Standing Up For Herself and Her Country

“When I was a child, I always imagined what I’d do in the army,” Chen Vishnesbaki recalls. “I wanted to serve my country, to wear a uniform like my older brother. Not enlisting? That was never an option for me.”

As a young ballroom dancer, Chen expressed herself through motion, by moving her body to tell a story. At just 12 years old, that freedom was stolen when she suffered her first epileptic fit. The seizures continued, and along with them the loss of control over her hands and feet. After countless tests, doctors at Tel HaShomer Hospital diagnosed her with an extremely rare seizure disorder. But Chen would not let her condition define her path forward.

By the time she turned 16, Chen was enduring up to 12 epileptic attacks a day, leaving her unable to speak, eat, or sleep. In a last-ditch effort to give her some quality of life, doctors decided to perform a hemispherectomy—a drastic surgery that disconnects half of the brain from the rest of the body. While this procedure stops the seizures, it also causes paralysis in half the body.

Chen regained control over her mind but was now paralyzed on one side of her body. Soon, she was on the cusp of adulthood with another thing about to be taken away from her: the opportunity to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) alongside her peers.

Easier said than done. With her physical limitations, Chen automatically received an exemption from military service. She wasn’t about to accept that fate. Determined to wear the uniform of her nation, she fought to overturn her exemption. Then, one day, she stumbled across a photo on Facebook of a soldier serving through Special in Uniform (SIU), a Jewish National Fund-USA-supported program that integrates young adults with disabilities into the IDF.

To date, SIU has helped over 1,100 soldiers with varying disabilities serve in Israel; it is the only program of its kind in the world and is a life-changing experience for them and for their peers. For Chen, it was a lifeline. She was integrated into the Matanam unit of the Israel Air Force, where she works in the main warehouse, ensuring that essential parts are stocked and ready for distribution.

“It was the happiest day of my life,” she says of the day she was inducted, her voice full of pride. “I felt like I had beaten everything that life threw my way.”

No one was prouder of Chen than her mother, Galina, who called it a “dream come true” for her daughter. “Despite everything she’s been through, nothing could stand in her way!”

Chen adds softly, “She still gets emotional every time I come home for the weekend in my uniform.”

Chen’s dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed and her responsibilities at the warehouse have increased.

“She’s a dedicated, thorough soldier,” says B., her commander. “Chen knows what’s expected of her and integrated perfectly, both professionally and socially. She’s always encouraging her peers and always wears a smile.”

Through her service, Chen has not only gained confidence, respect, skills, and fortitude—she has also gained something that her doctors never thought would be possible: physical strength.

Today, Chen gets around with a single crutch and spends her days walking and lifting at the warehouse. At her last checkup, she stunned the doctors with her abilities and her beret.

“When they saw me walk in, wearing my uniform and without a walker, they were flabbergasted,” she says.

Chen now lives in the Special in Uniform community home for girls in Ness Ziona, and she’s found more than just independence—she’s found love. She met her boyfriend, also serving in the Air Force, through the program.

“I’m proud to say that even in such a difficult time for Israel, I’m able to do my part,” says Chen, now a first sergeant. “Every day, I wake up with a smile, thrilled to put on my uniform and head to the base.”

“I’m so grateful to the IDF, to Special in Uniform, and to Jewish National Fund-USA,” she adds. “They made my dream come true.”

To learn more, contact Celine Leeds at [email protected] or Adam Tennen at [email protected]