The longer we live in Israel, the more reasons John and I find to fall in love with this country. I always thought Americans were unparalleled in their giving….and they ARE! But the Israelis!!! For good reasons, native Israelis are called sabras, or cacti. The cactus is rough and prickly on the outside. If anyone has ever accidentally rubbed up against a cactus…ouch!! Watch out! But inside the flat green plates and the purple fruits is luscious juicy sweetness that just drips out. Israelis are much the same way: abrasive and tough on first encounter, but with hearts of pure gold. The entire story of Yad Sarah is a prime example. But first, a little backstory-
O.K. So I am now using crutches or walking sticks as my back, hips and knees are at the crumbling stage. No biggie. My crutches help when I really need them and absolutely nothing will stop me. When we were in Venice in October, I propped my crutches up on a balustrade over one of the canals to take the most gorgeous selfie of John and myself. And that’s when it happened. One of my rather expensive sticks slipped into the canal. It floated on the surface for about four seconds, as if it was waiting to see if my dear husband would jump in and rescue it – and then, glug glug glug, sunk down to the bottom of the Venetian canal.
Two weeks ago, I visited our local Yad Sarah. I’ve seen the signs pointing to their branches in various cities, and have heard many people talk about using their services, but never really paid much attention to this most amazing organization. Yad Sarah is a non-government, non-profit volunteer service. They have offices in almost every Israeli city, many Arab villages, and in the larger kibbutzim and moshavim.
In Jerusalem, 1976, a rabbi and high school teacher, Uri Lupolianskineeded a vaporizer for his sick child. He searched drug stores and medical supply stores throughout Jerusalem, eventually finding one to borrow from a neighbor who had immigrated from the States. Seeing an immediate need, with a large vision and a small amount of seed money, Lupolianski started Yad Sarah in memory of his Grandma Sarah who had died I the Shoah. He started by procuring and lending small home medical equipment to those in need: wheelchairs, crutches, vaporizers, oxygen tanks, etc.
Today, Yad Sarah is the largest volunteer organization in the country, with over 9,000 volunteers. It has grown exponentially over the past decades, allowing patients to rehab in home, thereby staying out of the hospital and long term care centers. Every one of two families has been helped by Yad Sarah in some way. The branches provide everything from hospital beds to apnea monitors; breast pumps to nebulizers; shower chairs, toilet lifts, and post-surgical walking boots. Lent for free to the poor, home bound and elderly, this saves the country over $350 million annually in medical costs.
As if this was not enough (Illu!), students do internships and residencies for university credit, helping in the fields of occupational and physical therapy, child development, gerontology, social services, psychological services, and even legal work. The larger Yad Sarah centers offer help in preparing advanced medical directives and wills. There are counselors who advise the elderly and poor on their medical rights and with contracts.
Professionally trained volunteers at many Yad Sarah centers work with children ages 3-12 who have developmental issues, autism, ADD and other problems. They offer art and music therapy and even provide parenting classes for free or a nominal cost. There are day centers I Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Renaana, and Netanya that service disabled and challenged of all ages. They offer everything from volunteer organized and staffed yoga, art, music, dance and exercise, and even horticulture classes. The various services offered are truly amazing! Complete courses in computer skills and basic programming are offered to the disabled so they can enter the workforce as well as interface online.
Some of the larger cities have Yad Sarah offshoots. Gil Zahav is one of them. In Hebrew, senior citizens are called Gil Zahav, or Golden Agers. Seeing the need for the expanding older population, Yad Sarah established centrally located spaces where the seniors can meet for classes and social events. There are lectures and activities, field trips planned, movies and concerts shown and beauty (hair, manicures) and light medical services (podiatry days, dermatology days) provided for very low cost. All Gil Zahav places offer light snacks and meals, some are even equipped with cafeterias.
Also available for the elderly are geriatric dental services. This even includes a mobile dentistry unit that travels to more out-of-the-way locations. Dentists and hygienists volunteer one day a month to keep this service running. Volunteers from Yad Sarah drive shuttles that are specially equipped for disabled. They provide rides to and from clinics, shopping centers and grocery stores and even airport shuttle services. There are also special programs for shuttling disabled tourists, everything being arranged in advanced from the main center in Jerusalem.
“Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!!!” If you are from the United States, you will easily recognize this commercial for home medical alert systems. The system was developed by Yad Sarah volunteers here in Israel. A need was recognized and solved and wall-mounted and wrist-worn medical alerts were provided for a small fee. The alarm system once activated goes to a central 24-hour YadSarah control which is then immediately routed to United Hatzalah (motorcycle paramedics), Magen David Adom (ambulance), police, or other necessary unit. As an extension, the Azakah Gan, or kindergarten alarm was installed in every kindergarten as an alarm in the event of a terror attack, G-d forbid.
The services just go on and on and on. We spoke with Alan, one of our local Yad Sarah volunteer staff, who gave us an extensive list of all their services. There are people, who, for a nominal charge, will pick up soiled linens from the home bound, wash and return them within two days. There is a meal delivery service, which for a small monthly fee, provides hot Kosher meals daily. This is contracted out to a local catering service and is much like a meals on wheels program. On staff here are four gentlemen who donate some of their time as shiputzniks, or handy men. They will go to the apartment or home of an elderly or home bound person and offer small fix-it and plumbing jobs at no cost. It’s considered a mitzvah, a good deed to a fellow human being.
All the equipment that is lent out (larger or more expensive items are loaned for a small, refundable security deposit for a renewable period of three months) is either donated new or refurbished. All items are cleaned and sterilized by an all-volunteer staff. The items are inventoried in centrally located warehouses, labeled and sent out again. A brand new six month training course offered to new immigrants (in the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas) by Yad Sarah certifies them to correctly assemble and package medical equipment. This provides these usually low-income, lower skill set people from countries like Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union with future employment opportunities. It also gives them a way to integrate fully into their new country. What a great idea!!
Especially during this time in our country, Yad Sarah offers Rehab Centers and services for wounded soldiers. Not only are they helping with physical therapy but also emotional and psychological therapy is provided to soldier with PTSD. And now, services have been extended to all those affected by the trauma of war. As if all this was not enough, Yad Sarah also provides a myriad of service to victims of domestic abuse. In women’s restroom stalls throughout the country, there are stickers notifying victims of abuse of how and where to receive help.
Yad Sarah has won many awards for service and charity including the Israel Award and recognition by the UN (really!). This organization has expanded its training modules to underserved countries throughout Africa and into Asia. Effective, accessible and affordable medical services in order to raise the dignity and worth of every individual is their primary mission.
Yad Sarah is the most amazing organization I’ve ever encountered. Yes, their central offices in Jerusalem are staffed with paid employees. But most of the medical equipment and service vans are provided by generous donations from both within Israel and abroad. Local and international charity drives are often held. When renting a medical device, if the person is able, small extra monetary donations are gladly welcomed. Tax deductible receipts for all donations are given. This is one group we will gladly support, both monetarily and with our time.
If you are within Israel, reading about this for the first time and are I need, contact *6444. Someone will be available to answer your questions in Hebrew, Russian, English, Arabic, Spanish, French or Amharic. There are fundraising branches for Yad Sarah set up in The UK, US, and Canada. To be added to their mailing list or to make a charitable, tax-deductible donation, go to Friendsofyadsarah.org.
Israel Dreams 