The Chanuka Miracle of the Wounded from Modi'in
The wounded soldiers of the I.D.F. closed a circle at the Chanuka party st the Chabad Youth Org. headquarters in Kfar Chabad
The wounded soldiers of the I.D.F. closed a circle at the
Chanuka party st the Chabad Youth Org. headquarters in Kfar Chabad
On Chanuka four years ago, Moshe and Sara Zicherman didn't believe that their son Dror will ever be able to stand on his own legs, and light the candles on the fifth night of Chanuka. At that time he was critically wounded, with a many-faceted injury, and was losing great amounts of blood.
Dror, a resident of Modi'in, was a soldier in the force sent that day to stop a vehicle which had left Jenin on its way to Kfar Saba. According to intelligence information received by the I.D.F. force, a vehicle holding a terrorist wearing an explosive belt was on its way to Kfar Saba, where the terrorist was to blow himself up in a crowded Kanion full with children enjoying a Chanuka event. The I.D.F. force put up a sudden road-block on the way leaving the city, and each vehicle was stopped and checked. The force spotted a suspicious cab in which six people were traveling. The head of the force, Uri Benimo, may his blood be avenged, came over to the cab and ordered all the people out of it. At this point, the terrorist pressed the
botton on the explosive belt. Benimo was killed on the spot and Dror who was gravely injured was flown out to the Medical Center Hillel Yaffe in Hadera.
Upon receiving information about the terror attack, Rabbi Menachem Kutner, the representative of the Chabad Youth Org. for terror victims, came to the medical center to be with the family in its difficult hour. He met Dror's parents, who were hurt and broken and strived to strengthen their spirit.
Dror was in the operating room, undergoing several operations at once. From time to time the surgeons would come out and inform the parents that their son's condition is hopeless, but they are fighting with all their might to save his life. They said among other things, that they had to infuse him with 20 pints of blood, because of excessive bleeding from several points in his body.
At this difficult moment, Rabbi Kutner said to the parents: Today is Chanuka, a festival of miracles and one must not lose faith. He suggested the father light the Chanuka candkles and pray to G‑d that He who has done miracles for our fore-fathers, will send a miracle to their badly injured son, Dror. The father made the blessings and lit the candles. The whole family joined in the singing of "HaNeirot Hallalu" and "Maoz Tzur", with great prayer.
And the miracle indeed happened. After a few days of hovering between life and death, Dror came out of danger. His condition went and improved. He has undergone a long rehabilitation, and in the past year even took part in the delegation of wounded soldiers which the Chabad Youth Org. facilitated, on a rehabilitating ski trip to Aspen Colorado.
On Tuesday this past week, on the fifth candle of Chanuka, Dror came to the Chabad Youth Org. headquarters in Kfar Chabad to celebrate the special Chanuka party for the group of wounded soldiers of the I.D.F. Scores of severely wounded soldiers, who have undergone a long way in their rehab, with the close and ongoing accompaniment of the Chabad Youth Org., came to
enjoy together the joy of the festival.
Rabbi Kutner invited Dror to light the candles, and told all those present his wonderous story. When he finished telling the story, one of the wounded soldiers stood up, Jerry Alfemon from Natanya, who had come to the Chanuka celebration with his wife and children and said that he wishes to close the circle and tell the continuation of the story.
"Five weeks after Dror was injured, a special force left for Jenin to catch the head of the terror squad who'd sent that terrorist," told us Jerry, " This terror squad was responsible for many acts of murder, one of which is the terror attack on the Park Hotel in Netanya. I was in the force sent on this mission. A hard battle developed in which the arch-terrorist was killed together with a terrorist who was with him. In this altercation, I was severely wounded and suffered a head injury and have undergone a difficult period of rehabilitation. But I'm glad we were able to eliminate the murderous terror squad who had hit Dror and many other Jews. Therefore I'm very moved to be standing here and now and seeing how the circle is closed."
The group of wounded soldiers broke out in enthusiastic applause. Dror and Jerry hugged each other emotionally, after which Dror made the blessing on the Chanuka candles and lit the fifth candle.
