The Jewish Voice and Opinion - December 2007...

Operation Embrace Gives Financial and
Emotional Support to Israeli Victims of Arab Terror
By Betty Schwartz

In 2001, Aviva Tessler went to Israel to enjoy a sabbatical with her husband, Rabbi Joel Tessler, of Congregation Beth Sholom in Potomac, Maryland. She planned to enjoy a leisurely vacation during which she would write a book with her husband on topics dealing with psychology and Judaism. Instead, Mrs. Tessler started a new chapter in her life, helping victims of terror cope, and even thrive, in their post-terror lives.

While she was in Israel, the raging Intifada was already claiming hundreds of Jewish victims of Arab terror, and Mrs. Tessler began visiting the victims in Israeli hospitals. She assumed the patients would appreciate a quick hello with sincere wishes for a speedy recovery and then welcome a return to their privacy. But the patients she visited begged her to stay and keep in touch after she left.

“The first day, we’re headlines; three months later we’re forgotten,” a 22 year old patient lamented.

Filling the Gap
Mrs. Tessler learned that there is often a large gap in time between the initial care a patient receives after an attack and financial support from Bituach Leumi, Israel’s National Insurance Agency. During that time, emotional support dwindles as well.

Determined to help, Mrs. Tessler returned from that first trip and bought a laptop computer for a girl who was one of the victims. It was a lifeline for the injured student who could then continue her studies.

For Mrs. Tessler, it was the beginning of countlesshours spent raising money and visiting Israel to help terror victims recover from their ordeal. With the help of three Maryland friends, Anne Clemons, Jocelyn Krifcher, and Avivah Litan, Operation Embrace was born.

Englewood Event
Last month, Mrs. Tessler relayed these and other stories at a dessert reception and fundraising event in Englewood for Operation Embrace, now a 501c(3) nonprofit tax exempt organization. She came at the urging of her long-time friend and former Stern College classmate, Miriam Stiefel, who agreed to co-chair the Englewood event along with Anna Ostro, another Stern College alumna and enthusiastic Operation Embrace supporter.

While the thrust of Operation Embrace’s support is financial, the friendship and caring of volunteers make an important contribution to the patients’ well being. Avi Tabib, an Israeli terror victim, was at the Englewood reception to share his story of terror, survival, and recovery, thanks in no small measure to the help he received from Operation Embrace.

In the spring of 2003, Mr. Tabib, a student, was working as a security  guard at Mike’s Place, a popular Tel Aviv nightclub which had caught the attention of Jack Baxter, a film producer who was in the Jewish state
making a documentary on how Israelis survived in an atmosphere of imminent terror. Taken with the camaraderie, international flavor, and relaxed atmosphere in Mike’s Place, Mr. Baxter had decided to use the club in the documentary.

Terror Attack
On the night of April 30, 2003, Mr. Baxter was inside the club and Mr. Tabib was at the door. Trained to recognize suspicious behavior, Mr. Tabib quickly noticed two men with “nervous body language and crazy eyes”— the hallmarks of would-be terrorists—coming towards the club.

When Mr. Tabib denied them entrance, one fled. The other, however, detonated his explosives outside the club. Three people were killed and several were critically injured, including Messrs Tabib and Baxter. In Israel, it was recognized that the number of casualties would have been much higher had the terrorists gained entrance to the club. Mr. Tabib’s actions saved lives.

Changing the Story
At the Englewood event, Mr. Tabib discussed the ways in which Operation Embrace has helped him regain his health and his life, although he still needs medical treatment. He has since married and fathered a baby son whom he named Maoz after the pasuk in Tehillim #27 that he recites daily.

“A new Jewish life is the best revenge on terrorists,” he said proudly.

After the terrorist attack on Mike’s Place, Mr. Baxter’s film changed from a story of how Israelis cope with terror to an on-the-scene account of what happens during a terror attack. The completed film, “Blues on the Beach,” has won several prestigious awards and is being shown at synagogues and organizations throughout the US.

At the Englewood event, Operation Embrace managed a surprise for Mr. Tabib. The organization had arranged for Mr. Baxter to make an impromptu visit to see his Israeli friend who had saved his life during the attack. At the event, Mr. Baxter discussed his filmand emotionally thanked Mr. Tabib for his bravery that night at Mike’s Place.

Direct Financial Aid
Mrs. Tessler emphasized that Operation Embrace relies on professionals to help them choose beneficiaries and give From left, Jack and Fran Baxter and Avi Tabib Page - 30 The Jewish Voice and Opinion December 2007 Tell Our Advertisers “I Saw It in The Jewish Voice & Opinion” the right kind of support. The organization partners with Bituach Leumi as well a with social workers throughout the Jewish State to identify and assist victims of terror and their families.

Since 2001, Operation Embrace’s activities have included direct financial assistance to thousands of individuals and their families, including those in the north who were targets of Hezbollah’s Katyushas in the summer 2006 war with Lebanon, and in Sderot, where the residents live with continuing rocket attacks from Gaza.

Operation Embrace has contributed funds for medical care, rehabilitation, dental restoration, transportation, tuition for education, and a wide range of services that Israeli national insurance doesn’t cover. The group has purchased hundreds of laptop computers for students to help them continue their studies and stay connected to the outside world. They also give financial assistance to hospitals for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling.