From Pain to Purpose: Koach Eitan

No one should face brain injury or aphasia alone — join World Aphasia Shabbat 2026, organized by Koach Eitan

By Leora Ashman and Judi Felber

We didn't begin Koach Eitan together, but our friendship became part of its soul.

In 2019, I, Leora saw a Facebook post about Netanel Felber, a young soldier who had survived a terror attack and suffered a severe brain injury. When I realized he was at the Tel Hashomer Rehabilitation Center—the same place where my husband Eitan had been receiving therapy after his massive stroke in 2017—I reached out to his mother, Judi. We met for coffee, a mom and a wife navigating a new reality where our loved ones could no longer communicate or do things the way they once did. From that meeting, a deep friendship was born. Today, Judi is one of Koach Eitan's Lifeline Volunteers.

Both Eitan and Netanel live with aphasia—a communication disorder that affects speech, reading, writing, and comprehension, but not intellect. Imagine knowing exactly what you want to say but being unable to get those words out of your mouth. For 2+ million people worldwide, this is a daily reality. Yet most people have never heard of it.

After Eitan's stroke, I created a Facebook page to update friends and family. It unexpectedly became a platform where families reached out to say, "We're going through this too, can you help?" In March 2022, Koach Eitan officially launched with a mission: no one should face brain injury or aphasia alone.

Our Work

Awareness and Education
Because aphasia is not widely known about, people don't understand how to communicate with someone living with it. This silence can turn into isolation. So, we teach—in schools, shuls, seminaries, yeshivas, hospitals, and communities. We have created innovative tools like our "Let's Talk" guide to how to communicate with somebody with aphasia and like our Halachic Guide to Aphasia and Brain Injury. These tools are being used by thousands of families in Israel and abroad.

Emotional Support – Koach Eitan Lifeline
The Lifeline Program pairs survivors and caregivers with new families facing brain injury, offering guidance, emotional support, family events, and holiday greetings. Today we support over 60 families, including injured soldiers from the current war, stroke and traumatic brain injury survivors, and terror victims.

Inclusive Jewish Life
Jewish life is rooted in language: prayer, Torah study, blessings, holiday customs. But what happens when someone no longer has the use of language? We have created an empowering Haggadah for seder night, accessible prayer and blessing cards with icons, and simplified commentary text so people with aphasia can make Kiddush, bless their children, take part in the Passover Seder, and participate in meaningful Jewish life.

World Aphasia Shabbat
That same belief — that every person should have a voice and place in Jewish life — inspired World Aphasia Shabbat.

Moses' struggle mirrors the experience of millions living with aphasia. Yet still Hashem chose him as our leader?.Moshe didn't need perfect words to lead Am Yisrael, he needed a mission, a brother to help him, and a community that believed in him.

World Aphasia Shabbat is a global initiative in collaboration with the Ohr Hatorah Congregation in Atlanta, USA. On the Shabbat of Parshat Shemot when Moses says, "I am not a man of words," synagogues worldwide are encouraged to dedicate time to learn about aphasia and learn how to make space for every voice.

At Koach Eitan, we can provide participating synagogues with educational materials, resources, accessible prayer cards, communication guides, and more. Last year, synagogues across Israel, North America, Europe, and Australia participated. The response has been heartwarming. Families told us, "For the first time since the injury, we felt like we belonged."