Photo by
Elazar Feinstein/TPS-IL on 22 June, 2025
Missile Shatters Israeli Rehab Center for Disabled Children; President Vows Rebuilding
Jerusalem, 22 June, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal, visited the Aleh rehabilitative center in Bnei Brak on Sunday, one week after it was severely damaged by an Iranian missile strike. The attack, part of Iran’s recent missile barrage against Israel, destroyed parts of the facility and forced hundreds of children with severe disabilities to leave their treatments and therapies.
Aleh is a leading Israeli nonprofit that provides specialized care for around 260 children and young adults with complex physical and cognitive disabilities. Many of the children at the Bnei Brak campus require ventilators and 24-hour medical support. The center, which opened in 2019, offered advanced therapies, education, and medical care tailored to their unique needs.
The missile hit the center late Sunday night, causing widespread destruction. Killed in the attack was Avraham Cohen, a 75-year-old man who was in a neighboring building. In the center, therapy rooms collapsed and essential medical equipment was destroyed.
President Herzog was met at the center by Aleh founder and CEO, Rabbi Yehuda Marmorstein, his family, and senior staff, along with Bnei Brak Mayor Avraham Rubinstein.
“Aleh is one of Israel’s most exceptional institutions, caring for children with the most complex special needs. This very classroom — where ventilated children continued to receive special education — was the missile’s target and impact point,” Herzog said.
He added, “I want to thank the incredible team and Yehuda Marmorstein. This is the project of his life. I am confident this place will be rebuilt and will return to full operation. What matters most is that these children — who are already suffering deeply — can resume their vital therapeutic and educational routines as soon as possible.”
Rabbi Marmorstein thanked the President and First Lady for their long-standing support, saying, “You’ve been walking with us for nearly forty years. What you see now will, without a doubt, be rebuilt within two months. I’m not concerned about the damage. I care about the 260 children who are currently at home, waiting to return.”
Iran’s missile attacks have killed 24 people and injured over than 1,300. The Israel Tax Authority has received more than 25,000 damage claims related to buildings.
Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to Israeli defense officials, Iran has developed the capacity to rapidly enrich uranium and assemble nuclear bombs, with sufficient fissile material for up to 15 weapons.
Israeli intelligence also exposed a covert program to complete all components of a nuclear device. The strikes marked a dramatic escalation in what officials describe as a broader Iranian strategy combining nuclear development, missile proliferation, and proxy warfare aimed at Israel’s destruction.
