Celebrating the light that was extinguished too early by Hamas - opinion

The October 7 massacre and the ongoing war against Hamas have deeply affected every community in Israel. 

However, children with autism are particularly impacted. Neurotypical children have experienced anguish, confusion, and trauma; children with autism face even greater challenges in coping with their new reality.

Noya Dan, a 12-year-old girl on the autism spectrum, was staying with her grandmother Carmela on Kibbutz Kissufim when they were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7. For 16 excruciating days, Noya and Carmela were missing. Noya, an avid Harry Potter fan, brought hope to those praying for her safety, including J.K. Rowling herself.

Tragically, their prayers were unanswered. Noya and Carmela’s remains were eventually found near the Israeli-Gaza border, side by side. Noya, believing in the magic she adored, had taken one of her wands hoping it could protect them.

Noya was a student at the Alumot Or school network, which promotes excellence in special education. Our organization runs 16 schools with small classrooms and individual placement programs catering to 1,500 students with disabilities and at-risk youth across Israel. Following Noya’s tragic death, we decided to honor her memory by establishing a new center named after her.

The Alumot Or Center named after Noya Dan, of blessed memory, will celebrate her passions – magic, anime, and space exploration – while also providing services for those on the autistic spectrum. Located in Israel’s periphery, this project will also have an experiential-educational component that will allow neurotypical people to perceive the world through the perspective of autistic individuals.

Noya’s story is just one of over 1,200 tragic stories from October 7. Our national, communal, and individual challenge is to wrestle with the crisis and emerge stronger. At Alumot Or, we are meeting this challenge by leading projects that support children with disabilities to navigate these challenging times.

To this end, Alumot Or has joined Israel Venture Network’s  “Achim LeNefesh” (meaning Brothers for the Soul) initiative which offers psychosocial support to approximately 12,000 students and staff in 22 educational institutions beyond the 7 km. perimeter from Gaza. This initiative ensures no student or educator is left behind in times of crisis.

Beyond this, we are enhancing resilience in special education by pioneering an innovative model, combining our expertise with Prof. Mooli Lahad’s BASIC Ph model of coping and resiliency. This collaboration, the first of its kind in Israel, strives to influence the special education system nationwide by integrating proven resilience strategies into the curriculum.

These initiatives are our response to crisis and tragedy. They support an often-overlooked aspect of our shared society.

Making students' voices heard

Alumot Or is founded on the principle of ‘nothing about us without us,’ ensuring our students’ voices are at the center of their educational journey. As a leader in special education, we seek to share our knowledge and experience internationally with bodies like UNESCO and UNICEF and within the Jewish Diaspora.

In this regard, Ziv Magor, Director-General of Alumot Or, will address The Jerusalem Post conference in New York. Our goal is to raise awareness and find partners to join our mission to foster resilience, particularly among youth with disabilities, and create inclusive, supportive educational environments, especially since October 7.

By meeting these challenges and strengthening the coping abilities of these children, we send a strong message that Israel will emerge stronger, more inclusive, and resilient.

After all, finding a ray of light in this darkness is the essence of our name, Alumot Or (Rays of Light).

The writer is chairman of Alumot Or and the Center for Jewish Impact, and former CEO of the World Jewish Congress. www.alumotor.org/en