Disabled residents spend day outdoors together, first since COVID-19
The outing marked nearly a year since the group had the ability to venture out of their rehabilitative residence together.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFDisabled residents spend day outdoors together, first since COVID-19(photo credit: COLEL CHABAD)
With the relaxation of coronavirus regulations across the country, a group of 60 disabled men and women were able to experience the outdoors for the first time as a group since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.The outing marked nearly a year since the group had the ability to venture out of their rehabilitative residence together, with the organizers calling it the "first taste of freedom after what has been an extremely challenging few months."“These are individuals who face daily challenges and are unable to enjoy what the rest of us take for granted, even during a normal time," said Director of Colel Chabad Rabbi Sholom Duchman. "This past year for them, having been safely closed off from the outside world in order to protect them from this deadly virus has been extremely difficult and we were all hoping and praying that this day would come as soon as possible.”The residents of the Grabski and Finger Centers for Multiple Sclerosis operated by Colel Chabad, who are all confined to a wheelchair, had set off into the world accompanied by 90 staff members. With the residents' 60, the 150 person gathering would have been dangerous to organize just months ago, but following Israel's robust vaccination campaign outings like this are now possible.The group went off into the Jordan Valley Village, which is a fully accessible park complex in the Lower Galilee. They were able to take part in outdoor activities that typically available to them during the coronavirus pandemic, including riding in horse-drawn carriages, an omega line specifically outfitted for wheelchairs alongside other sports and art programming.“Since early March of last year, almost our entire daily focus has been on keeping our residents safe and ensuring that they wouldn’t be directly impacted by the virus, but now we felt that the has come for them to enjoy the release they so needed and deserved,” said Director of the Grabski Center in Migdal Haemek in Israel’s North Koby Vizel. “They were on cloud nine – and literally soaring through the sky. It was an incredible site to see and we were all left feeling a sense of high at the end of the day.”“If there is a glimmer of hope and positivity that we can take from these past months it’s that our staff and residents have come together in ways that might not have been possible without these lockdowns,” Vizel said. “But to see them finally get out and be able to enjoy fresh air, activities and fun, those are the scenes we’ve all been looking forward to - we only hope that they will be able to continue.”
