How ALEH HaNegev Coped Under Fire

The innovative ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran rehabilitative village, located in Israel’s southern region, is a multi-faceted facility that provides severely disabled young adults the opportunity to live a rich and productive life within a safe environment. They were faced with extreme difficulties during the recent war in Gaza and their report of this period makes for compulsive reading. 
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Now that things have calmed down, even as we return to normal routine, we look back with pride at the way ALEH’s staff, administration, volunteers and friends all came together during Operation Protective Edge.

Here are a few highlights of the past few weeks:

Over 230 ALEH residents, all with intellectual and developmental disabilities, were living in shelters for over 6 weeks.

Over 140 rockets were fired at the Ofakim area, where ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran is located.  Three rockets landed within the village itself – the last one half an hour before the final ceasefire went into effect.

National Service girls moved into the village, making themselves available 24/7 to help during a siren and to run various activities within the shelters.  ALEH Jerusalem’s dedicated National Service Girls also began sleeping in the facility, serving as staff reinforcement at night in case of siren warnings.

Staff attendance remained at nearly 100%.  Everyone – from caregivers to paramedical staff and maintenance workers -- continued to come to work, despite the fear and danger, demonstrating a remarkable sense of responsibility and commitment.

Residents were treated to special activities by professional entertainers at least 3 times a week, bringing joy and laughter to the crowded shelters – clown shows, music and movement fun, puppet and theater etc.

ALEH’s Special Education Schools opened their doors daily throughout this time, both for residents and for the attending community children.

Despite the rockets, ALEH Bnei Brak accepted more children.  A 3-month old infant was just welcomed into Aleh Bnei Brak's Infant Ward for as long as necessary.  She was transferred from the Barzilai Medical Center in the south, where she had been in an underground reinforced shelter together with all the other hospital patients.   Another 3 children from the rocket-ridden communities in Ashdod and Tifrach have joined Aleh Bnei Brak's special education school….   
Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran’s outpatient Rehabilitation Center was open throughout this period. Therapists came to work daily to serve the patients who braved the trip to the village in order to continue the treatment and therapies so vital to their rehabilitation.

A Day Camp for children of staff members was opened at ALEH Negev-Nahalat Eran.  Some 35 children whose parents are caregivers, secretaries, school assistants and maintenance workers attended the daily day camp, where they were close to their parents in a safe environment.  The camp was staffed by parents and volunteers from all over Israel.

Workers received ongoing emotional support from the ALEH’s social worker staff and psychologists.  They were also treated to medical massages, hot meals and various incentives during their shifts, activities and special shows from some of Israel’s famous entertainers.  We plan to treat them to a day of recreation as a gesture of appreciation for their dedication during this critical time.

While dealing with the immediate day-to-day ramifications of the war, we must also plan for the short and long-term future.  It is clear that there is a lack of extant resources and an urgent need for more comprehensive medical, paramedical and rehabilitative services in the Negev/southern region.  To that end, a Rehabilitation Hospital is being planned onsite at Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran, to respond to the hundreds of residents of the Negev region who will require in-patient rehabilitation. 

Another Rocket Hits Aleh Negev

Aleh Hanegev is a center based in the Negev taking care of severely disabled children. I have visited there and seen the wonderful conditions and the staff.

With a war in Gaza and the indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas, who knows where they will land. Consequently at the Aleh center, special precautions have to be taken. read and account of how they deal with a code red alert of an incoming missile.

Another Rocket Hits Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran! Damage caused to property, but residents & staff are safe

Jul 20, 2014

“Only after I saw that all the residents were ok and that no one was hurt was I able to breathe a sigh of relief.  When the piercing sound of the siren blared, we didn’t have time to think about ourselves – our immediate concern was the residents.  The minute I closed the door of the safe room, we heard a deafening boom – the whole house shook from the impact.  Most of the residents were sleeping when it happened; amazingly, despite the commotion, they managed to sleep safely on…”

-- Eyal Hyosub, in charge of the overnight shift at Bet Shachar-one of the Residence Houses at Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran

Timeline:  Thursday night – Friday    

July 17-18

1:00 a.m.

A barrage of rockets cleave the skies over Ofakim and the neighboring area – including the Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village for the Disabled.

A rocket falls directly inside the Village.  Shards and shrapnel scatter widely – hitting Bet Shachar.  Damage is sustained, with windows shattered and property destroyed.

Miraculously – and also through careful adherence to the rules and regulations laid out by Home Front Command –residents and staff are unhurt.

The windows shattered only in rooms that were empty at the time. 

Eran Hyosub, the shift manager, and Galia Ezekiel, the young woman volunteering at ALEH Negev as part of her National Service, were two of the staff members on duty that evening who had to make sure the residents were safely in the shelter.

The Home Front Command has advised the management of the village to keep all residents in the safe rooms around the clock for the duration of the operation. Only those who can walk or can be moved quickly inside are able to take a short trip outside with their caregivers, but they are not allowed to venture very far from the shelters. Every building on the premises has a safe area.

“But some of the residents are not willing to sleep in the shelters,” says Hyosub, “so when the siren went off, we had to rush them back inside as quickly as possible. Only after seeing all the residents were safe and sound, could we relax. While the siren sounds, we do not think about ourselves, but only think about the residents.

“As soon as I closed the door of the shelter, we heard a strong explosion. The house shook from the impact. Fortunately there were no casualties. Most of the residents were asleep at the time and didn’t hear anything.”

Even the Disabled are Under Attack

Aleh Hanegen is the village caring for Israel’s disabled. They are under attack from HAMAS


• In the past 24 hours, a rocket landed in the Safari Center of Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran and another rocket injured one of our workers in a direct hit to her car on her way to the night shift in the village.

• Residents have been sleeping in sheltered rooms in Aleh Negev and Aleh Moriah in Gedera, including highly-dependent residents requiring round-the-clock nursing care.

• Homeland Security and VIP officers visited the village to review safety measures in effect, while social workers provide ongoing support to staff.

• A Day Care center opened in Aleh Negev for children of workers. The children happily interacted with young residents from the hospital wing.

• Although school is officially closed; vocational programs and therapies are being held inside residences or sheltered rooms.

• Aleh Bnei Brak has taken in 2 disabled youngsters from the south of Israel; they are currently staying in the residence and attending the school on premises. The facility remains on high alert; all residents are moved quickly and efficiently into protected shelters when sirens sound.

• Evacuation procedures were practiced in Aleh Jerusalem after the code red alarm sounded on Friday night. A dedicated team of volunteers signed up to sleep in the residences every night.

• In addition to absorbing disabled people from the southern region who lack shelters in their own homes, Aleh Negev is currently caring for a Thai man who was injured in a previous rocket attack near the Kissufim Crossing. During every siren, staff provide him with lots of emotional and physical support.

The staff and volunteers at all of Aleh’s facilities have been exemplary in their dedication, performing their jobs under fire. They are on duty round the clock, putting their lives on hold to ensure the safety of residents and preserve an air of normalcy and calm

iPADS at ALEH - MORE THAN SIMPLE ENTERTAINMENT

The Aleh Hanegev center http://www.aleh.org/eng/ deals with the community of disabled children and young adults.

The following story relates how the new technologies are creating opportunities for development.

When Gila brought her iPad to work, she never dreamed what the ramifications would be for Einat, a special-needs resident at Aleh Moriah. But this amazing gadget is now providing Einat and her friends with an entirely new window of opportunity for development and communication!

Gila, an occupational therapist, had downloaded a picture application onto her iPad for her own young daughter. She decided to show it to Einat, in the hopes of provoking a reaction. Einat had never shown much motivation, or demonstrated any ability or understanding of colors and shapes, so Gila was amazed when Einat was able to ‘copy’ a picture of a house – down to the exact roof and number of windows.

What made the moment more significant – Gila sent the picture to Einat’s father via email on the iPad, and Einat’s father was able to express his joy and pride on the spot, directly through Skype! Since that breakthrough moment, Einat has been able to communicate regularly with her parents in Tzfat (northern Israel), sending them photos and video messages in real time. Because they are located so far away, Einat’s parents could only travel to see her occasionally; with this newfound way of interacting via iPad the family connection has grown much stronger – and Einat has simply blossomed!

Because iPads work with a simple touch screen, even the most disabled people are able to use the specialized applications and games. But beyond providing entertainment, the iPads have helped our residents uncover hidden abilities! They have shown themselves capable of drawing, interacting, choosing music, actively participating in cognitive skills-building, and independently engaging in sensory stimulation – all things they would not have been able to do otherwise.

From Slavery to Freedom

I have written in the past about the village at Aleh Hanegev http://www.aleh.org/eng/ that deals with a person's disabilities in its many forms. The story below is really inspiring and is well worth reading to the end

Dvir, a resident of Ashkelon, was diagnosed as severely cognitively disabled at birth. Coupled with cerebral palsy and severe motor disabilities, he was considered very low-functioning, and his weak control over the muscles in his mouth made it impossible to understand him when he spoke. Unfortunately, repeated failures while trying communication boards led to his refusal to use them as an alternative means of communication.

At age 22 his parents brought him to live in Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran, a groundbreaking rehabilitative village for children and adults with severe physical and cognitive disabilities. Aleh Negev is home to over 130 disabled residents, most of whom are diagnosed with medium to severe cognitive disabilities and who cannot speak at all.

“From the moment I met Dvir, it was clear that he was different,” says Masada Sekely, Director of the village. That first indication occurred when Dvir was shown a picture of boat and asked to describe what he saw. Dvir answered that it was a canoe.

"We asked him, ‘How do you know that this is a canoe?’ relates Sekely. “He answered that he once went on a trip to the North, when he sailed in a canoe. This was a clear indication of his ability to remember,” she adds.

A year and a half ago one of the volunteers, a drama teacher, decided to teach Dvir to play a harmonica. Physically, it seemed to be impossible. “His mouth was always open,” says Inbar Lazar-Shapiro, Dvir’s social worker. But the volunteer refused to give up. He taught him how to purse his lips and blow, working with candles and learning to blow them out. They moved onto the harmonica, and with persistence, Dvir mastered the skill.

But the ongoing practice did something else as well: Dvir’s ability to speak improved drastically.

As soon as it became easier for people to understand what he was saying, Dvir began to share his feelings and thoughts with the therapy staff. His feelings revealed a rich inner world and an unimagined cognitive level. He told the staff that he wants to move to another home, where he can be with friends with whom he can speak. He put his thoughts into a letter that he asked his therapist to type for him:

Hello, everyone. I want to tell you how I feel. I don’t have any friends here who can speak…I feel lonely here in the village; I don’t have anyone to talk to and share things with besides for the workers…. I cry at night and think that I don’t have what to do here…I can’t talk to any other resident because they won’t understand me and they can’t answer me. I am not retarded and I think I am on a much higher level than the other people here. I hope you understand me. Dvir
Recently, Dvir was re-evaluated by the village professional staff and diagnosed as having light-to-medium cognitive disabilities. He understands everything that goes on around him, and despite his speech difficulties, he takes an active part in conversations. “There is a wide gap between his physical and cognitive abilities,” asserts Lazar-Shapiro.

A few months ago Israel’s Welfare Department Placement Committee convened to meet with Dvir and to discuss placing him in a different facility, with people more suited to his cognitive level. The Aleh Negev administration is in full agreement, and hopefully Dvir will soon move to a daycare center in Beer Sheva.

“There is no question that Dvir’s story is extremely unusual. You feel that you changed an entire world. You gave a person hope for a normal life. It will be very difficult for us to part from Dvir, but we know he will be in a place that is better for him,” conclude Sekely and Lazar-Shapiro. And Dvir says, “I think about moving all the time and I also dream about it at night.”

They wouldn’t give up on Nadji

I have written on previous occasions about the Aleh Hanegev village http://www.aleh.org/eng/index.asp that deals with chidten with many assorted handicaps. Hee is yet another success story well worth reading.

By Masada Sekely, Director - Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran

http://www.aleh.org/eng/news.asp?AID=472

People often think trees and water in connection with the Jewish National Fund. In fact, the organization supports much more, including Aleh Negev-Nahalat Eran rehabilitation village in southern Israel. This column is by its director Masada Sekely.

Nadji came to the Aleh Negev- Nahalat Eran rehabilitation village at the age of 5 months. He suffered from a number of medical problems, and his prospects looked bleak.

Nadji was small, underdeveloped and incredibly sweet. We refused to give up hope that he could have a better future.

When a new resident comes to the village, we make a point of setting aside all prior diagnoses and conclusions they have received from other places. Instead, we work to build a program for growth and development that is individualized for each resident’s capabilities. Like all of Aleh’s activities, this program is based on our belief that all children, regardless of the severity of their disabilities, have the right to benefit from the highest standard of professional care and to receive every opportunity to grow and develop to their fullest potential.

We tailored Nadji’s medical and therapeutic program to his specific needs. At the same time, we made sure that he could enjoy typical childhood experiences like games and outdoor trips.

Nadji’s development exceeded expectations, well beyond his initial prognosis. He began smiling and reacting to those around him, crawling and – after intensive work – even walking and running.

Even before his newfound freedom of movement, Nadji was hard to miss. The care and affection showered upon him by the staff crossed boundaries of religion and culture. We all marveled at the close connections forged between this Bedouin boy, who began to understand three languages (Hebrew, Arabic and Russian), and the diverse population of caregivers who treated him as if he were their own child.

Ruti, a volunteer who has been with Nadji from the very beginning, still makes sure to visit him several times a week. She always comes supplied with special home-cooked food, little gifts and, most importantly, unlimited stores of love.

One of Nadji’s development challenges has been his approach to food. For a very long time, he drank only from a bottle, refusing to eat in any other ways. This wasn’t surprising, considering that he was surrounded by other babies and toddlers who were fed through gastro tubes; in this environment, chewing and eating were not the norm.

The village includes a kindergarten for regular children from neighboring towns. In the morning, Nadji attends class alongside the other children. Nadji’s teacher made sure that he ate with the regular children at mealtimes. This way, he could see them eating in the usual manner and imitate their behavior. In just a few days, Nadji began to eat just like other boys.

Today, despite his initial disheartening diagnosis, Nadji is viewed as having regular cognitive abilities. It turns out that his developmental delays were not caused by the syndrome with which he was diagnosed at birth: cleidocranial dystosis, a disorder involving abnormal development of bones in the skull and clavicle area; in fact, they were a result of the fact that from the day he was born, he was placed within a population defined as ill or sick. We are thankful that we were able to make that distinction, and provide an environment in which Nadji was able to thrive.

Nadji still had to undergo a series of operations and rehabilitative procedures for his physical disabilities. Now, we are helping Nadji with his communication skills and the activities of everyday life. For the first time since he was born – Nadji will soon live at home with his family.