A graduation ceremony for the first cohort of the Hero to Hero program, which works to unite wounded IDF soldiers and young adults with special needs, took place Monday night at Haida Ranch in Moshav Hemed, the organization said following the event.
According to the organization, the Hero to Hero program was designated to promote mutual rehabilitation and bring together soldiers wounded during the Israel-Hamas war. It also aims to connect the soldiers with the Special in Uniform program participants that integrates individuals with special needs into the IDF.
The Hero to Hero program is an initiative of Yad Layeled Hameyuchad that also operates the Special in Uniform program in collaboration with the Jewish National Fund USA (JNF USA).
In an unexpected turn of events, the graduation ceremony for the group was interrupted by rocket sirens that sounded.
Avivit Malka Ben Gaon, founder of the program, described the scene as powerful, saying, “The moment the sirens went off, it was a powerful and emotional scene. Wounded soldiers lay over their Special in Uniform comrades, hugging and comforting them—just like comrades in arms on the battlefield.”
Gaon noted that this moment revealed the deep bond between the participants, as some comforted those who were afraid, while others even started to sing to break the tension.
A sense of unity in the crowd
Furthermore, the organization noted that once the sirens ceased, the mood at the event was filled with a sense of unity, and the band resumed playing.
“Commanders, donors, civilians, organization staff, religious and secular people, individuals with special needs, and ‘normative’ individuals alike—everyone was on the ground, protecting themselves and others,” said Ben Gaon. “It was an unbelievable, powerful, and moving sight, where everyone was equal in that moment, regardless of background or status.”
Matan Pelech, 21, from Hod Hasharon, reportedly shared his personal story during the ceremony.
Pelech, who served in the Nahal Brigade, was seriously wounded during combat in Gaza, where he was shot in the pelvis while defending his fellow soldiers. After months of rehabilitation at Sheba Medical Center, he joined Hero to Hero, where he was rehabilitated. Pelech said he "even managed to ride a horse—an incredible achievement for someone like me."
"Hero to Hero is far more than physical rehabilitation. It serves as a bridge between two worlds—wounded soldiers and the heroes of Special in Uniform. This encounter, where everyone stands on equal footing, reveals the true strength of the program," Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Tiran Attia, Director of Special in Uniform, explained.
According to the organization, the ceremony "concluded with a shared sense of pride in the progress made by the participants and the powerful connections formed between the wounded soldiers and individuals with special needs."