President Reuven Rivlin this morning, Thursday, had a brief meeting and a hug at Beit HaNasi with campers and counselors from the ‘Hasamba’ group from the northern home of Beit HaGalgalim (the House of Wheels), which is holding its annual summer camp. Beit HaGalgalim works with children, young people and grownups with physical disabilities, holding a range of activities in the six homes it runs across the country.
The ‘Hasamba’ group came to meet the president together with Beit HaGalgalim chair Dr. Pnina Schwarz-Shore - the daughter of the founder of the association, Miriam Schwarz OBM - who told the president that Beit HaGalgalim is going to be a UN advisory body thanks to its extensive and successful activities across the country, which has attracted attention from those in the field around the world.
The president welcomed the campers and counselors and told them that every time he meets people from Beit HaGalgalim it fills him with inspiration and joy. "Congratulations to you for marking your 40th year, and congratulations to the United Nations, which has been wise enough to make use of your experience in helping so many people with love, compassion, respect and appreciation for every person and their abilities."
This year, Beit HaGalgalim will celebrate 40 years of activity, and from its founding to the present it has worked with young people with physical and motor disabilities and helped them to integrate into society. Through Beit HaGalgalim, young people with disabilities are able to live independent lives at their optimal level.
Beit HaGalgalim operates six houses that are home to people from all parts of Israeli society, including a house in the south for the Bedouin population and a house in the north in Wadi Ara. Another house holds special activities for haredi participants. Participants come to Beit HaGalgalim once a month for residential weekend and one afternoon a month. During the summer, the group has a week-long summer camp, making Beit HaGalgalim part of the participants' life throughout the year.