About thirty people in wheelchairs from all over the country embarked on a tour of Jerusalem and the Old City, through the combined efforts of Yad Sarah and "Mangishei Derech," a volunteer organization that transforms the dreams of people with functional disabilities into reality.
For many, it was the first opportunity to explore the capital city – despite limitations of movement and physical difficulties.
The meeting point was the Armon Hanatziv Promenade, with a spectacular view of the Old City, the Mount of Olives, and the Judean Desert. Guide Hagit Tsikoral explained the history and geography of the special location.
The pleasant ambience merged with the pleasant voice of songwriter Yossi Swed, who performed special prayers for the Hebrew month of Elul in preparation for the High Holidays. An organized sing along of Jerusalem songs followed, accompanied by guitar. The tour of the promenade ended with the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn), also customary during the month of Elul.
Later, the participants traveled in a long convoy to the Western Wall plaza. The vehicles entered the Jaffa Gate with special permission, reaching the Western Wall plaza. Guide Dudi Be'eri spoke about the status of the Western Wall over the generations when it was in the hands of foreign powers. Afterward, the travelers descended to the prayer area to recite the evening prayers.
Kobi Beer, the prime mover behind "Mangishei Derech " trips: "We have a sense of satisfaction unlike any other when we see a smile on the face of a person confined to a wheelchair who has not left home for a long time. These are experiences whose value cannot be measured."
The trip required many complex logistical preparations. These included arranging YadSaraVans for the trip, coordination with drivers and passengers, setting the routes, checking parking availability on the promenade, acquiring permits to enter the Old City and the Western Wall plaza, planning the route, and more. "I was thrilled that I worked very hard on the trip, but in the end I saw the very satisfying results," said Hezi Yitzhaki, transportation coordinator for Yad Sarah.
Indeed, the effort was great, but seeing the smiles on the faces of the participants and hearing their sincere thank-yous, everyone knew that the results were well worth the effort.#_lt#div style="text-align#_sc# justify;" dir="ltr"#_gt##_lt#strong#_gt# #_lt#/strong#_gt#
#_lt#p#_gt#About thirty people in wheelchairs from all over the country embarked on a tour of Jerusalem and the Old City, through the combined efforts of Yad Sarah and "Mangishei Derech," a volunteer organization that transforms the dreams of people with functional disabilities into reality.#_lt#/p#_gt#
#_lt#p#_gt#For many, it was the first opportunity to explore the capital city – despite limitations of movement and physical difficulties.#_lt#/p#_gt#
#_lt#p#_gt#The meeting point was the Armon Hanatziv Promenade, with a spectacular view of the Old City, the Mount of Olives, and the Judean Desert. Guide Hagit Tsikoral explained the history and geography of the special location.#_lt#/p#_gt#
#_lt#p#_gt#The pleasant ambience merged with the pleasant voice of songwriter Yossi Swed, who performed special prayers for the Hebrew month of Elul in preparation for the High Holidays. An organized sing along of Jerusalem songs followed, accompanied by guitar. The tour of the promenade ended with the blowing of the shofar (ram's horn), also customary during the month of Elul.#_lt#/p#_gt#
#_lt#p#_gt#Later, the participants traveled in a long convoy to the Western Wall plaza. The vehicles entered the Jaffa Gate with special permission, reaching the Western Wall plaza. Guide Dudi Be'eri spoke about the status of the Western Wall over the generations when it was in the hands of foreign powers. Afterward, the travelers descended to the prayer area to recite the evening prayers.#_lt#/p#_gt#
#_lt#p#_gt#Kobi Beer, the prime mover behind "Mangishei Derech " trips#_sc# "We have a sense of satisfaction unlike any other when we see a smile on the face of a person confined to a wheelchair who has not left home for a long time. These are experiences whose value cannot be measured."#_lt#/p#_gt#
#_lt#p#_gt#The trip required many complex logistical preparations. These included arranging YadSaraVans for the trip, coordination with drivers and passengers, setting the routes, checking parking availability on the promenade, acquiring permits to enter the Old City and the Western Wall plaza, planning the route, and more. "I was thrilled that I worked very hard on the trip, but in the end I saw the very satisfying results," said Hezi Yitzhaki, transportation coordinator for Yad Sarah.#_lt#/p#_gt#
#_lt#p style="text-align#_sc# justify;"#_gt#Indeed, the effort was great, but seeing the smiles on the faces of the participants and hearing their sincere thank-yous, everyone knew that the results were well worth the effort.#_lt#/p#_gt#
#_lt#/div#_gt# |