MONTREAL — Golan Heights this fall to raise money for the One Family Fund, an organization that helps Israelis victimized by terrorism and their families.

Some of the 79 hikers, most of them Canadians, who hiked through the Golan Heights to benefit the One Family Fund.

MONTREAL — Golan Heights this fall to raise money for the One
Family Fund, an organization that helps Israelis victimized by terrorism
and their families.

She had found her sponsors and was in shape physically.

Upon her arrival in Israel, she went to her sister’s house. A few hours later, she slipped on the wet marble floor in the bathroom. She hit the toilet hard enough to break the seat.

“I could not get up on my own,” she recalled. Although in excruciating pain, “the only thing that came out of my mouth was ‘Oy, the hike, oy, the hike!”

She spent the next 15 hours at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. The diagnosis was two broken ribs and the only prescription was rest.

“I wanted to believe it was all a bad dream that I would soon be awakened from. It wasn’t,” she said.

Yane defied her doctors, stocked up on painkillers and went ahead with her plans.

“A crazy decision by any standard… [but] no matter how ‘broken’ I was, I decided not to let my spirit break,” said Yane, a native of Israel who has lived in Montreal for more than 30 years.

She joined the group of 79 hikers, all Canadians except for three Americans, in Jerusalem the day before their trek was to begin, and left with them for the Golan Heights. Yane did scale back her ambitions. She had originally planned to do the “extreme” hike, passed on the “hard” and went for the intermediate option.

“I did it with flying colours,” she said.

The One Family Cross Israel Hike, now in its third year, is intended for those with “a deep desire to help those whose lives have been affected by terrorism,” said One Family Fund Canada communications and events manager Jane Herman, “while simultaneously experiencing the spectacular scenery and adventurous challenge of hiking through different regions of Israel each year.”

This year’s group hiked for four to seven hours per day, at different levels of difficulty, escorted by guides and medics.

Some Israelis who have received support from the One Family Fund, either because they were directly affected by a terrorist attack or lost a loved one, accompanied the hikers on some of their excursions.

The hike’s highlights included such scenic wonders as the waterfalls of the Jilaboon and Black canyons, the Yehudiya Reserve and the Hula Valley.

“It was painful and inspiring at once to learn their stories and how they deal with their horror day after day,” Yane said.

“Everyone had a sad story to share,” said co-chair Shari Silverstein, “and we all listened. It’s a very emotional experience. Participants forge a deep bond with the victims they connect with on the hike.”

Funds raised provide financial, legal and emotional support and can include direct financial assistance, psychological counseling, support groups and retreats, summer camps for children, and other types of help, such as job retraining.

“It’s important to remember that while an attack lasts a minute, the aftermath lasts a lifetime,” said One Family Fund Canada executive director Pam Albert.

Participation in the hike has risen rapidly. In the first year, there were 40 hikers and 56 last year. Each participant is expected to raise a minimum of $2,500 in donations, with many exceeding that amount.  

Yane raised the second-highest amount of this year’s group – $10,629. Meeting her commitment to her sponsors was a primary reason she hiked through the pain.

Back in Montreal, she’s also doing more.

“I met some survivors [of terrorism] and caregivers who told me that at night, when the world is asleep, they need an outlet, to talk to someone, to unload their grief and agony,” she said.

“I decided to open a direct support line to them, so they can call me. It will not cost them anything, and the timing is perfect: their nights are our afternoons. I am not a therapist, I said, but I know how to listen and have lots of compassion. They were very happy about that.”

Twenty-five hikers have already booked to return for next year’s hike, which is scheduled for Oct. 29 to Nov. 3 in Ein Gedi. For more information, contact [email protected], or phone 416-644-4955.