Back to Life, One Goal at a Time

As the NYC Marathon approaches, our Team ALYN runners are training hard and preparing for race day! We’re spotlighting each of our marathoners to share their stories and the connections that inspire them to support ALYN. Meet Anya, a former ALYN nurse who will be running her seventh marathon—and her first NYC Marathon. After making Aliyah in 2008, Anya lived in Israel for nine years and studied nursing at Hadassah Hospital. During her pediatrics studies, she visited ALYN and immediately knew she wanted to work there. Seeing the staff’s dedication and passion, and how much they helped families, inspired her to join the team. She began as a nursing student in ALYN’s independent living section, working with adults with muscular dystrophy, before joining the respiratory unit as a nurse. Reflecting on that experience, Anya says, “I think my time at ALYN shaped me as a nurse.”

“...Wheels of Love is a must. It’s the best ride you’ll ever do.”

Rehabilitation That Sees the Whole Person

Jeff Blye has been riding ALYN Hospital’s annual bike ride, Wheels of Love, for nearly two decades. For Jeff, this is much more than a cycling challenge. It is an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of disabled children—and to witness that difference firsthand.

Just over two weeks after beginning my role as Executive Director of American Friends of ALYN Hospital, I boarded a plane to Israel with my family. The trip had been planned long before I accepted this position, but one stop quickly became the centerpiece of our visit: ALYN Hospital.

As Jordan learned more about ALYN’s innovative approach to pediatric rehabilitation and its commitment to serving children from every background, he saw a meaningful connection between ALYN’s work, his family’s legacy, and his own path toward becoming a physician.

In the midst of ongoing emergencies, our society’s true measure is its commitment to those whose struggles do not make the headlines.

Each year as Passover approaches, we are called to do more than just retell the story of our Exodus from Egypt—we are expected to imagine that we, ourselves, are going through this experience. This journey is not only the story of our ancestors. It is a story being written right now, one painstaking step at a time, by the children of ALYN Hospital.

Each year, as Passover approaches, we are invited to do more than retell an ancient story—we are called to live its deepest truth. The journey from bondage to freedom is not only the story of our ancestors. It is the story being written right now, one painstaking step at a time, by the children of ALYN Hospital. ALYN Hospital is Israel’s only pediatric rehabilitation center—a place where children with the most complex physical challenges come to fight for their independence. These are children who have survived catastrophic injuries, debilitating illness, and conditions present since birth. They arrive at ALYN dependent. They leave transformed. For them, freedom is not a destination. It is the first step taken. A breath drawn without a machine. A word spoken after months of silence. As American Friends of ALYN Hospital, we are the bridge that makes these miracles possible. Your gift—made right here in the United States—directly funds the life-changing treatments, advanced therapies, and innovative equipment that give these children a fighting chance. With your support, a child can receive a ventilator to breathe, and begin to speak after a traumatic brain injury, or take their first independent steps after years in a wheelchair.

The Israeli archery team arrived at the "ALYN" Children and Youth Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem, and held a joint training session with the archery group of children treated at the veteran medical institution. Among the team's athletes were the new European champion in the mixed doubles competition, Michaela Moshe (Maccabi Tel Aviv), the 2024 European champion and Israeli record holder, Shamai Yamarom (Maccabi Archers First), and archer Yehuda Cohen (Maccabi Archers Jerusalem). The connection between Alin and the archery team happened naturally. The hospital, which is considered the only one in the country specializing in the rehabilitation of children and youth, established an archery group several years ago, due to the fact that archery is considered a therapeutic sport recommended as a rehabilitation activity. In fact, archery allows children to see themselves not only as patients, but as active participants in the process of growth and development. The children treated at the hospital met the team representatives, and for several hours enjoyed a welcome and empowering leisure activity. The archery group at the hospital is a project jointly led by archery instructor Eliyahu Berlowitz-Levin and physiotherapist Amichai Gutman. Dr. Maurit Beeri , CEO of Alyn Hospital: "Archery is an innovative and unique addition that integrates into rehabilitation activities at Alyn because it does not require walking or running abilities, and combines strengthening back muscles, hand-eye coordination, concentration on a goal, and age-appropriate social activity. As such, it joins a host of activities that encourage children's motivation to improve as part of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation process." Amit Shiner-Dandkar , Chairman of the Archery Association: "Archery can be adapted to any person and any physical limitation, and beyond its physical-motor benefits, it has a special empowering power. We were happy to come with the archers of the Israeli national team for a joint training session with the archery team that trains at the hospital, believing that the meeting would be meaningful for both the young archers at Alyn and the archers of the national team, and it was exciting and heart-warming to see the connection between them." About Alyn Hospital: Alyn Hospital treats children with complex physical problems that affect their development, including children who have been injured in accidents, survived serious illnesses, are dealing with birth defects, are recovering from advanced orthopedic surgeries, and more. Alyn has full hospitalization departments, day hospitalization, multi-team clinics, a therapeutic sports system, and more. Alyn has an innovation center that operates a system of solutions that are individually manufactured for children, as well as the ALYNnovation project that works with startup companies and international organizations leading to significant breakthroughs in the world of child rehabilitation.

By this point in January, most of us have already let go of at least a few New Year’s resolutions. Life gets busy, routines return, and good intentions often fall by the wayside. But at ALYN Hospital, there is no giving up.

Two new, innovative learning spaces have recently been unveiled at ALYN Rehabilitation Hospital , creating joyful environments where children and teens can learn, create, and connect while continuing their rehabilitation journeys. Designed with care, creativity, and intention, these multipurpose activity rooms reflect ALYN’s commitment to treating the whole child—not only through clinical therapy but also through play, exploration, and meaningful engagement. Filled with therapeutic toys, games, and hands-on activities, the spaces invite children to move, imagine, and interact in ways that feel natural and fun. One of the most exciting features is a ceiling-mounted projection system that brings interactive games directly onto the floor. These games encourage children to stand, walk, crawl, jump, and explore movement at their own pace—turning therapy into an experience that feels more like play. Through this innovative technology, mobility, coordination, and confidence are strengthened in an environment filled with laughter and encouragement.  These new spaces were made possible thanks to the support of SASA Setton and generous contributions from partners who believe deeply in ALYN’s mission. Their support is a powerful reminder of the lasting impact that thoughtful initiatives can have on young lives. At ALYN, every detail matters. These new learning spaces are more than rooms—they are places where children discover what they can do, build independence, and experience the joy of progress, one step, jump, or game at a time.

Over the past few months, our events have created space for people to connect—through movement, learning, and shared experiences—while getting to know the work of American Friends of ALYN Hospital (AFAH). We kicked things off with a Barry’s Bootcamp class in Chelsea with Barry's , Empowered2Sweat, Moishe House, and Jukebox. These high-energy events brought together people from different circles and sparked new connections around a shared goal. Later in December, we gathered in Miami for a Challah Braid & Learn in Aventura—an evening filled with conversation, tradition, and learning—followed by a Pilates class in Miami Beach with Club Allenby that offered a more relaxed way to come together. Across all of these events, the focus stayed the same: building relationships and raising awareness for AFAH’s mission.

At 18, Mati Weiss rides a hand-powered bicycle after paralysis, while her coach Ohad Tanami carries the weight of war and loss together, they joined 300 cyclists and 17 rehabilitating children to complete a journey halted by war two years ago. Thirty kilometers in, on a cold night, in open terrain near Modi’in, a flat tire brings everything to a halt. Mati Weiss, 18, sits on her bicycle reading a book, waiting patiently as her coach, Ohad Tanami, fixes the punctured wheel. As he works, Ohad finds himself thinking of a sentence his battalion commander, Nati Alkobi, used to repeat: “Do the very best, and then a little more, and we will have a different country.” Nati was killed in combat in Khan Younis, four days before the end of Ohad’s first reserve duty rotation in the war. The sentence stayed with him. It accompanied them not only throughout the 260 kilometers of the cycling journey completed by Mati, Ohad and the rest of the group, but throughout the emotional journey they have traveled since October 7. “After Nati was killed, I needed time for myself,” Ohad shares. “I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress. I lost close friends. I felt I couldn’t commit to a journey like the one we did the year before.” After several months, he decided to return. For Mati. For himself. For Nati. READ MORE

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After a tragic road accident that nearly cost him his leg, Amri spent months in rehabilitation at ALYN Hospital before returning home to his friends and family—and along the way, his parents shared a message that stayed with us: "In a magical city, between mountains and quiet neighborhoods, there is a place like no other. Anyone lucky enough to arrive here discovers something wondrous, a home filled with superheroes disguised as everyday heroes, angels in the form of nurses and caregivers, and musicians conducting the orchestra in the shapes of doctors and therapists. Four months ago, we came here lost and hurting. Between long days and longer nights, within the walls of the ward, you lit a light for us, a light of gentleness, of patience, of boundless humanity. In a difficult time, you became our anchor, the steady hand that held us when our strength trembled, and the wide, wordless embrace that carried us forward. You do not only heal wounds, you also restore faith. You do not only treat the body, you also touch the soul. Thank you for being the light in our healing journey, for turning pain into hope…"