This week, I found myself at my community’s Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) commemoration which, of course, has extra meaning this year following the tragic events of October 7, 2023.  I thought about the impact of these events on the families and staff at ALYN Hospital - whether on individuals who lost family members, those who had to go into unexpected reserve duty, and the hospital administration needing to make sure that security measures were in place for the staff and patients.  Despite this all, there was never a time when the care and treatment of the children at ALYN was compromised.

Within 24 hours, we leave the sadness of Yom HaZikaron to begin the celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day), this year marks the 76^th anniversary of Israel’s creation.  I am constantly amazed at the contributions that have come from Israel to benefit the rest of the world, and ALYN is an important part of this.  The hospital regularly receives visits and opportunities to share their knowledge with other medical professionals around the world.  ALYN’s contributions to the field of pediatric rehabilitation have improved the lives of children worldwide.