Patients and Staff at the Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Hospital, Mt. Scopus, Painted Jerusalem Turquoise as they Blazed the Trail in last Friday’s Jerusalem’s Marathon!
The running team from the Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Hospital-Mt. Scopus, filled the streets of Jerusalem this morning with inspiring runners—war heroes.
The group, made up of patients who had been severely wounded in the “Iron Swords” battles and who have been undergoing intensive and prolonged treatments, also included rehabilitation staff who have been supporting the heroes along their road to recove
ry. Together, clad in turquoise team t-shirts, they conquered the Winner Jerusalem Marathon, which took place last Friday (April 4th, 2025), showing their true fighting spirit.
The marathon marks the pinnacle of a long training period in which the staff trained alongside the patients, encouraged them, pushed them towards possible achievements, and helped them discover their hidden physical and mental strengths.
Among the runners were Lt. Col. Asaf Ilan, a tank battalion commander who was severely injured and rehabilitated at Hadassah; Y, a soldier from a multidimensional unit wounded while trying to rescue his company commander, who was shot by terrorists in Gaza; and On, a reservist who was critically wounded in combat in Lebanon but continued working to save his team despite his injuries.
Many others who were injured in different circumstances joined them, spurred by the announcement of the Hadassah running group—an initiative that motivated them to achieve significant physical capabilities and prepare for the marathon.
The initiative to establish the team—composed of both caregivers and patients—was envisioned and realized by physiotherapist Ayala Hirst, who decided to set an ambitious goal for rehabilitation patients, training together with caregivers to prepare mentally and physically.
As spectators saw the runners in Hadassah turquoise shirts – some walking with crutches, some running wrapped in bandages, others wearing their scars with pride – the crowds lining the streets cheered them on with cries of “Thank you, heroes!”
With over 100 participants, the group completed their mission with pride and vowed to return for the next Jerusalem Marathon. Said xxx, “As a team of rehabilitated fighters, it’s clear—this is what unites us. Thanks to the team at Hadassah, we learned how to fight and achieve the kind of results we could never even have dreamed of.”
Lt. Col. (Res.) Asaf Ilan, commander of the 363rd Armored Battalion, managed to take a brief leave from his duties in Gaza and made it to the Jerusalem Marathon, where he ran as part of the Gandel rehabilitation group.
Lt. Col. Ilan was severely injured in January 2024, when his battalion was deep in combat in the Gaza Strip. Since then, the determined reservist has undergone complex arm surgery performed by Prof. Yoram Weil, head of Hadassah’s Orthopedic Trauma Unit, and Prof. Shay Luria, head of Hadassah’s Hand Surgery Unit, followed by intensive rehabilitation at Hadassah Mount Scopus.
“During an operation in Khan Yunis to locate tunnels with my battalion, I got off the tank to assess the terrain—then I was shot by a sniper in the elbow. I immediately understood the injury was serious,” he recalls.
At 43 years old, married and a father of children, living in Jerusalem, Ilan continued to command the battle and issue orders. When the moment came to evacuate him, he refused to lie on a stretcher. “I walked toward the tank that evacuated me—I wanted my soldiers to see me standing, to instill confidence.”
From there, he was swiftly transported to Ein Kerem for major hand surgery before embarking on a long rehabilitation journey with a top-tier professional team. “Soon, I started seeing results from my hard work. I realized they were truly experts in restoring both body and spirit.”
Even in recent months, the battalion commander has remained on active missions, with more medical procedures ahead at Hadassah. “I ran 10 kilometers, feeling deep gratitude to the Hadassah team that operated on me and the rehabilitation team that pushed me toward achievements and new abilities every single day. I ran with the Hadassah group with pride.”
**Photo credits:** Hadassah spokesperson
**Written by:** Hadar Elboim, Hadassah spokesperson