Dina Weil, 54, a Jewish Dutch woman
who is struggling with acute uterine cancer, always loved to travel and had one
last wish – to visit Israel and sing "farewell Jerusalem" overlooking
Mount Scopus.
By the time Weil's disease was
diagnosed, the cancer had managed to spread. When the medical treatment failed
to cure Weil, the doctors informed her that her days were numbered.
"I saw an article about a Dutch
'make-a-wish' ambulance and thought maybe they could help me fulfill my final
wish – to return to Israel, spend my final days there and sing the song
'Jerusalem' on the peak of Mount Scopus," Weil said.
"I contacted them and
they put me in touch with the CEO of the Magen David Adom association in the
Netherlands, Nanette Blitz, she added."With her help, we received free
airplane tickets from KLM airline, and as we arrived to Israel, a Magen David
Adom 'make-a-wish' ambulance waited for us at the airport."
On their way to the hospice,
the ambulance stopped on the peak of Mount Scopus, where Weil, her husband and
the ambulance crew stood in front of the breathtaking view.
"We began to sing
'farewell Jerusalem'. We then sang 'Hatikva' (Israel's national anthem) and
kissed the stones. It sounds romantic, doesn't it?" she asked with a
smile.
"I have dreamed about
this moment my whole life. When I was there, I felt it was my home, that I
belonged in Israel," she said.
Weil was born in Sweden. After
graduating from high school, she and her sister, Neomi, decided to make aliyah
to Israel. She continued with her studies at the Bar Ilan University where she
studied education. She met her husband, Shimon, after graduating, and together
they moved to Amsterdam.
"We wanted to continue
living in Israel, but my husband's work would not enable us to stay here,"
Weil explained. Shortly after the couple finally retired last year, they
received the dreadful news – Weil was diagnosed with uterine cancer.
After Weil's visit to the
Kotel, she said: "Better late than never. We're happy to start a new
period in our life, in a place we can call home. My love for Israel gives me
the strength to keep on going."
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