At 3:00 am, early on a recent Friday morning, Operation Rising Lion began. As the Israeli Air Force attacked targets in Iran, Alei Siach’s well-trained staff swiftly and safely transitioned more than 120 apartments for special needs individuals throughout the country into a state-of-emergency mode.

This was not a drill. But as Alei Siach’s team had prepared and practiced for such a scenario, we were able to immediately and professionally activate a plan that ensured the physical safety of our residents and staff and provided critical emotional, mental, and social support. As workplaces, schools, and communal activities throughout Israeli society came to a standstill for the next 12 very difficult days, Alei Siach offered a holistic approach to protecting this vulnerable population.

As the reality awakened us on that Friday morning with the severity of the escalation with Iran, we realized that the plans for some of the residents scheduled to return to their families’ homes the Shabbos would have to change immediately. Alei Siach launched an expedited recruitment of dozens of staff, initiated logistical planning, and shifted into high gear with medical and healthcare efforts. This was coupled with the immediate procurement of all necessities, including food, drink, emergency equipment, and supplies to offer a calm ambiance in a safe environment for Shabbos.

The national state-of-emergency due to the security situation mandated the closure of Alei Siach’s employment centers, which meant all residents would remain in their residential apartments all day, every day. Making arrangements and coordinating activities to fill their time in a meaningful manner became the focus of a collaborative effort between the residential staff and the employment center’s personnel.

Madrichot, staff and residential coordinators, social workers, psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists worked around the clock to ensure an engaging and educational agenda tailored to their needs and filled with social and learning programs, cognitive and physical movement activities, personal conversations and a lot of listening by staff, baking, creative workshops, group games, and more. All this was provided in a supportive, inclusive atmosphere, while maintaining a sense of stability and security even when sirens moved the activities into the protected rooms.

When Israel launched the Rising Lion Campaign, Alei Siach initiated an internal competition among our residences, challenging them to create a special poster of encouragement and optimism during these challenging days. The apartment that best and most creatively conveyed a message that strengthened spirits would win an ice cream party and other great prizes. The fun and friendly competition created a unifying and engaging activity in each individual residence that generated a calmness and strengthened the residents’ confidence in their own capabilities during this time of uncertainty. This competition illustrated that when the mind is busy with creative fun, it can transform stress into tranquility.

As Israel and Iran begin their ceasefire, Alei Siach has demonstrated that it can continue to fulfill its mission of always being here for the special needs community, even in the most trying of times. As noted by Rabbi Chaim Perkal, the Chair and Director of Alei Siach, “It is not in the quiet and calm times that educational or therapeutic frameworks have their true tests, but during a crisis. As people sheltered in place, often isolated by the closing doors of the bomb shelters, our arms, hearts, and residences remained wide open and embraced the special needs community. We continued to carry forward with our mission with faith, love, and a deep understanding that we are dealing with precious souls who always need us.”