M., a graduate of the “Zoharim” youth village, was critically injured in fighting in Lebanon. Yesterday he returned home to the village and shared his inspiring story with the students.
M., a graduate of the village of Zoharim, is a true hero with an inspiring life story. Six months ago, he was critically injured after being shot multiple times and a grenade exploded on him in Lebanon.
Now M. is here with us. He returned home to the village of Zoharim and shared with the village students a particularly moving lecture about his past, life in the village, and his military service.
- grew up in a Haredi home in Kiryat Sefer and at the age of 12 went through a crisis that shook his world and his family.
He arrived at the “Zoharim” youth village in the 9th grade, and did not believe in anyone else, certainly not in himself.
Over the course of 3 years in the village, with a lot of love and encouragement from the village’s mitzvot, he went through an amazing process in which he developed and rediscovered the faith in himself and the strengths he did not know were within him.
He took himself in his hands, looked the pain in the eyes – and changed the course of his life. “Everything I went through only strengthened me,” he says today, looking back.
In the village, he was certified as a riding instructor and helped other students gallop forward, successfully completed his matriculation, went to a pre-military preparatory school and enlisted in an elite unit.
In the fierce battles in Lebanon, he was mortally wounded and we were given no hope that he would come out of it. But M., like M., once again demonstrated strength of mind and body and came back to life.
Yesterday we welcomed him with open arms and lots of hugs when he came to meet the young generation of the village.
He sat in front of the students of the village where he himself grew up, and told in a fascinating way the story of his impressive life.
His story was very inspiring among the students who heard firsthand, about a young boy with a background similar to theirs, telling how he rebuilt himself.
When they saw such an impressive and confident young man in front of them, everything suddenly seemed possible for them too.
Thank you M. for everything you have done and are doing for the country, you are a source of pride for us and for the “Zoharim” youth village family!
