An exciting and unusual race took place this morning (Thursday) in the rehabilitation village "Adi Negev - Nachalat Eran", which is operated by the "Adi" association that cares for children and adults with complex disabilities.
About 400 runners were launched for a unique run that aims to conclude the month of raising awareness for equal rights for people with disabilities, and also for the benefit of donating funds for the activities of the village and the association.
Students, members of yeshivas, students of preparatory schools, schools, and many volunteers from Israel and abroad who came especially to Israel for the sake of the race. They went for a run of 3 kilometers on a special route built around the area of the village, joined by the professional teams, students of the special education school, kindergarteners with challenges and in a symbolic way Tenants dealing with disabilities.
The three winners went up to the podium one after the other.
The first to cross the finish line and win the gold medal was Shay Margolis, a student from the University of Maryland in the USA. The next one after him was Ben Elhadad, also a student from the John Hoppinx University in Maryland who received the silver and the third was Shay Eichler, a student of the "Love of Israel" yeshiva in Beit Shemesh , who was honored with bronze when, surprisingly, he was only 13 years old.
The two winners from the USA, as well as other participants, arrived as part of the cooperation between the rehabilitation village and the JNF USA Foundation, which were partners in the execution of the race.
"Running for equal rights" in the rehabilitation village "Adi Negev Nachalat Eran", photo: Yehoshua Dirbon
Those who took part in the race are a group of gardeners with challenges, who are employed in the village as part of a special project operating in the village called "Gardeners Without Borders".
This is an integrated employment program during which workers with disabilities are employed in gardening and agricultural work, where the goal is to train them for integration into the general labor market, and to provide an opportunity for a productive lifestyle and financial independence.
In addition, the employees of "Beit Heutzer - Adi Ofakim" participated, it is an employment center - rehabilitation for people with a wide spectrum of disabilities and its purpose is to give the rehabilitators employed there a way to integrate into the labor market and society.
The center employs about 85 rehabilitators from the southern region who are referred by the local authorities, the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The employees are engaged in a variety of workshops, such as agriculture, industry, art, as well as in a community cafe that operates on site.
The rehabilitation village "Adi Negev - Nachalat Eran" is a unique village of its kind in the world, from the chain of "Adi" centers which includes another center in Jerusalem.
The village is an integrated community center, which provides a therapeutic, rehabilitation and educational solution for every person with a disability in a variety of services - from a rehabilitation hospital to residences for the population with a complex developmental intellectual disability.
The village is a broad clinical field and a collection of rehabilitative solutions for children and adults at different functional levels (from birth or acquired injury) within the framework of research laboratories operating on site.
Avi Wartzman, CEO of the rehabilitation village "Adi Negev - Nachalat Eran":
"This race is an opportunity for us as a society to integrate the disabled, the weak and thus step on the path of tikkun olam.
To see the shining eyes of the residents and students, what joy, what happiness.
There is nothing higher in life than their happiness.
A great privilege of all the runners, a great privilege of ours, and a great privilege of the tenants, our students and our special employees.
I want to thank all the participants of the race, thanks to your contribution we are becoming a healthier, more inclusive society, a society that we can call a model society.
This is the real race."
"Running for equal rights" in the rehabilitation village "Adi Negev Nachalat Eran", photo: Yehoshua Dirbon
"Running for equal rights" in the rehabilitation village "Adi Negev Nachalat Eran", photo: Yehoshua Dirbon
"Running for equal rights" in the rehabilitation village "Adi Negev Nachalat Eran", photo: Yehoshua Dirbon
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us
