After two years of the program being forced to postpone due to COVID-19, a group of childhood cancer survivors are traveling to Israel this week as part of Chai Lifeline’s annual “Wish at the Wall” program. The trip is Chai Lifeline’s celebration of life for those who have completed treatment for cancer. Each participant is invited to share the memorable journey with a parent.
“Wish at the Wall is a culmination of months and years of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgeries, as well as the loneliness and isolation that accompanies the arduous cancer journey,” said Rabbi Shlomo Crandall, Wish at the Wall director and director of Chai Lifeline Midwest. “This program builds a unique bond between the teens and their parents and creates friendships and memories that last a lifetime.”
Upon arrival in Israel, the group will hit the ground running, getting the full Israel “experience” during a jam-packed 10-day expedition. They will travel across the country, visiting Masada, the Golan and Kineret, as well some of the holiest Jewish locations, including the Kotel and the old city of Safed. The teens will ride camels in the Jerusalem hills and tractors in a northern moshav, float in the Dead Sea, and tour excavation sites.
“The Israel experience has always been a form of closure for many of the children and families we have supported over the years,” says Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “All of these inspiring young men and women have faced incredible health and personal challenges in their fights with cancer. This trip will give them an experience and memories they will take with them for the rest of their lives.”
Chai Lifeline is grateful to the Hartman Family, whose foresight and initial support made Wish at the Wall possible, and whose foundation continues to take the lead on this and other Chai Lifeline programs in the Midwest. Chai Lifeline is an international children’s health support network, providing emotional, social, and financial assistance to more than 5,900 families confronting illness, crisis, and loss. To learn more about Chai Lifeline and its services, please visit www.chailifeline.org.
