President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog visited the ALEH rehabilitative campus in Bnei Brak on Sunday, one week after the facility sustained a direct hit from an Iranian missile during the latest wave of attacks on Israel.
The campus—widely regarded as one of Israel’s most advanced centers for children with severe disabilities—suffered extensive damage in the strike. Though no casualties were reported, several key treatment areas were rendered inoperable, displacing hundreds of children and halting vital services.
Accompanied by Bnei Brak Mayor Rabbi Hanoch Zeibert and senior municipal officials, the President and First Lady toured the site with ALEH’s founder and CEO, Rabbi Yehuda Marmorstein, Director of Operations Shlomo Marmorstein, and members of the center’s leadership. Walking through the shattered classrooms and medical facilities, they were visibly moved by the scope of the destruction.
“This is ALEH, in the heart of Bnei Brak—a beacon of compassion and excellence,” President Herzog said. “This very room, which served ventilated children in special education, was the missile’s point of impact. And yet, I have no doubt: it will be rebuilt. It will return to life.”
The President praised the organization’s decades-long mission, commending the staff’s determination to restore operations. “I want to thank the extraordinary ALEH team, and Rabbi Marmorstein in particular, for this life’s work. What matters most now is bringing the children back and resuming the care they so urgently need.”
Rabbi Marmorstein, a central figure in Israel’s disability care sector for nearly four decades, expressed gratitude for the Herzogs’ enduring support. “You’ve been with us every step of the way,” he told them. “I’m not worried about the damage—we will rebuild. My heart is with the 260 children from 52 cities and towns who are now waiting at home.”
The President and First Lady spent time with ALEH’s educators, medical staff, and families of the children, offering words of encouragement and reaffirming the state’s commitment to vulnerable populations even amid wartime.
The missile strike on ALEH struck a deep national nerve, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the attacks and the enduring challenge of safeguarding the country’s most fragile citizens. Yet, in its aftermath, the campus and its community have emerged as a symbol of resilience.
As President Herzog put it, “This place will return to life—not just because it must, but because its spirit was never broken.”
