The institute, which is marking its 60th year, has expanded its activity in various locations across the country, due to the tremendous need for rehabilitation centers nationwide. In the past two years, centers have been opened in Jerusalem, Rishon LeZion, Sderot, and now Beersheba.
The center was established thanks to the support of the Iron Swords Emergency Fund and the CJA Federation in Montreal. This is not just another ordinary treatment center—but a comprehensive rehabilitation process, a place that understands that trauma affects not only the psyche, but also our ability to think, remember, concentrate, and function.
“Beersheba, the capital of the Negev, suffered heavy blows in the current war—missiles from Iran, terror attacks, and of course, the heavy price our soldiers and also civilians have paid since October 7,” notes Rabbi Dr. Raphael Feuerstein, President of the Feuerstein Institute. “There is a real and urgent need here for a professional and advanced response. The new center we opened with our partners in the Montreal Federation fund offers something that hasn’t existed in the area: Treatment that combines the emotional component with functional and cognitive rehabilitation. This means that we don’t only deal with the trauma and the past, but also—and mainly—with the future: By building the person’s significant life functions and restoring the ability to think sharply, remember, concentrate, and make decisions.”
“At our centers, we meet hundreds of patients who feel they’ve lost the sense of control over their lives,” explains Chava Dradik, Head of the Rehabilitation Centers Division at the Feuerstein Institute and an occupational therapist. “The center in Beersheba, like other Feuerstein centers, will provide multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs, because it’s not enough to heal the body—we need to restore the person to themselves, to their sense of capability, and to the meaningful roles in their life.”
“Patients are referred to our rehabilitation program through a rehabilitation officer at the Ministry of Defense or National Insurance, for anyone recognized with over 20% disability due to post-trauma and/or head injury,” adds Chava Dradik. “The foundation of the method is the belief in the brain’s plasticity and its ability to recover. We teach the brain again how to process information, how to solve problems, how to set goals and reach them. It’s not magic—it’s scientific, precise work, based on 60 years of research and development.”