Will 2025 Usher in a Prescription for Peace?

As we light the last two Chanukah candles, we can only hope that these rays of light will carry over into the New Year.

2024 might have been the most challenging year ever for the staff at Sheba Medical Center, as medical teams fought to save the lives of hundreds upon hundreds of critically injured soldiers from Gaza, Lebanon and Judea/Samaria (W.Bank), while at the same time maintaining a sense of urgency to treat nearly two million Israeli citizens who needed medical care. Those citizens included returning hostages from the hell-holes of Gaza, who continue to reveal the horrors of their captivity to the world-at-large.

All of us have been impacted in some way by the on-going wars that continue to rage around us, sometimes forcing us into our protected shelters at work and at home literally around the clock.

It is a surreal experience that few people abroad can ever possibly understand, even if they see the missile attacks and hear the wail of sirens on TV or via social media. Despite these challenges, the nearly 11,000 dedicated Sheba staff members continued to arrive to work every single day.

During the Chanukah holiday, Sheba’s “Returning to Life” rehab hospital has become a magnet for a phalanx of Israeli politicians, celebrities, organizational leaders and ordinary citizens from the USA and Israel, who wish to bring a sense of holiday cheer and optimism to our heroic soldiers (read about some of these below).

These heartwarming scenes continue to provide hope for a brighter future, where the drums of war will eventually transform into a symphony of peace in our region and around the globe.