Power with a heart: Diplomatic women form new circle for disability advocacy

More than twenty ambassadors and diplomatic spouses formed a new "Diplomatic Ladies Circle" at Shalva, Israel's National Center for Disabled Children in Jerusalem. The initiative, conceived by Chaya Bisker, Tali Rubin, and Linda Cohen, aims to empower these women to advocate for disability inclusion and export Shalva's model of care to their home countries. Bisker stated the goal is to spread a philosophy centered on "goodness, solidarity, and the care of families." The center's founding story involves Kalman Samuels and his wife, who established Shalva after their son, Yossi, became blind and deaf due to a faulty vaccine and later learned to communicate. The Foreign Ministry views Shalva as an informal ambassador, connecting people beyond politics, as demonstrated by a Shalva-trained founder establishing Mozambique's first center for children with disabilities.