For some members of the American Jewish community, the war in Israel hits closer to home. For one Philadelphian, reminders of the horrors faced by those in the Holy Land are an everyday occurrence by nature of her profession.
Tzvia Wexler works extensively with wounded soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces in her role as national development director for Friends of Israel Disabled Veterans, which means that she spends hours in the presence of those who have been most affected by the horrors of combat.
Based in Philadelphia, Wexler travels to Israel frequently in order to contribute at the organization’s rehabilitation centers in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva. Recently, Friends of Israel Disabled Veterans received an influx of 11,000 new soldiers suffering from physical wounds, as well as the addition of thousands more seeking care for mental health issues. Wexler said that some of the things she has seen have affected her greatly.
“In the beginning, it was really hard,” said Wexler, who took this post in 2022. “I couldn’t sleep at night, and sometimes I still can’t sleep at night. It’s hard to see young people with such terrible injuries.”
Prior to this, Wexler, a member of Congregation Mikveh Israel, worked for 11 years as executive director of Friends of the IDF. Over the two years she has spent at the Friends of Israel Disabled Veterans, Wexler has seen a lot. One person came for help after having their hands blown off by grenades. Another nearly died from his injuries before being revived and coming back to life.
Sometimes, the soldiers’ stories are full of struggles, but other times they have happy endings. Wexler said that one group of veterans has refused to let new physical limitations stop them from pursuing their interests — they received hand bikes from the Friends of Israel Disabled Veterans, and now they are learning the sport with the goal of competing in the Paralympic games.
“We give them training, and whatever they need to compete,” she said. “I don’t need to tell you what it does to a person that [became] disabled but is able to to represent the state of Israel and bring so much respect to their country.”
She added that the organization’s work has become even more important in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attacks by Hamas militants on the Nova music festival in southern Israel. As the one year anniversary of the attack approaches, the organization is getting ready for what will be a day that drums up a lot of tough feelings.
“At the beginning, people thought this would last two weeks or maybe a month,” she said. “Now, it’s still ongoing and we don’t know when it’s going to stop — you’re not fighting a country, you’re fighting terrorists.”
For many of the soldiers that Wexler has interacted with, the mental scars of battle are worse than the physical ones. She said that one soldier who came to the organization had been unable to interact with his wife and child since he returned from the scenes of combat. He couldn’t sleep, and told Wexler that he had lost the desire to continue his life.
Little by little, the organization eased him back into civilian life and rekindled the relationship he had with his loved ones. Wexler said that the work of the Friends of Israel Disabled Veterans saved this soldier from despair.
“He told me, ‘I came here in the dark and I left with light. You changed my life,’” she said.
Wexler insists, however, that the real heroes are the ones who come into the rehab centers looking for help. For example, she said, that man who found the light after seeing so much darkness single-handedly saved dozens from the site of the music festival massacre.
“He lived in Be’er Sheva and when the alarms went off he grabbed his gun and drove to the Gaza border,” Wexler said. “He managed to arrive at the site of the festival and was running past all the bodies, finding people hiding in bushes. He put people in his truck and drove them to a safe place. He drove about 10 kilometers back — he did this about 10 times, and he saved about 70 people.”
Working with heroic members of the Jewish community inspires Wexler, she said.
“I met a guy last month who had lost both legs and a hand. He was worried that his kids might not accept him anymore. His wife brought the kids to the hospital, and they gave him a big smile and told him how proud they are,” Wexler said. “He said family is what made him continue. He had a glass of water, and said that now when he drinks from it he enjoys every last drop because he doesn’t take life for granted anymore.”