February is Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). Marking this occasion and in a show of his firm support for the inclusion of Israel’s disabled into mainstream society, President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin met several days ago with a remarkable group of young men and women from the IDF’s volunteer corps who have manifested unflagging willpower and determination to serve their country despite their disabilities.
The IDF selected 20 young soldiers, among them Liron Natan of Jerusalem who serves in the Palmachim Air Force Base in the framework of Special in Uniform, the IDF’s world-acclaimed inclusion program. At the meeting, President Rivlin invited Liron to share her heartwarming story.
With the microphone in hand, Liron shyly recounted that until the age of 7, she was a completely healthy, normal kid, but then awoke one morning unable to move her left toes. Thus began a long, drawn-out series of tests and hospitalizations that culminated with a diagnosis of cerebral virus and compelled intricate brain surgery. She awoke from the surgery partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, yet tenacious resolve and longing to walk again led her to attain her goal. “I have very strong willpower and I don’t admit defeat. I fell a lot, but I did finally manage to walk with a slight limp—which is much better than being in a wheelchair!” she expresses emotionally.
Two years ago, Liron joined Special in Uniform which incorporates 500 young soldiers with physical and mental disabilities into 35 army bases across Israel. “Every morning I wake up, proud to wear my uniform, and then I go to the base and fulfill all the tasks my commander assigns me, doing it all with deep pride.” A revolutionary, world-acclaimed project of the IDF, Lend-a-Hand to a Special Child, and JNF-USA, Special in Uniform integrates youth with physical and mental disabilities into the IDF, imbuing them with pride in themselves and their abilities and enabling them to function independently and contribute positively to society.
Liron’s mother Ilamit shares: “Special in Uniform is a phenomenal project that enables Liron and our family to cope, strengthen ourselves, and prepare for a better future. I am so proud of my daughter, so proud of the road she traversed, and I hope that other parents like me who are anxious about letting their child go will acknowledge that this project is a must for any young adult with special needs.”
In honor of Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), the JNF has announced a one million dollar matching campaign to benefit people with disabilities in Israel and particularly its flagship program Special in Uniform. For Liron and her 500 peers in Special in Uniform, this month is an expression of public commitment to a society that embraces individuals like them with disabilities and teaches others to regard them positively, with appreciation of their capacities and aspirations.