Retorno was honored by a visit from Minister of Health Rabbi Yaakov Litzman. He was accompanied throughout the visit by Rabbi Eitan Eckstein, founder and CEO of Retorno. Rabbi Litzman also met with Uriel Reich, Director of the Adult Inpatient Community; Rabbi Chaim Hellman, Rosh Kollel of Kollel Retorno; and Efrat Maayan, Director of Chiburim, Retorno’s Therapeutic Petting Zoo. He also spoke with students learning in Retorno’s Academy to become certified equine therapists.
The Minister was introduced to some of Retorno’s 120 inpatient clients. He heard about their struggles and the constant support they receive, as well as the dedication of the staff at Retorno. The Minister encouraged the clients to continue on the path of recovery.
After a tour of the premises, Minister Litzman met with the staff of Elah, Retorno’s Detox Facility for young women and girls. The new center was opened at the request of the Health Ministry to open an emergency shelter for women and girls. Minister Litzman was very impressed by the facility and met with director Dr. Katya Levine, who told of the many women and girls who are in an extremely dangerous situation and need to be accepted immediately into the program.
At the end of the visit, the Minister expressed his intention to increase the number of clients who are authorized to be treated in Elah. He praised Retorno saying, “Retorno is a unique organization working in this field. Retorno provides the answer to one of the most difficult problems in our generation, and is active in addiction prevention, training programs, and various programs for inpatient and outpatient care.”
