Israeli Ehud Ratzabi spent the last decade dedicating himself to making his country a better place for the disabled. But the volunteering helped him more than he helped the handicapped, and enriched his life like no other, the president of the Israel Foundation for Handicapped Children said during an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Monday.
Visiting Korea for the first time to attend the opening of the art exhibition, "Honorary Ambassadors from Israel," organized by ILAN and the Embassy of Israel in Seoul, he shared how leading the organization, the country's oldest and biggest charity group to help the physically challenged, helped him change his view on life in general.
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Ehud Ratzabi, president of the Israel Foundation for Handicapped Children, walks with a child who is in a wheelchair. (Embassy of Israel in Seoul) |
"We have some 2,400 volunteers working on a daily basis. When I work with these people, I see a better world and better people," said Ratzabi, who has also been volunteering in the group since 2007.
"In a capitalist country like Korea, for example, people are working, thinking how to succeed. Success here is more money, a better car or a bigger TV. This is what you strive for. You never stop. Then you meet people here and you stop. You ask yourself, 'Wait a second. I eat only one lunch a day, not two lunches. Let's see what I can do for others,'" the former accountant and member of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, said of how his thoughts started to change from the moment he got involved in charity work for physically challenged children and adults.
Founded in 1952, the group now has 39 branches and more than 30 facilities around Israel, which include day centers, hostels, a factory that employs the disabled and sports centers. It serves the needs of about 20,000 handicapped people, with a mission to guarantee them the best quality of life possible.
The art exhibition that shows paintings by physically challenged Israeli children first started at the Israeli Foreign Ministry as a one-off event, but was later turned into an overseas show to "allow ILAN's children to become ambassadors of the State of Israel and of art."
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These photos show paintings by handicapped Israeli children on display at the exhibition "Honorary Ambassadors from Israel," organized by ILAN and the Embassy of Israel in Seoul. The exhibition runs from May 9-21 at the I-eum Center in central Seoul. (Yonhap) |
"Art has no boundaries and serves as a bridge for communication between people across the globe, regardless of race, religion, gender or type of disability," Ratzabi said, adding that "Painting is one of the strongest means of expression available to disabled artists, and reflects their efforts to overcome the limitations of the body and to unleash their imagination and soul."
The exhibition, which opens Tuesday at the I-eum Center in central Seoul run by the Korea Disability Arts and Culture Center under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is aimed at raising "awareness of the needs of the disabled and their integration into society."
Before it came to Korea, the exhibit took place at the home of the British ambassador to Israel. After the Seoul show, it will travel to Ecuador.
Through this exhibition, the 63-year-old hopes to seek cooperation with Korean organizations that pursue similar causes.
"There are no boundaries in disabilities. There is no question about religion or gender. Everybody can be disabled. I hope to find a way to cooperate between Israel and Korea and find a way to share our experiences. We can do that with compassion and heart." (Yonhap)
