Tuesday, March 17, 2026
We’re now in serious war mode for just over two and a half weeks. I think most Israelis can relate to the quote: “War is long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of terror.” Thanks to Israel’s incredible defense systems, which is only one of the many aspects of this war which prove time and again that Jews choose life, the moments that shake us to the core and remind us of our mortality are “only” a few minutes here and there throughout the day.
That leaves a lot of boredom for many of our members.
Some people fill that time in creative ways. One of our athletes, Adam Zborovski, is building an app to help him follow the stock market, while a handful of “Parliament” members have been quietly visiting the Center to get out of the house and spend time with friends.
How Our Community Is Doing
Unfortunately, the center of the country is still getting its fair share of ballistic missile attacks from Iran, along with occasional rocket fire from Hezbollah, sometimes coordinated.
Some parts of the country have reopened schools, but the coastal region is far from receiving such news. With Passover break beginning next week, it seems likely that the status quo will remain for most of our community for at least the next few weeks.
A theme we keep hearing right now is the extra challenge relating to the rockets from Hezbollah. Unlike the Iranian attacks for which there are warning messages a few minutes before the sirens, the Hezbollah rocket attacks have only a siren which only gives people a minute and a half to get to shelter. This is not enough time for many people, especially people with disabilities, who end up feeling exposed and afraid. Wheelchair basketball athlete Asael Shabo spoke about this in his video on Instagram and Facebook a few days ago.
International travel
Para table tennis player Yehonatan Levi, together with his coach and father Idan Levi, actually managed to get out of Israel for two para-table tennis tournaments abroad. He has played in one tournament and, while his results weren’t as high as he hoped, we continue to believe in him and wish him the best of luck in the next tournaments.
For many athletes, even if we can get them on a flight out, traveling abroad right now still isn’t possible. If they have reasons they need to be back in Israel by a certain date, it simply cannot be guaranteed.
Both para table tennis player Caroline Tabib and badminton player Roni Kesten have had to forgo international tournaments because they couldn’t risk getting stuck abroad.
We’re Still a Sport Center
The rules from Home Front Command have not changed, which means our rules haven’t changed either.
We have continued the daily online classes which have excellent attendance.
Within those restrictions, our wheelchair tennis players as well as our wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby teams over age 18 are back to training.
The National Para Swimming Championships, originally scheduled for March 26, have been postponed. Even if the competition itself could technically take place, it does not make sense to hold it when athletes have not been able to train.
Raanana’s New Satellite Launch on Hold
In Ra’anana, we had planned an open day on Friday, March 13, where adults and youth with disabilities would be able to try out five different adaptive sports as part of the lead-up to the opening of our planned satellite program there. Obviously, and very unfortunately, this event has been postponed until further notice.
The Pool Project Continues
Work on the pool continues, and today marked an important step in the project: the delicate opening of the deck, which is also the ceiling of the machine room. This needs to be done very carefully so that the whole floor doesn’t collapse.
Through it all, our focus remains on community and sport—making sure everyone is doing okay, supporting one another as best we can, and keeping people moving whenever possible. These are not easy times, but we’re here for each other, just as you are for us.
Thank you for being part of our community during these extraordinary times.