By Miri Schreiber, Global CEO
As Israel’s summer vacation season begins and families across the country pack their bags for much-needed getaways, there’s a harsh reality we can’t ignore: illness doesn’t take a vacation. While other children are building sandcastles and swimming in the Mediterranean, children battling cancer and other serious medical conditions are often confined to hospital rooms, treatment centers, and the exhausting routine of managing their health. Meanwhile, parents battling illness are left alone, bewildered, and overwhelmed while their children are on summer break.
But this summer, we’re changing that narrative for 50 families dealing with serious illness.
Healthcare Support for Israeli Families: Beyond Medical Treatment
At Or Lacholeh, we understand that healing children and families with serious illness extends far beyond medical procedures and treatment protocols. Sometimes, the most powerful medicine is the simple joy of being together as a family, away from the sterile walls of hospitals and the constant reminder of childhood cancer and chronic illness.
That’s why this summer, we’re proud to announce our Healing Getaways Program – providing 50 families dealing with illness fully-funded summer vacations to destinations of their choice across Israel and beyond. These aren’t just trips; they’re lifelines to normalcy, hope, and precious family memories.
Family Vacation Support for Families with Sick Children: What Healing Getaways Mean
For families navigating serious illness and cancer, a vacation represents something most of us take for granted:
Freedom from medical schedules – No early morning lab draws, no chemotherapy appointments, no constant medication reminders. Just the luxury of waking up when you want to.
Sibling restoration – Brothers and sisters who have watched their parents’ attention necessarily focus on themselves or their sick sibling finally get to be the center of attention, to laugh freely, to be kids again.
Parental reconnection – Mothers and fathers who have spent months coordinating care, researching treatments, and managing medical crises get to remember what it feels like to simply be spouses and parents, not medical advocates.
Creating positive memories – Instead of their childhood being defined solely by having a sick parent or hospital visits and treatments, these children get to collect moments of pure joy that will sustain them through difficult times ahead.
Israel Family Vacation Destinations: Where Healing Happens
Our families choose their own healing destinations based on their family’s needs, preferences, and medical requirements. Popular vacation choices include:
- Eilat’s Red Sea resorts – Where children can snorkel in shallow, safe waters and parents can watch sunsets without worry
- Jerusalem’s family-friendly hotels – Combining spiritual renewal with accessible amenities
- Tel Aviv beachfront accommodations – Offering both relaxation and easy access to world-class medical facilities if needed
- Northern Israel kibbutz retreats – Where families can experience Israel’s agricultural beauty in a peaceful setting
- Dead Sea therapeutic resorts – Providing natural healing properties alongside relaxation
- Galilee nature retreats – Offering tranquil settings for family bonding
Each family works with our team to ensure their chosen destination accommodates their unique medical needs while maximizing their enjoyment and peace of mind.
Charitable Giving Impact: The Ripple Effect of Supporting Sick Families
When you donate to fund a family vacation through Or Lacholeh’s Healing Getaways Program, you’re not just paying for hotel rooms. You’re investing in:
- Emotional healing that can’t be prescribed by any doctor
- Family bonds that strengthen resilience for the journey ahead
- Sibling relationships that might otherwise suffer under the strain of illness
- Parental well-being that directly impacts the sick child or parent’s recovery
- Hope that reminds families there’s life beyond illness
Israeli Healthcare Nonprofit: Supporting Families Beyond Hospital Walls
Our Healing Getaways Program represents Or Lacholeh’s commitment to holistic family support for Israeli families. We recognize that when a child or parent is seriously ill, the entire family becomes a patient in need of healing. These vacations serve as crucial intervention points, preventing family burnout and providing the emotional reserves needed for ongoing medical battles.
The program also reflects our understanding of Israeli culture, where summer vacations are not luxuries but essential family time. By ensuring that illness doesn’t rob families of these cultural touchstones, we’re helping preserve their connection to normal Israeli life.
How to Donate: Making Family Vacations Possible for Sick Children and Parents
Every donation to Or Lacholeh helps fund these transformative experiences, and every dollar counts!
$830 covers a complete family vacation – including accommodation, meals, activities, and transportation.
But the true value? Priceless moments of joy, restored family connections, and memories that will last a lifetime.
Beyond This Summer: A Year-Round Commitment to Israeli Families
While our Healing Getaways Program focuses on these crucial vacation months, Or Lacholeh’s commitment to Israeli families extends year-round. We provide:
- Emergency assistance with food, clothing, and household needs
- Emotional support services for parents and siblings
- Educational advocacy to ensure sick children don’t fall behind academically
- Community building among families facing similar challenges
The Gift of Normal: Supporting 50 Israeli Families This Summer
As these 50 families embark on their summer adventures, they carry with them something precious: the gift of feeling normal again, even if just for a week. They’ll return home with strengthened family bonds, renewed hope, and the knowledge that their community stands with them.
Illness may not take a vacation, but thanks to your support, neither do the love, joy, and hope that sustain families through their darkest hours.
This summer, while illness continues its relentless march, 50 Israeli families will taste freedom, create memories, and remember that they are more than their medical diagnoses. They are families deserving of joy, rest, and the simple pleasure of being together.
Help us send more families on healing vacations. Donate today, https://staging.healisrael.org/healing-getaways-for-families/ and give a family the gift of precious time together.
