Israel
has many of the same cultural and social issues that existed in my
native United States. Sadly, one challenge facing this new country is
the problem of children at risk. Thousands of young people in this
nation live in homes where abuse is prevalent. Drug addiction is a
problem in our homeland, physical abuse and neglect are common, and
incidents of sexual harassment occur. Many parents work two jobs as is
too often the case in America. Children, therefore, may have their
educations neglected and their social supports are often inadequate.
Programs exist to give youth from very challenging homes an alternative
lifestyle and brighter future. I visited the Tel Aviv
Residential Group Homes recently to obtain information for the readers
about their wonderful efforts to provide support for 150 youngsters. The
children come from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim backgrounds. Some are
from immigrant backgrounds including Eritrea.
My career in The United States was to publicize programs for people with disabilities from age sixteen to sixty and youth from challenged families. Some of these individuals lived in supervised settings. Many lived in private homes. This was my first experience learning about programs for youth (ages ranged from six to eighteen) in Israel. Is there a greater Mitzvah than offering youngsters, who are so young of age, a chance to build decent lives? The goal of the program is to empower the children and integrate them in to society through a normative and supportive home life.
To quote director Orit, “The residential group facility places the young individual in the center of the educational and emotional care. We believe that every child can advance and realize his/her potential. We give these kids the opportunity to do just that!”
The home is located in a quiet and pleasant residential part of Tel Aviv. The children live two to three in a room and receive around-the-clock care from thirty dedicated professionals. There are several buildings which are divided by age groups. The residents attend thirty to forty schools throughout the city. “We have our youngsters attend the same schools that they attended prior to coming to live with us,” explains administrator Dafna. "The program strongly promotes continuity. Family home visits take place twice a month".
"The residential center provides all the child’s basic needs plus assistance with school work, 'Chugim' or extra curricular, social programs and sports groups, as well as counseling on social and familial issues. There are also supplementary activities for those who excel in sports, computers, and the arts which are financed by private contributions. Special efforts are made for people with disabilities".
Most of the youngsters leave the residential home at the age of eighteen to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. Contact is still maintained and a special apartment is available for some of the graduates with no homes outside of the military.
The program is more than sixty years old and was founded by Israel Rokach - the first mayor of Tel Aviv. Funding for is provided by both the City of Tel Aviv Ministry of Welfare and private donations. Staff are both paid and volunteer. To learn more please respond to this post.
My career in The United States was to publicize programs for people with disabilities from age sixteen to sixty and youth from challenged families. Some of these individuals lived in supervised settings. Many lived in private homes. This was my first experience learning about programs for youth (ages ranged from six to eighteen) in Israel. Is there a greater Mitzvah than offering youngsters, who are so young of age, a chance to build decent lives? The goal of the program is to empower the children and integrate them in to society through a normative and supportive home life.
To quote director Orit, “The residential group facility places the young individual in the center of the educational and emotional care. We believe that every child can advance and realize his/her potential. We give these kids the opportunity to do just that!”
The home is located in a quiet and pleasant residential part of Tel Aviv. The children live two to three in a room and receive around-the-clock care from thirty dedicated professionals. There are several buildings which are divided by age groups. The residents attend thirty to forty schools throughout the city. “We have our youngsters attend the same schools that they attended prior to coming to live with us,” explains administrator Dafna. "The program strongly promotes continuity. Family home visits take place twice a month".
"The residential center provides all the child’s basic needs plus assistance with school work, 'Chugim' or extra curricular, social programs and sports groups, as well as counseling on social and familial issues. There are also supplementary activities for those who excel in sports, computers, and the arts which are financed by private contributions. Special efforts are made for people with disabilities".
Most of the youngsters leave the residential home at the age of eighteen to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. Contact is still maintained and a special apartment is available for some of the graduates with no homes outside of the military.
The program is more than sixty years old and was founded by Israel Rokach - the first mayor of Tel Aviv. Funding for is provided by both the City of Tel Aviv Ministry of Welfare and private donations. Staff are both paid and volunteer. To learn more please respond to this post.
Earl, thank you for posting this. I agree that this is a wonderful mission to pursue. How wonderful it would be to have homes like these scattered across the U.S. and all of Israel. Wish I were there (and in better health) and could be one of the volunteers.
ReplyDeleteYour article is very well-written, my friendl
Alice Grimes Jasper TX USA