IDF Senior Officer with SHALVA Kids
IDF Senior Officer with SHALVA KidsShlomi Shalmoni

Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan visited on Monday the headquarters of the organization “SHALVA”, a group working with children with disabilities in Jerusalem.

The tour was conducted by the founder and chairman of “SHALVA”, Rabbi Kalman Samuels, and was arranged under the initiative of the youth leadership of Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home).

During the course of the tour, Rabbi Ben-Dahan met Rabbi Samuels’ son, Joseph, disabled as the result of damage caused by a triple vaccine, which ultimately led to the founding of SHALVA by his parents.

Joseph asked that the Deputy Minister arrange a meeting for him with the Prime Minister, so that he can tell him about the damage caused by the state when he received the triple vaccine when he was younger.

In addition, Joseph said that he plans to ask the Prime Minister to release Jonathan Pollard from the American penitentiary which he is held in.

During the tour, Deputy Minister said, “I admire the fulfillment of this social vision, a result of the execution of this enormous project dedicated to the welfare of children with disabilities. This additional layer in the building of Jerusalem, this project, will become a magnet for special needs children from across the country.”

Recently, SHALVA established a new national center in Jerusalem to treat and support children with special needs and their families. As part of the center, a research division was established in order to find Halakhic solutions to ease the lives of people with disabilities and to give them practical help for them to integrate into the community.