The Chabad House in the beautiful city of Aspen, Colorado, hosted a group of 13 veterans, including some with head wounds and other severe injuries. Six of the soldiers, who had lost their legs, surprised their American instructors with their absolute determination to learn to ski and improve their rehabilitation skills.
During their week in Aspen, the Israeli soldiers met up with a group of 400 American soldiers who were learning to ski after having been wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
One of the Israeli soldiers, a captain in the paratroops, showed unusual determination. Even though both of his legs had been amputated, he was still able to ski in an upright position, using his prostheses. This amazed the instructors and the American soldiers, who were used to skiing while sitting on a special ski chair.
The Chabad House in Aspen, Colorado, run by shliach Rabbi Mendel Mintz, provided luxury accommodation with full board for the soldiers. Snowstorms at the airport in Denver delayed the group’s arrival for six hours as they waited for their connecting flight.
When it became apparent that the next flight would only take off on the following day, Rabbi Mintz organized a large limousine to transport the group to Aspen, which is about five hours’ drive away. The various congregations of the local Jewish community united to help with the Chabad House’s special project, and every evening they organized joint activities that expressed their affection and appreciation for these soldiers who were wounded in the service of the nation and the land.
Rabbi Menachem Kutner of the Tzerei Chabad of Israel’s Terror Victims Project, who headed the delegation, said that that on the final day of skiing, several soldiers asked to ski down the entire mountain as far as the parking lot instead of going down in the cable car. This showed the success of the project, the purpose of which was to give the soldiers the necessary tools to initiate any activity and overcome the limitations caused by their injuries. This is a vital part of their rehabilitation process.
Soldier Kfir Levi, who was mortally wounded in a direct RPG missile strike on the Gush Katif community of Netzarim, was very moved to discover that he was able to ski in spite of being paralyzed down one side of his body. As he hugged Rabbi Mintz, he said, “I’ll never forget the special experience that you have given me.”
