Roei Ben Tolila enlisted in the elite Maglan special forces unit, undergoing a gruelling, 20-month combat training course. Reaching the rank of deputy company commander, his squad’s mission was “to catch the terrorists before they could carry out attacks on our streets. Each night, we would go out quietly, and do our job.” At the age of 23, Roei led an operation on the outskirts of Jenin. His unit surrounded a terrorist’s home. Roei was shot during an intense exchange of gunfire. The bullet entered through the right arm, lodged in his spine, and caused immediate paralysis.

Roei was evacuated by helicopter to Haifa’s Rambam Medical Centre, where he underwent multiple surgeries. He was hospitalised for over six months. On discharge, he endured intense rehabilitation at Beit Halochem, with then-girlfriend, now wife Maya, by his side. Adjusting to his new circumstances was difficult for Roei — until a visit to Beit Halochem’s basketball court.

“This is the place where, for the first time since my injury, I could anticipate a future. I realised that I could be both disabled and happy. I am part of a team of fighters on the court of life. Beit Halochem has made that possible. What I saw there changed my entire world.”

Roei compares wheelchair basketball to defending your country or succeeding in business. “You need teamwork, cooperation with your fellow players – defend the basket together, pass the ball. If you try to be the star, you’ll lose. The wheelchair player has limited motion, needing to constantly raise his head to look around for resources – his teammates. They can help him move forward, as in life.”

Since his injury, assisted by Beit Halochem’s scholarship program, Roei has completed two degrees. He has played on Israel’s national wheelchair basketball team for the last 12 years. He is the founder of ‘More than Basketball’, an educational project where youth, new immigrants, students, and others compete against Beit Halochem Jerusalem’s wheelchair basketball team, a team he established in 2009.

Roei, an accomplished officer in an elite unit, had his life shattered. In an instant, he became a disabled man. However, his sudden transition from authority to incapacity has not diminished his talent to lead and help others. Today, while using his skills to enrich the lives of those living with a disability, he credits Beit Halochem for his own success in life after injury.

For Roei’s family, Beit Halochem Jerusalem is a second home. While he benefits from the Centre’s hydro and physiotherapy rehabilitative services and regular workouts in the fitness facilities, Maya and his four children enjoy family programmes including swimming, painting, and day care.