Rabbi Baruch Wilhelm, 61, from Nachalat Har Chabad in Kiryat Malachi, was injured in a car accident as a child, which left him hard of hearing. His wife, Rivka (née Kurtzweil), 56, has been hearing impaired since birth.

After decades of shared challenges and raising five children, the couple decided to undergo cochlear implant surgery together at Assuta Public Hospital in Ashdod. “We went into the surgery with joy, and we came out with joy. For the first time in my life, I heard the hands of the clock tick,” says Rabbi Wilhelm.

“Our whole life took place in a world of partial silence,” he shares. “When I was three years old, a car hit me, and since then, my hearing loss only worsened.”

Rivka recalls: “I was born with a hearing impairment. As a girl, I traveled to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and when I realized I couldn’t really hear him – that’s when I felt the depth of what I was missing. So I made a decision: I would only marry someone who truly understands me.”

The two met through a shidduch, and even then, not everything was simple. “At first I said to myself – it’s not enough that I can’t hear, so what about her? But when I heard about her, and especially after the Rebbe deleted the word ‘am’ (‘if’) from my question about the shidduch in his letter – I realized this was meant for me. Within a week, I made the best decision of my life,” says Rabbi Wilhelm.

The years went by, the children grew up, and the couple continued to cope with the challenges of hearing loss. The coronavirus pandemic – with masks that made lip-reading impossible – made communication even harder. “I realized I needed a more significant solution than what had been offered to me so far,” says Rivka, who currently works as a school safety coordinator. “A speech therapist suggested I consider a cochlear implant. I knew technology had advanced, and it felt like the right step.”

Rabbi Wilhelm was still hesitant, until Rivka took the initiative: “I told him – I’m going for it. Are you coming with me? And he came.”

They turned to Prof. Sharon Avnat-Tamir, head of the Otology and Cochlear Implant Unit at Assuta Public Hospital in Ashdod. “From the very first moment, we felt we were in the best hands,” they say.

The surgeries were successful.

Then came the most emotional moment of all. “When we heard each other for the first time – we just burst into tears,” recounts Rabbi Wilhelm. “Suddenly I was hearing sounds I didn’t even know existed. At home on Shabbos I heard a ‘tick-tick’ sound. I thought there was a leaking faucet – until I realized it was the clock! It’s a moment I will never forget.”

Rivka adds: “Baruch came back from shul crying – he heard the tefilla. For us, it’s a sense of shlichus – to tell others that it’s possible.”

She continues: “Right now, my husband’s hearing has progressed faster than mine – he already hears beautifully. I’m a bit behind, but they explained that the full transformation happens gradually, over the coming months. To begin the new year like this – it’s truly a blessing.”

Prof. Avnat-Tamir concludes: “The story of the Wilhelm couple is especially moving, because we’re talking about two people who lived most of their lives in silence – and together chose to take the step that changed everything. The technology of cochlear implants has advanced tremendously in recent years, and we’re seeing more and more patients being given the genuine opportunity to hear again.

“The success comes not only from the surgery itself, but from the rehabilitation that follows and the dedication of the patients – and the Wilhelms are a beautiful example of that.”