Israel ParaSport Center

Israel ParaSport Center At the Israel ParaSport Center, we harness the power of adaptive sports to transform lives.

Serving 3,000+ annually, we help Israelis with disabilities, assisting them in building the self-confidence and skills that empower a life without limit. The Israel ParaSport Center (formerly Israel Sport Center for the Disabled) is a world-renowned athletic rehabilitation center in Israel that transforms lives. Founded more than 60 years ago, The Center's mission to empower people with disabilit

ies through sports has helped thousands of Israelis lead fulfilling, successful lives. The Israel ParaSport Center currently serves more than 2,700 children and adults with disabilities annually through both its holistic rehabilitative and competitive parasport programs. Children and adults with disabilities are unbound by societal expectations through Israel ParaSport Center programs. Everyone has the opportunity to participate in various adaptive sports; from wheelchair basketball and rugby to boccia and wheelchair table tennis, every athlete is empowered to meet and exceed their goals on and off the court. With the help of The Center's staff, they gain self-confidence, learn new skills, find community, and successfully integrate into Israeli society. The Israel ParaSport Center (formerly The American Friends of the Israel Sport Center for the Disabled) is a registered non-profit 501(c)(3) organization operating under Federal Tax ID #27-5126671.

We had the pleasure of welcoming Rachel and Roi Bier for a visit to the Israel ParaSport Center.Although they were only ...
05/28/2026

We had the pleasure of welcoming Rachel and Roi Bier for a visit to the Israel ParaSport Center.

Although they were only in Israel for a few days after having their trip postponed twice because of the war, they spent hours at The Center meeting athletes, watching practices, trying wheelchair basketball and boccia themselves, and hearing firsthand what this place means to so many families.

One especially meaningful connection was hearing that their son, an avid basketball player preparing for his Bar Mitzvah in 2027, hopes to do his Bar Mitzvah project together with us. ❤️

Thank you, Rachel and Roi, for your warmth, curiosity, enthusiasm, and genuine connection to The Center. We loved having you here.

Rachel Elizabeth

05/27/2026

Diana, is there anything else you'd like to show us?

05/26/2026

Diana Shneier, our wheelchair racer, shows us every day what to do when you think something is impossible.

Where does a kid with a disability ever get to stand next to a Paralympic champion and see what hope looks like?Here. Th...
05/24/2026

Where does a kid with a disability ever get to stand next to a Paralympic champion and see what hope looks like?

Here. That's where.

This is just another day at the Israel ParaSport Center.

Pictured: Guy Sasson, quad wheelchair tennis Paralympic bronze medalist (2024), Omer Gadot, para-table tennis athlete, and Noam Gershony quad wheelchair tennis Paralympic gold medalist (2012)

Jodi Gadot

It started as a Bar Mitzvah project, but it's become much more!Atlanta 8th graders from The Davis Academy and The Epstei...
05/21/2026

It started as a Bar Mitzvah project, but it's become much more!

Atlanta 8th graders from The Davis Academy and The Epstein School came together for the Stein family's 2nd Annual Pickleball Fundraiser, rallying around the Israel ParaSport Center.

Thank you for stepping up and supporting Israeli para-athletes!

05/19/2026

What a beautiful story of friendship.

As part of our community outreach activities, a special boccia exhibition match took place during halftime of a local Ra...
05/18/2026

As part of our community outreach activities, a special boccia exhibition match took place during halftime of a local Ramat Gan basketball game, featuring Paralympian Nadav Levi, ranked 6th in the world, and Orit Kelner, ranked 11th — both 2025 European vice champions in their categories.

Itzik Azoulay, head of boccia at The Center, introduced the sport to an engaged crowd, giving many in the audience a first close-up look at this little-known Paralympic game which allows people with severe disabilities to participate in the Olympics.

מכבי עירוני רמת גן - Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan

After an intense week at the European Qualifiers for the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, Israel's men’s and quad teams are o...
05/17/2026

After an intense week at the European Qualifiers for the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, Israel's men’s and quad teams are on their way to Orlando in August for the prestigious World Team Cup finals.

The men’s and quad players delivered a perfect week, winning all their matches. The women’s team had a very strong run, reaching the finals and finishing second after a narrow loss to Switzerland.

This team brought together some of the most experienced and decorated players, like Paralympic medalists Noam Gershony and Guy Sasson, alongside some of the newest faces such as Roy Abergil and Amitai Argaman — all representing Israel together.

So proud of the entire delegation:

Women’s:
Maayan Zikri (Israel ParaSport Center)
Shiran Madar (Beit Halohem Tel Aviv)
Captain: Kobi Weiner

Quad:
Guy Sasson (Israel ParaSport Center)
Noam Gershony (Beit Halochem Tel Aviv)
Roy Abergil (Israel ParaSport Center)
Captain: Asi Stokol

Open/men's:
Sergei Lysov (Israel ParaSport Center)
Adam Berdichevsky (Israel ParaSport Center)
Amitai Argaman (Beit Halochem Tel Aviv)
Captain: Ofer Sela

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Israel Paralympic Committee - ההתאחדות הישראלית לספורט נכים

Nadav Levi and Orit Kelner delivered outstanding performances at the Boccia World Cup in Montreal, finishing 2nd and 4th...
05/07/2026

Nadav Levi and Orit Kelner delivered outstanding performances at the Boccia World Cup in Montreal, finishing 2nd and 4th in their respective categories, all after a month and a half with almost no training due to the war.

Nadav (world 10th in his category) had a strong run throughout the tournament, reaching the final and ultimately winning silver after an incredibly tight match against Maciel Santos (world no 4) from Brazil. As he put it, if someone had told him in advance that he would finish second after everything the team has been through in Israel, he wouldn’t have believed it. He shared that the medal belongs to the entire team, whose support and encouragement were constant throughout.

Orit (world 15th in her category) also showed a very high level of play. She was given the ultimate challenge in her opening game, playing against world no. 1 Hiromi Endo (Japan), losing 7–1, and went on to secure impressive wins over top international players, including Yushae DeSilva-Andrade (Bermuda, world no. 7) and Simona Blazkova (Czech Republic, world no. 17), winning two out of three matches in the pool stage and advancing to the bronze medal match.

Itzik Azoulay, Orit’s coach and head of delegation, shared that while Orit’s disappointment is understandable, especially after winning silver last July at the European Championships, she still had many moments of success throughout the tournament and she has the strength and ability to continue achieving at a high level.

It was a complex journey — a 16-hour trip with athletes with disabilities, and as an Israeli team traveling and competing under consistently high security alert and uncertainty. Within that reality, these results speak to the incredible resilience and determination of our athletes and support team.

Huge kol hakavod. We are so proud of you all.

Israel delegation:

Itzik Azoulay – Head of Delegation, Orit Kelner’s Coach
Nadav Levi & Orit Kelner – Athletes
Genia Berger – Physiotherapist
Nadav Bachar – Sport Assistant (Nadav Levi)
Sydney Goldberg – Sport Assistant (Orit Kelner)
Amit David – Sport Coordinator (Nadav Levi)

Israel Paralympic Committee - ההתאחדות הישראלית לספורט נכים
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This is the story of the Israel ParaSport Center.A retired Paralympic wheelchair tennis medalist playing alongside a new...
05/05/2026

This is the story of the Israel ParaSport Center.

A retired Paralympic wheelchair tennis medalist playing alongside a new para-athlete. One was born with a disability, the other became disabled recently after a sports accident.

And here they are, Shraga Weinberg and Roy Abergil, on the same court, having the time of their lives. And winning.

The Israel National Wheelchair Tennis Championships, hosted by us and led by our dedicated coach Asi Sokkol, is more than just a competition. It’s an opportunity for athletes who (mostly) don’t compete internationally to take part in an official tournament.

Congratulations to the winners:

1st place singles – Yossi Saadon (Beit Halochem)
2nd place singles – Itay Gurel (Israel ParaSport Center)

1st place doubles – Shraga Weinberg & Roy Abergil (Israel ParaSport Center)
2nd place doubles – Yossi Saadon & Itamar Heller (Beit Halochem)

Photos by Jamie Margolis.

See you next year. 🎾

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1 Northfield Plaza, Suite 300
Northfield, IL
60093

Telephone

+18474412652

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