IDF commander’s inspirational recovery journey in Woodmere

Jonathan Benhamou, 23, a commander in the Israel Defense Forces’ D-9 unit, made his way via Hatzalah — a volunteer ambulance corps — to the Five Towns Premier Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, in Woodmere, earlier this month. Five Towns residents and facility staff awaited his arrival with big smiles, and greeted him with songs and Israeli flags.

Last Nov. 2, while Benhamou was on a mission in Gaza, a rocket-propelled grenade exploded 30 feet from the vehicle he was driving. He jumped out the front window to save his life, but when he was rescued, he felt numbness and tingling in his legs.

He ended up in a hospital in Tel Aviv, where doctors removed shrapnel from his legs and had to amputate his left leg. Benhamou had five months of physical therapy, and was discharged in March.

Before arriving in Woodmere on June 10, he underwent special surgery at the Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus, New Jersey, to reattach the nerves in his amputated left leg and to transplant nerves to his right leg and foot.

“This surgery was done here by a specialist, because in Israel they don’t have advanced medical treatment,” Ellen Benhamou, Jonathan’s mother, said. “They did a transplant of nerves on one leg, and attached the nerves to the muscle on the amputation.”

Throughout most of their conversation with the Herald, Ellen translated her son’s Hebrew into English.

The surgery came as a surprise to him, because they initially planned to come to the United States just for a vacation. A friend of Benhamou’s from the Israeli army arranged a consultation with his cousin, who is a nerve specialist, and that led to the surgery, which will relieve his pain.

“After surgery, he needed a place where they can really treat him, because the first week and a half, he couldn’t use both legs,” Ellen explained. “Here he is getting the best treatment, and already feels improvement.” She praised the staff at Five Towns Premier for making her son feels safe and comfortable.

Jonathan’s doctor has given him permission to begin physical therapy and physiotherapy, and to start using crutches.

Since he arrived, he has been visited by a host of people who have thanked him for his service and prayed for his speedy recovery. His experience has been the manifestation of the Hebrew word b’shert, meaning “meant to be,” and it was made possible with the assistance of Ben Landa, the owner of the nursing and rehabilitation center.

“I got a phone call from the American branch of Israel Discount Bank, asking if the president of Israel can call me,” Landa recounted. “He explained Jonathan’s story and asked if we could offer one of my facilities to do rehab for him. It’s not even a question, and I knew if we brought him here he would be welcome into the community.”

Community members have made sure that he and his mother want for nothing.

The facility is stocked with state-of-the-art equipment. “He is getting occupational therapy and physical therapy,” Five Towns Premier Administrator Joseph Benden said. “His doctor will determine how much therapy he needs here in this setting. He recently had an appointment, and thankfully his weight-bearing status was upgraded so he can do more in terms of therapy now.”

Officials at the facility said they would care for Benhamou for as long as he needs. “We’re able to do a lot of different types of things here,” Benden said. “We’re one of the most accrued nursing homes around. Whatever types of rehab services he needs, we’re able to provide it for him.”

Jonathan said that he has made new friends there. He sees himself as the first of what could be more patients for Five Towns Premier.

“There are a lot of people in Israel who need help to get rid of pain,” he said. “I think if we can help them to come here, they can escape the egos of the Israeli doctors.”

Despite all he has been through in the past eight months, his dedication to fighting for his country is clear. He said he wants to return with his new prosthetic leg to fight for Israel and defeat Hamas.

“My smile has never left my face, and I have good vibes,” Benhamou said. “You always need to look at the half-full glass. So I’m injured and lost my leg. I have my life, and that is what’s important. We need to realize what’s important in life.”