"Dreams never Dreamed" offers an inside look
at how a child’s devastating injury from a tainted vaccine, led to the founding
of Shalva, the Israel Association for the
Care and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities and home of the famous Shalva Band. As author Kalman Samuels, founder
and CEO of Shalva would have it, Shalva’s accomplishments are all due to his
wife Malki’s vision. Malki Samuels has a keen sense of what needs to be done,
and how it should be accomplished.
Like many young people of the
70s, Kalman, a Canadian national, grew up in a secular Jewish home, and ended
up religiously observant in Israel. It’s always interesting to read how people
get from point A to point B in their personal journeys, but that’s not the
reason to buy this book. You want to read “Dreams never Dreamed” to learn how people turn tragedy into hope and hope
into tremendous accomplishments, as Kalman and Malki Samuels have done. You
want to know how people keep dreaming dreams and beyond when life throws a
curve ball. How you get up the next day and make things happen.
There are other reasons to read
“Dreams never Dreamed.” You’ll want
to know more about Yossi Samuels, his life today, and how the Shalva Band made a
splash on the national stage. I spoke to Kalman (full disclosure, we have a
family connection) to find out more about the book and his story:
Varda Epstein: Tell us about the name of your book: “Dreams never Dreamed.” What are some of the dreams you never dreamed that came about? To what do you attribute these successes?
Varda Epstein: Tell us about the name of your book: “Dreams never Dreamed.” What are some of the dreams you never dreamed that came about? To what do you attribute these successes?
Kalman Samuels: The name of my
book reflects the nature of the miraculous series of events that led to my son
Yossi's breakthrough and the establishment of the Shalva organization, which
serves thousands of children with disabilities and their families. These were
not my childhood dreams or particular goals that I set out to achieve from a
young age. They are dreams that I could have never imagined, and as such they
are dreams which I never dreamed.
One of the dreams that I never
dreamed would come about is Yossi's remarkable breakthrough to communication.
It changed all of our lives forever. Yossi became blind and deaf during
infancy, and after eight long years of silence and darkness, he learned to
spell sign language in the palm of his hand. Yossi was able to communicate with
us and learn about the world. Everyone in the family learned how to speak sign
language and we helped Yossi learn new words. He was like a sponge and he
soaked up the whole world around him instantly. We could have never imagined
this miraculous turnaround.
 |
| You can't hold a good man down. Yossi Samuels, at work. |
Varda Epstein: Can you tell us a bit about your family roots? Your wife’s?
Kalman Samuels: I was born in
Vancouver, Canada to a very loving and supportive family. Although not
religiously practicing Jews, my parents were very proud of their Jewish roots
and celebrated Jewish holidays. My siblings and I grew up with all of the
luxuries of a middle-class, North American lifestyle.
Malki's family came from Europe
and survived the Holocaust. Malki grew up with a pure faith in G-d and was
raised in an Orthodox Jewish lifestyle, went to good schools, and enjoyed
belonging to a growing community.
 |
| Kalman Samuels' high school graduation photo, back when he was "Kerry." |
Varda Epstein: Your book is very interesting in that it’s a first person account, but your wife is a central figure in your story. You take her guidance, and somehow it always works out, better than you had expected. Malki seems to be equal parts intuition and wisdom. How does she know what she knows? How did you come to trust her? Can you give us an example of a counterintuitive directive from Malki that followed this successful formula?
Kalman Samuels: Malki always
had a very profound understanding of the human spirit. Whether it was something
related to Yossi, our family's general wellbeing, or Shalva's growth, I always
trusted Malki every step of the way—and I still always do.
Malki insisted on Yossi wearing
glasses, even though he was confirmed blind. She explained that they were the one thing he
didn't take apart and that he insisted on having his glasses with him at all
times. It must mean that the glasses are helpful to him in some way—and they
were.
Also when it came to things
beyond Malki's motherly instincts—like navigating my job in computer
programming, or the architecture of the Shalva center—Malki's direction was
always spot on. Successful counterintuitive directives from Malki is definitely
a theme of our story and the inspiration behind how our lives and Shalva have
progressed and developed over the years.
 |
| A young Yossi Samuels, learning about the world. |
Varda Epstein: Yossi was the victim of a tainted vaccination. How do
you see him today? How do you see the issue of vaccination? What about the
Israeli legal system? Is it possible to get justice?
Kalman Samuels: Yossi is not
the victim of a vaccination; rather, he is a victim of medical malpractice in
that they knew they had a tainted batch of vaccine and continued using it for
six months injuring hundreds including Yossi. Unfortunately, there are
many people around the world who are victims of this sort and I believe that
many can relate to the helplessness that may transpire as a result of lacking
transparency within large, bureaucratic systems.
 |
| Yossi Samuels was a beautiful healthy baby. Until he received a tainted vaccine. |
Varda Epstein: How many families have you helped as a result of the organization you and Malki founded, Shalva?
Kalman Samuels: Every day,
about 1,000 individuals with disabilities walk throughout our doors, and when
including our additional programs that take place on a weekly or
period-specific basis there are over 2,000. Their families also participate in
support groups, events, and programs; and as such, our Shalva family is very
large. Going back thirty years, I know that tens of thousands of families have
been helped by the Shalva organization.
 |
| Kalman Samuels with son Yossi Samuels |
Varda Epstein: Can you give us an overview of Shalva’s services and
programs?
Kalman Samuels: Shalva provides
a range of services to guide children with disabilities and their families
throughout the lifecycle, from infancy through to adulthood. From a mere few weeks
post birth, Shalva has personal early intervention therapy sessions for infants
and their parents. We also have a day care and preschool for toddlers and an
after school program for children in grade school. They come to Shalva for an afternoon full of activities- swimming,
music, art, baking, and more. We also have a respite program that allows
children to sleep over at Shalva once a week. We have summer camps and sports
teams for our children as well. In recent years, Shalva branched out into adult
services as well. Today we also provide programs for vocational training, employment,
military service, and independent living in the community.
 |
| Rabbi Kalman Samuels, today. |
Varda Epstein: The thing about Shalva is that it’s stunning. Why is
this important?
Kalman Samuels: Many people who
come to Shalva are taken by the colorful and welcoming interior design. Coupled
with high standards of cleanliness, these physical elements of the building
embody Shalva's emphasis on human dignity. Our children and parents feel
welcome here and enjoy spending time here with their families and friends. It
sends a message that people with disabilities are no less deserving of respect
and high standards of quality than anyone else in society.
 |
| The Shalva Center is stunning, and situated in the heart of Jerusalem. |
Varda Epstein: Everyone is in love with the Shalva band. How did they end up getting the gig to play for the president?
Kalman Samuels: The Shalva Band
was invited to perform at the IAC Summit in 2019 and were notified just minutes
before the performance that they would be introduced to the stage by United States
President Trump. They performed a very moving rendition of "God Bless
America" which was concluded by a surprising group hug with the President.
Their performance made the front page of the newspapers in Israel and was
tweeted by both President Trump and the White House. It was a very special
moment for the band and the President.
Varda Epstein: What skills does it take to open a nonprofit like
Shalva? Would you have jumped in if you had realized the extent of the
undertaking?
Kalman Samuels: It takes a
great deal of organizational, management, and fundraising skills to run an
organization on Shalva's scale. We have thousands of beneficiaries, hundreds of
employees and volunteers, and a 220,000 sq. meter building that runs around the
clock. What I jumped into in 1990 was far from this. We had six children in a
local garden apartment—and even then, we were overwhelmed. We could have never
imagined that Shalva would become the organization that it is today and we feel
blessed to be able to facilitate all of our programs to help so many children
and families.
 |
| The very famous Shalva Band, which bears witness to the fact that dreams can be realized, even with disabilities. |
Varda Epstein: Can you give us an update on Yossi’s life, today?
Kalman Samuels: Today Yossi is just as full of dreams and
aspirations as ever. His daily routine is comprised of gainful employment at Israel’s
Highway Six, which
he finds personally meaningful. In recent years, Yossi has also channeled his
keen sense of smell and taste to become certified as a sommelier and to produce
two of his own wines. Outside of work, Yossi enjoys exercising and riding
horses and his life is rich with family and friends.
 |
| Yossi Samuels meets President Bush in 2006. |
"Dreams
never Dreamed" is currently available
on Amazon,
Kindle,
and the Koren website (https://korenpub.co.il/products/dreams-never-dreamed).
***
· Read more Judean Rose interviews:
·
A
Father Speaks Out: The Murder of Malki Roth and the Refusal of Jordan to
Extradite the Beast Ahlam Tamimi (Arnold Roth)