Chai Lifeline resumed their annual trip to Israel for childhood cancer survivors this week, following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The “Wish at the Wall” program provides an action-packed 10 days in Israel for teens who have completed treatment for cancer and their parents, many of whom have not previously been to Israel.
“Wish at the Wall is a culmination of months and years of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgeries, as well as the loneliness and isolation that accompanies the arduous cancer journey,” said Rabbi Shlomo Crandall, Wish at the Wall director and director of Chai Lifeline Midwest. “This program builds a unique bond between the teens and their parents and creates friendships and memories that last a lifetime.”
Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline, an international health support network, providing emotional, social, and financial assistance to more than 5,900 families facing pediatric illness, added: “The Israel experience has always been a form of closure for many of the children and families we have supported over the years. All of these inspiring young men and women have faced incredible health and personal challenges in their fights with cancer. This trip will give them an experience and memories they will take with them for the rest of their lives.”
The highly-anticipated trip, funded by the Hartman family, is set to include visits to Masada, the Golan and Kineret, as well some of the holiest Jewish locations, including the Kotel and the old city of Safed.