Scholarship award ceremonies were held in all of Beit Halochem Israel’s districts in December 2014. A total of $648,000 US was disbursed for 517 academic and art scholarships. Awarded individually, the scholarships either bear the donor’s name or the designated name of a loved one according to the donor’s wishes. Our scholarship fund is ongoing. Please call the office for more information or to arrange a personal scholarship fund.
Beit Halochem Jerusalem: Members of Beit Halochem Jerusalem’s Cycling Club placed first, second, and third at the Hand Bike race of the 2015 Jerusalem Marathon held on March 13th. All three winning cyclists are annual participants in our Courage in Motion Bike Ride, now in its 8th year!
Beit Halochem Tel Aviv: Gadi Yarkoni, who lost his eyesight in Lebanon 20 years ago while fighting terrorists, crossed the finish line at the Tiberias Marathon in 2:48:56 hours, a record time of which many sighted runners can only dream. Gadi, a competitor in the 2012 London Paralympic Games, is now training vigorously for the 2016 Rio Paralympics.
L-R: Major Gen. (Res.) Yoav Gallant, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, and Haim Bar, chairman of Beit Halochem Israel.
Israeli President Visits Beit Halochem Tel Aviv: Reuven Rivlin, the President of the State of Israel, was the guest of honour in September at an official ceremony marking the first National Day of Recognition of Israel’s Wounded Veterans and Victims of Terror, held at Beit Halochem Tel Aviv. Haim Bar, Chairman of Beit Halochem Israel, said: “Our sons and daughters who went into the army to fulfill their duty should be filled with confidence and faith…that if, G-d forbid, they are wounded or fall ill during their service, they are promised to be rehabilitated in the best possible way and will receive the best possible treatments…Beit Halochem Israel serves as the insurance policy, providing our children and grandchildren with a safety net of rehabilitation, values and social wellbeing if they are hurt during their service. It is the State of Israel’s obligation and it is our beacon, our way of life.”
Friends of ZDVO (Beit Halochem) Israel was inaugurated in November. Previously, all Friends Organizations (including Beit Halochem Canada, Aid to Disabled Veterans of Israel) raised funds outside of Israel. Now, Israelis support their own. Among their first initiatives, inspired by “Operation Protective Edge,” was the establishment of the “You and I” project, providing a network of social support for the spouses of wounded veterans.