Be Inspired by a Modern Israeli Hero


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Join us on February 10, 2015 to welcome Paralympic gold medalist, Noam Gershony, to our community and to hear his inspirational story.  Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
 

Noam Gershony is lucky to be alive, and he knows it. In 2006, during the Second Lebanon War, the Apache helicopter he was piloting crashed, killing his co-pilot and leaving Gershony paralyzed. “A miracle happened that evening,” Gershony told paralympic.org. “In a helicopter crash, there’s no parachute, there’s no eject button. I was very lucky to survive.” From that moment on, he was determined to make the most of his second chance. He told Ynet: “It was a miracle that I was saved. From the moment that I got my life back as a gift, I promised myself that I wouldn’t waste it.”
 

After numerous operations and grueling rehab, he decided to take up wheelchair tennis. By all accounts he was a natural on the courts, despite having only taken five lessons before his accident. His big moment came in London during the 2012 Paralympic Games, when he won gold in quad singles. It was Israel’s first gold of the games, and the country’s first ever in tennis. “You proved that you are as good on court as you are in the sky, talented in the Apache and tennis,” said President Shimon Peres. “We are very proud of you.”
 

For Gershony, his injury was much more than a brush with death, and his Paralympic win was much more than a personal achievement. Together, they have given him the chance to bring honour to his country again, and to open doors to do good work in his community, where he currently volunteers with at-risk youth in Tel Aviv.
 

On February 10, 2015 Noam Gershony will share his remarkable comeback story with our community. Jewish Federation, Temple Sholom, and the JCC have partnered together to make this event possible. Please click here for more information and here to purchase tickets.
 

Photo from Haaretz.com by Razi Livnat