A Chanukah Miracle in Rishon LeZion: Isaac’s Story

Last Sunday, while at work in Rishon LeZion, Isaac Atias was operating a crane when a glass panel weighing over one ton suddenly collapsed. Though the massive panel didn’t land directly on him, the force of the collapse threw him onto the road, where he suffered a serious head injury.

He was taken by ambulance to Wolfson Hospital while still conscious. But due to the severity of his injury, doctors transferred him to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. It was there that he lost consciousness and was rushed into emergency surgery.

The head of the hospital department, Professor Kaner, told the family that Isaac would likely remain unconscious for several days. But Hashem had other plans. Just 24 hours later, to the astonishment of the doctors, Isaac opened his eyes.

His wife, Drora Atias, shared the incredible story. Drora often leads hafrashat challah ceremonies (the mitzvah of separating a portion of dough before baking challah bread), and she drew strength from her faith during those frightening hours.

“On Sunday, after Isaac was hurt, the doctors said it could take days before he would wake up,” she recalled. “But that night, I gathered 50 women in our home. We did a hafrashat challah ceremony and prayed for Isaac’s healing. I felt a deep strength from the Creator. I told myself, ‘There is none besides Him.’ I didn’t blame anyone and I just placed all my trust in Hashem.”

Then the miracle came. “On Monday morning at 6:30 just 24 hours after the surgery Isaac opened his eyes. By Tuesday, he was recognizing all of us. I felt like Hashem gave me my husband’s life back as a gift.”

She continued: “On Wednesday, I walked into the hospital and saw that, thank God, they had already removed the breathing equipment. I helped him, and he was able to eat real food. Later that day, he was sitting up and eating on his own. By Thursday, they had already moved him to a regular hospital room.”

Isaac has since begun the rehabilitation process. The doctors couldn’t believe what they were seeing. “They said this kind of recovery is unheard of. It was clearly a miracle. The yetzer hara (evil inclination) tries to blind us, but we saw the truth with our own eyes.”

Drora planned to attend a large Hidabroot gathering that Sunday evening in Afula, where she would lead a challah ceremony in honor of the first night of Chanukah. “I’m dedicating it to my husband’s full recovery,” she said. “This mitzvah carries great power, and I pray it will bring him even more healing.”

As Chanukah began, the festival when we remember the hidden miracles that brought light into Jewish homes, Drora offered a message of encouragement:

“We need to strengthen our emunah (faith) and truly believe that ‘there is none besides Him.’ We should try to be like our forefather Avraham, who stood alone with Hashem while the entire world believed differently. Only Hashem. When we live with that clarity, Hashem sends us open miracles.”

She also asked the people of Israel to continue praying for her husband, Yitzchak ben Drora, and expressed her gratitude for every prayer, blessing, and kind word.