5 Towns honors 5 therapists who volunteered

Five volunteers from the Five Towns and Far Rockaway will be recognized next Wednesday, Aug. 14, for their work at ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, a 40-acre state-of-the-art rehabilitation village in southern Israel. The facility empowers those living with and touched by disability, helping war-wounded civilians and IDF soldiers reclaim their lives, providing physical rehabilitation and emotional recovery services.

“We are taking care of everyone, and providing the help that they need,” said Elie Klein, director of development. The villages provides more than 50,000 outpatient treatments each year for those affected by everything from heart attacks and strokes to terror-related trauma, he said.

“As soon as the war began, now 300 days ago, we were very, very short-staffed when it came to physical and occupational therapists,” Klein said. The regular staff was evacuated because of the war and has not yet returned.

“We are caring for many of the civilian and IDF heroes of Oct. 7 and we’re understaffed, so we needed a lot of help,” Klein said, “and about a half-dozen PT and OT volunteers from the Five Towns made their way to Israel. It was a life-changing experience.”

Sarah Yastrab, an occupational therapist from Woodmere, volunteered for two weeks in May, and was given a caseload the day she arrived. She worked with neurological and orthopedic patients.

“After Oct. 7, everybody wanted to do something,” Yastrab said, “and some people knew what to do, and others, it took a while to figure out. Some people raised money, sent equipment or paid visits. This is something I could do. I have a license to practice occupational therapy, I’ve been doing it for over 30 years. This was a need that they had, and it’s something I could do.”

“They were very appreciative of having volunteers mostly from America to come and fill some of the gaps,” she said.

In Yastrab’s experience, the human body is miraculous in its capacity to heal physically, when provided with adequate treatment.

“But the assault to one’s dignity that accompanies the loss of independence following an illness or injury can leave a much deeper scar,” she explained. “That’s where ADI Negev thrives.”

“Patients arrive at ADI Negev having lost the ability to walk, talk or care for their most personal needs, and the professional staff, all gifted in their respective fields, expertly provide their services with an extra dose of dignity,” she said. “An atmosphere of love and care pervades the rehabilitation village, and it restores hope and dignity to those who feel they have lost it. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before.”

In addition to Yastrab, those being honored at the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst, 8 Spruce St., at 8 pm, are physical therapists Daniel Aryeh and Robert Weinberg, of Woodmere, and Dr. Moshe Richmond, of Lawrence; and occupational therapist Jesse Vogel, of Far Rockaway.

She urged her friends who are therapists as well as Five Towns community members to come to the YILC event to hear about experiences. [RSVP at adi-rehab.org/5t-event/.]

Vogel, who also volunteered in May for two weeks, brought not only his experience as an occupational therapist, but also his specialty: neuromuscular taping, which uses a special tape that stimulates the muscles, nerves and lymphatic system to increase circulation, reduce pain and inflammation, and promote movement.

Vogel taught patients new techniques with the neuromuscular taping, and helped them relieve pain. He volunteered by day at ADI Negev, and at night he traveled to army bases to tape up IDF soldiers.

“It was fantastic being able to help them get back into the fight after an injury,” he said.

Major Or Maatuk, an IDF soldier who was critically wounded in the war with Hamas, will recount his life story at the YI of Lawrence-Cedarhurst. He will be introduced by Dr. Shilo Kramer, director of orthopedic rehabilitation at ADI Negev’s Kaylie Rehabilitation Medical Center.

“Whether you were born into disability or touched by disability at some point at life, this 40-acre village has all kinds of resources,” said Klein. Its offerings include art, music, physical and occupational therapy, a therapeutic horse farm, and a safari petting zoo for residents, patients and special-education students.