yet inside, caregivers were already adapting spaces and restoring routine.

There are still many needs at the ALEH center, and the current work is not finished. But the center is alive, operational, and moving forward on solid ground.

The remaining needs include:

• 8 Therapeutic Bathing Beds
• 8 Ceiling-Mounted Patient Lifts
• 6 Eye-Gaze Communication Systems
• 15 Therapeutic iPads with specialised software

“Through friends like you, what was shattered has been restored. And what was shaken now stands stronger than before,” assured our ALEH contact.

Your support of our Israel in Crisis fund helps us to meet the urgent needs of Israel’s most vulnerable during this time of war and difficulty for so many. Please give today at: help.icej.org/crisis

Photos: Courtesy of ALEH. Child’s face blurred in accordance with Israeli law.