Dvir Musai is a friend I met in Israel in 2016 when I was part of a two-year Hadassah Leadership Fellowship initiative. We were a group of “#lucky16” young women from around the country who were recruited to become more engaged in Hadassah as potential future leaders.

As part of our Hadassah Fellowship itinerary, we experienced the “March of the Living” trip to Poland, where we visited the Auschwitz concentration camp and Krakow, home of one of five major metropolitan Nazi ghettos created by Germany.

Then we traveled to Israel to learn more about the creation of the state post-World War II. We met so many interesting people. One of them was Dvir. I was so inspired by his attitude of gratitude and the way he carried himself in the world.

I remember Dvir as a poised young man, seated, holding his cane. He shared with us his nightmare story, in a well-practiced tone that draws the listener in, though knowing that he was re-telling a story he’s told many times. He began by saying, “Hadassah women, I loved you before I ever met you.”

On June 11, 2002, at age 13, Dvir was on a school field trip. Along with his friends, he had been misbehaving. So they were “invited” to go back to the bus and wait for the rest of the students there.

As they made their way through the field, Dvir stepped on a land mine that had been planted by terrorists. He described the smell of the air, the sound of buzzing in his ears and the incredible pain as his body was destroyed. He was rushed to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, where the trauma surgeons saved his life. He spent many months recovering in the hospital and, to date, he has undergone more than 40 surgeries.

Dvir described how, as he spent birthdays and holidays at Hadassah, the doctors, nurses and medical clowns became his family. He shared how the “ladies of Hadassah” supported him through our donations.

Dvir’s experience is haunting. When I first heard him say the date his injuries happened, I actually gasped, because June 11, 2002, is the day my daughter Elizabeth was born. So, a day that gave me great joy brought destruction and chaos to Dvir and his family.

A couple of years ago, Rabbi Joseph Polak, my rabbi and mentor and a child survivor of the Holocaust, sent me an article. It turns out it was about my dear friend Dvir! There was an opportunity for him to have a special surgery to relieve some of the nerve pain in his feet. The problem was that the surgery was an outgrowth of research conducted by the Nazis who were experimenting on Jewish victims during the Holocaust.

A further complication was that the only doctor with the skills to perform the surgery was one of Hadassah’s Arab surgeons, Dr. Madi El-Haj. Though Dvir’s trauma had begun with an act of terrorism, Dvir chose to have the surgery performed by an Arab surgeon. Now, he and Dr. El-Haj are friends and often tell their story together. (Read more about Dvir’s incredible surgery on the Hadassah website.)

Despite the fact that Dvir has spent most of his childhood and teenage years in and out of the hospital and continues to have surgeries to relieve pain, his outlook on life continues to be inspirational.

At age 18, Dvir, even though he was eligible for an exemption from military service, chose to serve his country. In fact, he’s been in milium (the Israel Defense Forces army reserves) since Oct. 7. Recently, he became an officer. He also works at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem as an ambassador for visitors. He and his wife, Orly, whom he met at the hospital, have two beautiful children.

Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) is full of incredible success stories like Dvir’s. Every time I attend a Hadassah conference, I meet survivors who most likely would have died if they hadn’t been treated at Hadassah. We are known for our world-class, cutting-edge research and innovative treatment.

If you have a chance to go to Hadassah Ein Kerem, make sure to try to meet Dvir! And also stop by the Hadassah Office in Israel (HOI) to say hello to Barbara Goldstein (BG), HOI’s ambassador-at-large, who loves greeting visitors and will have many inspiring stories to share.

Learn more about Hadassah’s Evolve program here.

Jody Comins is a member of the Hadassah Writers’ Circle, a dynamic and diverse writing group for leaders and members to express their thoughts and feelings about all the things Hadassah does to make the world a better place, to celebrate their personal Hadassah journeys and to share their Jewish values, family traditions and interpretations of Jewish texts. Since 2019, the Hadassah Writers’ Circle has published nearly 450 columns in the Times of Israel Blog and other Jewish media outlets. Interested? Please contact hwc@hadassah.org.

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