Israeli organizations rely heavily on support from their partners. This necessitates fundraising from various communities throughout the US, Canada, Europe and beyond.
While Laniado Hospital of Netanya, Israel also looks to their partners for support, the hospital is happy to be able to give back to communities through lectures and programming.
Lydia Lanxner, Laniado’s Director of Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Control, is a renowned expert on public safety. Mrs. Lanxner is the liaison to the IDF Home Front Command and Ministry of Health Emergency Department. She is also the ICU head nurse and has nearly 40 years of clinical and administrative health care experience.
Mrs. Lanxner, who was in the US recently helping raise funds to purchase new equipment for Laniado’s new ICU, delivered lectures throughout Maryland. She spoke to 11th and 12th graders at Berman Hebrew Academy in Rockville, Yeshiva of Greater Washington’s Girls Division High School, Young Israel Shomrai Emunah in Silver Spring, Bnos Yisroel of Baltimore’s Middle School, and a private lecture for medical professionals.
Mrs. Lanxner shared her own story of hashgacha about growing up as a young girl from Belgium, the child of Holocaust survivors. She moved from Belgium to the US when she was newly married, studied nursing, and eventually made aliyah to Eretz Yisrael with her family. She ended up working for Laniado Hospital where she established herself as a leader in nursing and public safety. Mrs. Lanxner impressed upon the students that they all have the ability to help – at home, school, shul, community etc. – and she noted that it is a bracha to be on the giving, and not receiving end. She shared how high school students from the Kiryat Sanz neighborhood in Netanya participate in volunteer practice drills in order to be prepared in the event of a crisis, G-d forbid. Most importantly, she described Laniado’s modus operandi of running according to Jewish law and infusing everything with chesed, compassion, and empathy, as was established by its founder the Klausenberger Rebbe.
The students were enlightened and inspired from Mrs. Lanxner’s talks. Many inquired about volunteering in the hospital during their year in Israel or during the summer. Many girls had questions about applying to Laniado’s Tessler School of Nursing. The main highlight was that they left with a sense of empowerment, realizing they have so much to offer and can make a difference even at a young age.
For the adult audiences, Mrs. Lanxner described the changing face of terror threats in Israel since the intifada and consequently the need to adapt in order to be prepared for such threats. She further shared how various other potential disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, or gas line explosions require preparedness. Taking it a step further, Mrs. Lanxner outlined the methods behind preparing, implementing, assessing, and updating safety protocols which Israel has taught to other countries throughout the world. For example, as this article is being written, Mrs. Lanxner’s colleagues are in Turkey assisting with the search & rescue and humanitarian efforts. As soon as this team returns to Israel, they will be debriefed and everything they learned from this mission will be documented, vetted and appropriately implemented as part of future earthquake preparedness measures.
Mrs. Ahuvah Heyman, Bnos Yisroel’s school director shared, “Lydia’s warm personality, combined with the important message about combining refuah and halacha in a hospital setting, resulted in a beautiful and meaningful message that the girls really enjoyed. Hearing about the history of the hospital, and the exceptional middos of the Klausenberger Rebbe, was enlightening. We hope some of us get to go to the hospital to see the amazing work that Laniado is doing to keep the people in Eretz Yisroel safe.”
Rabbi Chanan Daniel Skurnik, Laniodo’s Mid-Atlantic Director stated, “As an organization that partners with communities throughout the world, Mrs. Lanxner’s visit was an opportunity to give back and make the Laniado-Maryland partnership two-ways. Laniado has a wealth of knowledge and inspiration – whether medically, halachically, or in terms of chizuk – and it is an honor to share it with our supporters and friends.”
To learn more about Laniado Hospital visit www.laniadofund.org or email Rabbi Skurnik at dskurnik@laniadofund.org
