Temple Beth Sholom’s congregants and teens heard the stories from soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces
who have recovered from their wounds during an inspiring evening of solidarity on November 3,
2024.
Matan Falach, a staff sergeant who was severely wounded last December in Gaza, and Steve
Wailand, a paramedic who served during a previous conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon and is now an
IDF reservist described their injuries and struggles to recover.
Their visit was under the auspices of El-Ami, an Israeli organization that teaches students in Israel and
abroad about the challenges wounded IDF soldiers face. Psychologist Dr. Norman Fried, who practices in
New York spoke about the impact of trauma on both soldiers and the survivors of the October 7, 2023,
attack in Israel. He said he is working on a documentary film about post-traumatic stress disorder in
Israel since the attack. The evening was dedicated to Omer Neutra, an IDF soldier from Long Island
who is still being held captive in Gaza.