More than a Destination
A Message from the Executive Director
Each year, as we move through the days of the Omer—that sacred stretch of time between the liberation of Passover and the revelation of Shavuot—I find myself reflecting on what it truly means to be free. The Israelites wandered through the desert not simply to reach a destination, but to be transformed. To become a people capable of receiving the Torah. To learn, in the most profound way, what it means to care for one another.
It is in that spirit that I think about ALYN Hospital in Jerusalem—and why I believe, with all my heart, that it is a holy place.
ALYN stands as a shining example of what it means to live by some of the highest Jewish values—compassion, inclusion, and unwavering commitment to helping others. At ALYN, staff, volunteers, patients, and their families—people of every background and faith—come together, united by a shared mission: to provide exceptional care and support to children with complex physical challenges. No matter what a child’s background, if they need ALYN’s services, they receive them—without hesitation.
These past few years have tested the people of Israel in ways that are difficult to put into words. The trauma of the ongoing conflict, the fear and grief that have touched nearly every family—in Israel and in Jewish communities around the world—have reminded us how fragile life can be, and how essential it is to hold onto what matters most. Many of us have friends and relatives in Israel who have lived through this pain directly. We think of them constantly.
And yet, through it all, ALYN has never stopped. Every single day—through sirens, through uncertainty, through sorrow—the doctors, nurses, therapists, and staff have shown up for their patients. The children in their care could not wait, and ALYN did not make them wait. That kind of dedication, sustained in the face of everything the past two years have brought, is nothing short of heroic.
At American Friends of ALYN Hospital, our mission is to raise awareness and support for this vital institution. The need has never been greater—and neither has the opportunity to make a difference.
Together, we can continue to create lasting change—for the children at ALYN, for the people of Israel, and for the world.
