Making their way through the hallways of Reuth Tel Aviv Rehabilitation Hospital (Reuth TLV) are dozens of men and women wearing yellow scrubs. These are volunteers who come to Reuth TLV from all over the world for a period of up to a year.
While volunteering, they stay in apartments on the hospital campus and play a crucial role in streamlining work processes. They assist hospital staff with daily tasks, including transporting wheelchair-bound patients to their treatments, serving food to patients, organizing enrichment activities, and spending one-on-one time with them and their families. We sat down with three volunteers to speak about their volunteering experience duringwartime.
Tworwski, a 28-year-old medical student from Düsseldorf, Germany, came to Israel on a Masa program. After his program ended, he extended his stay and continues to volunteer at the hospital. Shakeera, a 38-year-old yoga instructor from Los Angeles, will be leaving Reuth TLV in two weeks after volunteering for just over a month. This is her second time visiting Israel and her first time volunteering at the hospital.
Lea is 28 years old and hails from Darmstadt, Germany. She is an architect and a guide at the Jewish Museum in Frankfurt. This is her second time volunteering at Reuth TLV. Lea shares her experience.
“I first came to Israel on a student exchange program. I met amazing people and noticed that Israel felt like home. When I returned to Germany, I was looking for ways to come back and help the country. That is how I found out about Reuth TLV. The first time I volunteered at the hospital was a very difficult time for me.
My father was sick and passed away soon after I went back to Germany. Now, I’m at a different stage of my life. I finished school and have a stronger foundation. I have friends here and know what to expect. Reuth feels like a stable place where I can grow as a person.”
How does it feel to be in Israel at this time?
Tworwski: I feel at home here. I love the weather and the warmth of the Israeli people. I travel a lot around the country and visit my relatives who live in the North. My family knows I’m in a safe place and is proud of me for coming here.
Shakeera: My ex-husband is Israeli, and some of his friends were murdered at the Nova festival, so I wanted to come to Israel and help. My family is so worried that I’m here, mainly because the news overseas does not reflect reality.
Lea: After October 7, antisemitism around the world increased. I felt very uneasy about being a Jew abroad. I have a mezuzah outside my apartment and other Jewish symbols. There were significant anti-Israel protests in my area, and people I knew were also sharing anti-Israel messages.
I realized that I couldn’t be friends with them anymore. I feel that Israel is my home, and we must protect our home. My mother has been to Israel many times, so she didn’t object to a short visit. However, when I told her that I wanted to volunteer for a long period of time, she became worried and didn’t want me to come. I was also afraid at first, but things always look scarier from the outside.
How did volunteering at the hospital affect you?
Tworwski: I wake up with a smile every morning. Everyone is so motivated and doesn’t give up. Even if a patient is too tired and refuses to go to treatment, a physiotherapist will come to the patient’s room. That is such a special approach.
Shakeera: Volunteering helped me understand and appreciate what is important in life. Volunteering here is food for the soul.
Lea: The patients come in wheelchairs, then move on to crutches, and then start walking on their own. I can see them heal in real-time, and I’ve only been here for a few weeks. The patients, their families, and Israelis in general are such warm people.
They always bring us treats and invite us for holidays and Shabbat, which is so heartwarming. At Reuth TLV, one meets all segments of Israeli society – secular, religious, and Arab – and everyone is able to work together. It gives me hope that we can all get along and live together.
Is there an experience that you found particularly meaningful?
Shakeera: I’ve become friends with a patient who has Complex Regional Pain Syndrome(CRPS usually affects a person’s arm, leg, hand, or foot and can occur after an injury, surgery, trauma, stroke, or heart attack). You can see that he is in a lot of pain, but he doesn’t complain and is always so nice to everyone. I help him work on his English and he helps me improve my Hebrew. One time, I saw a woman crying in the Geriatric Rehabilitation Department because her mother was in pain. I sat with her, offered support, and gave her a hug. It was deeply meaningful to be a source of comfort to others.
Tworwski: There is a patient in the Geriatric Rehabilitation Department with whom I really enjoy spending time. Every day, we get ice cream and chat in the hospital courtyard. She arrived at Reuth TLV in a wheelchair and couldn’t move her leg. Now, she is walking! It is incredible to watch the progress in rehabilitation.
At this difficult time for Israel, volunteers at Reuth TLV do so much more than assist with daily tasks. They build lasting connections that enrich their own lives and strengthen the spirit of solidarity. We invite you to volunteer at Reuth TLV and be part of a community that impacts lives every day.
Interested in volunteering? Contact Dorit Koskas at Dorit.Koskas@reuth.org.il.