The Defense Ministry and the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces (FIDF) earlier this month signed an agreement to establish a modern rehabilitation center for army veterans with traumatic brain injuries.
The agreement comes days after the Israeli government approved an overhaul of the rehabilitation system for wounded IDF soldiers.
Since October 7, over 26,000 wounded IDF soldiers and security personnel have needed treatment, according to the Defense Ministry.
Of them, over 300 soldiers who have sustained traumatic brain injuries, with roughly a third needing more intensive and long-term care, which this rehabilitation center is designed to provide.
The new facility, encompassing 2,560-square-meters, will replace the older Beit Marguza facility in Jaffa, which was built in 1973 and does not meet modern accessibility standards. It is expected to accommodate roughly 60 veterans.
It will be located in Tel Aviv, serving as the only center in Israel dedicated exclusively to the rehabilitation of IDF veterans with brain trauma. It is expected to be completed in 2030.
The center will offer both short-term and long-term recovery treatements through rehabilitation services, including occupational therapy, social work, and cognitive rehabilitation.
The center will also have several outdoor spaces, balconies, and a rooftop terrace for community programming, as well as dedicated parking and protected spaces.
Brain injuries: Traumatic, invisible wounds
The FIDF, a non-profit organization whose mission is to support Israeli soldiers, has committed $10 million of the $24 million required to complete the project. Permits have already been approved, and the project’s final preparations ahead of construction are underway.
“Our responsibility to Israel’s wounded veterans does not end when they leave the battlefield. Traumatic brain injuries are often described as invisible wounds because their effects extend far beyond physical symptoms,” said FIDF CEO Maj.-Gen. (res.) Nadav Padan.
“Veterans living with severe brain injuries frequently face long-term neurological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral challenges that require sustained, specialized intervention.”
He added that the new center will address these needs with an “integrated rehabilitation model that combines therapeutic, educational, vocational and social services under one roof.”
The center will provide veterans with the “comprehensive care, dignity, and long-term support they deserve while ensuring Israel is prepared to meet the rehabilitation challenges of today and the future.”
“The new rehabilitation center marks a milestone in the care provided to Israel’s most severely wounded veterans,” said Ronit Senderovitch, Head of Clinical Social Services at the Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Department. “The center will unite world-leading treatments and technologies under one roof, in a modern, accessible, and dignified setting.”
“Ensuring these individuals receive the finest possible care on their path back to life and community is both a national and moral obligation.”
Source:
www.jpost.com
