“Even though I’ve been injured four times, I still want to serve my country in any way that I can.”
Yarin gains strength daily at Beit Halochem Tel Aviv.
In August 2015, First Sergeant Yarin Ashkenasi and his unit were posted near Ma’ale Levona for routine security patrols.
“An officer had wanted us to leave this outpost because there were children throwing rocks at us. We checked the other location and told him the alternative seemed more exposed and dangerous; we would rather stay where we were.”
“The next thing I remember is that three of us were standing at the side of the road and a white Honda Civic rammed into us at a very fast speed, throwing us into the air. We were an ‘easy’ target; the driver could hit us and move on to attack others. While our commander Elbaz was able to shoot the terrorist, my comrade was critically wounded. I suffered both a traumatic brain injury as well as a crushed knee.”
“Later I was told that the driver had an axe in the car with which he intended to carry out a terror attack at a nearby school.”
Only 21 years old, this was the fourth time Yarin had been injured during his military service. After graduating as a non-commissioned officer, he was involved in an accident. While serving in Operation Protective Edge, Yarin was attacked by a suspected terrorist’s family during a house search in Hebron. He was again wounded when an anti-tank missile hit the location in Gaza where his unit was stationed.
Thanks to Beit Halochem, despite his injuries, Yarin’s future is filled with promise and possibility. He spends most of his days at Beit Halochem in Tel Aviv. There he receives physiotherapy, works out in the Fitness Hall, and participates in sports and social programs. Yarin is active in the Young Disabled Veterans Club, where he enjoys the support and encouragement of others like him.