Mission Accomplished!
Our 65th Anniversary Mission to Israel was an inspiring, emotional, and unforgettable journey—one that reaffirmed the vital role the Israel ParaSport Center plays in the lives of so many. Led by Mission Chair Lori Komisar, our participants spent four extraordinary days immersed in the life of The Center. What follows are some of the moments that stood out most and shaped this remarkable experience.
Day One: A Powerful Beginning at The Center
We arrived at the Israel ParaSport Center in Ramat Gan and were welcomed with lunch alongside our athletes and community members. One of the most meaningful moments came when we met Tal Kupershtein, his wife Julie, and their son Bar—former hostage and survivor of October 7.
Tal’s story with The Center began three years ago after a stroke left him paralyzed and non-verbal. He found not just therapy here, but community. When his son Bar was taken hostage on October 7, Tal never lost hope. He promised himself he would one day stand to hug his son again. When Julie couldn’t bring him to The Center while she fought for Bar’s return, we stepped in—providing transportation and ensuring he never missed the support he relied on.
This past October, Bar returned home. And in a moment none of us will forget, Tal lifted himself from his wheelchair and embraced his son. Meeting all three of them during our mission, hearing their story firsthand, moved everyone in the room.
Throughout the day, and throughout the whole mission, we had the opportunity to tour The Center, not just observing, but truly experiencing it. We watched programs in action, met staff members (many of whom grew up at The Center themselves), and even played table tennis with the athletes. We connected with remarkable members of our community, including wheelchair rugby athlete and artist Miky Zar, whose story and spirit left a lasting impression on all of us.
On this first day, we also had the honor of dedicating our main gym scoreboard in memory of Zachary Berns z”l in a beautiful ceremony led by his sister Danielle Pearlman.
Day Two: Community, Joy, and Reflection in the North
Our second day took us north for a jeep ride along Israel’s northern border, where an expert on the region’s strategic challenges gave us a geo-strategic survey of the security situation. Over lunch and wine-tasting at Tulip Winery—a lovely establishment that employs members of Kfar Tikvah, a community supporting individuals with special needs—we continued processing what we’d learned.
We then gained a deeper understanding of Israel’s geopolitical challenges from a different vantage point: the seat of a flight simulator, piloting jets over the Tel Aviv skyline. It was an exhilarating experience that brought the morning’s conversation into sharp relief.
The evening grounded us in a different way. We gathered for a wheelchair basketball game dedicated to the memory of Roei Shalev, captain of the Nova Basketball team that trains at The Center, who tragically died by suicide last month. Roei was a survivor of October 7 who lost his girlfriend at the Nova Festival—a loss he never recovered from. It was a moving tribute to a beloved athlete and leader, and a sobering reminder that for many survivors, October 7 is not over.
Day Three: Resilience in the South and Celebration at Home
Our third day brought us south for two deeply emotional visits. We began at the Nova Festival site, now transformed into a moving memorial honoring the young lives taken. From there, we traveled to Kibbutz Nir Oz, where we met survivors of October 7 and heard their firsthand stories of unimaginable courage. Hila, wife of wheelchair tennis Paralympian Adam Berdichevsky, who recently competed in the 2024 Paris Paralympics and bore the Israeli flag during the opening ceremony, shared what she and Adam endured in their safe room that day.
Her story resonated deeply. Meira Goldman, one of our participants from Chicago, reflected: “Hearing Hila speak about her experience in the safe room with Adam hit a very personal chord for me. She spoke about Adam’s vulnerability as a person with a disability during a war… As a mother of a child with a disability, I often envision with horror what it would be like for my son… unable to keep up with his peers as they run for their lives.”
After that emotional morning, we headed to our Be’er Sheva satellite to meet the incredible goalball team made up of players of all ages, religious backgrounds, and levels of visual impairment. With personal instruction from coach Lihi Ben David, a member of Israel’s Paris 2024 Paralympic silver medalist team, our group donned blindfolds and hustled onto the court for hands-on lessons in this unique sport created for the visually impaired.
Back in Ramat Gan that afternoon, we hosted a national swim meet with athletes from across Israel, marking a significant moment: our final event in the pool before it closes for renovations. After the races, we honored 65 years with our community in a celebration that included a special ceremony where David Luski officially broke ground on the new Luski Family Aquatic Center. He buried a time capsule filled with letters from our mission participants to future athletes.
Over 200 community members, including athletes of all ages and their families, joined us for the celebration. Surrounded by joyful athletes who embody “life without limits,” one of our participants, Cindy Katzoff, turned to Boaz and said, “This place rivals Disney World for the happiest place on earth!” And amid a day filled with deep meaning for us all, we won’t lie—one highlight was definitely the delicious food.
Day Four: Innovation, Partnership, and a Meaningful Finale
Our final day began at P-Cure, a cutting-edge proton therapy center founded by Michael Marash, who personally guided us through the facility. Michael’s family has deep ties to The Center; his son Idan Marash, a leader in Israel’s disability community, grew up training here and now serves on our Israel Board—making the visit especially meaningful and a testament to how The Center touches lives across generations.
We also traveled to the Israel Guide Dog Center, the only certified guide-dog training center in the Middle East, where we met the pups-in-training and learned about the life-changing support these incredible dogs provide.
The day included lunch with soldiers in Yaffo, where we had the opportunity to hear their honest perspectives on defending Israel during this difficult year. We then explored ANU: Museum of the Jewish People, a fascinating journey through Jewish history and identity before heading to the museum’s rooftop restaurant for our closing dinner.
Joined by athletes and community members from The Center, that final evening became deeply emotional. There was barely a dry eye in the room as participants shared reflections about their experiences, the connections they formed, and the powerful role the Israel ParaSport Center plays in their lives and in Israel. During the dinner, our National Board President Jon Michelon and board member Lisa Roth presented a US flag flown over Washington DC from US Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) in honor of The Center’s 65th anniversary.
In her remarks at the closing dinner, Mission Chair Lori Komisar, who has had many visits to The Center, shared, “It has been an honor and a privilege to experience seeing The Center through all of your eyes; truly a dream come true. I always say this is a place that G-d kissed and never left.”
A Mission That Will Stay With Us
“Our week together in Israel with the Israel ParaSport Center in celebration of the 65th anniversary has been one of inspiration, hope, learning so many new things and putting life into perspective. We have not only loved spending this time together, but we’ve gained a deeper appreciation for how Israel and the Jewish community worldwide take care of Am Yisrael.”
-Shana Glassman, Mission Participant
This journey reminded us why this work matters. We saw it in Tal’s perseverance, in the look of pride on the faces of our goalball athletes, and in the 200 people who gathered to celebrate 65 years and break ground on a future that holds so much promise. The Israel ParaSport Center doesn’t just change lives, it creates possibility where others see limitation.
But the work doesn’t end when we land. It continues every day, and we invite you to be part of it—whether by supporting our programs, planning your own visit to the Center, or simply sharing these stories with others who believe in life without limits.