Beit HaYeled, Jerusalem

Thank you for a very unique and special day

Dear people,

First of all, allow me to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the special day we received at the National Leadership Center in Ariel. It was much more than a fun day or a normal day of remission. It was a day filled with deep insights into life through challenging, creative and enjoyable activity.

We thank you for rewarding us with this special experience.

Beit Hayeled (“The Child’s Home”) is a therapeutic boarding school, serving as a warm and loving home for 90 children who have experienced serious trauma such as physical/sexual abuse, neglect, etc. The children live as part of a "family".

Each “Family” is a unit of 12 children (in separate groups, boys or girls). The family is led by a married couple of counselors, living together with the boarding school children as well as their biological children. The “Parents” of the House accompany each child along with two other girls from National Civilian Service who serve them 24 hours a day and all the way... Our goal is to succeed in rehabilitating the children and bringing them back to a normative life.

A few words about the day itself, through the story of a boy and a girl who were there.

We will not forget the special and unique day we experienced in Ariel. We had special and challenging experiences, for some of us it was a very instructive and meaningful day. This was an experience that will be with us for life.

We want to share with you the story of some of them.

D. is 14 years old boy. He grew up in the house with a beating father and a mother suffering from mental illness. All the other children grew up in boarding schools. D. is a boy who can be defined as someone who is "afraid" to live. He was afraid of everything, and the fear of being beaten greatly affected his life and shaped his pattern of behavior. He would not take a chance. He will not challenge himself. Most rested in a safe place.

When he reached the Leap of Faith facility, he would not climb up. All his friends had coaxed him and he was determined not to climb, D. persisted in his refusal. All the others finished besides D. The group, however, decided not to give up. They accompanied him upstairs and did not leave.

When we asked him, he kept saying, "My soul shakes, leave me alone. It's not for me. Not a chance". But in spite of everything and with the help of the NLC's trainers, he was finally convinced and made it big time.

When he left, a significant discussion began about the place of fear in his life and overcoming it. His experience of success in the task was particularly strong. That is precisely because it was done in front of his friends. We talked to him about other things he was afraid of in his life and the desire to overcome the fear and win it.

D. summarized by saying: “I'm dying to go to the school of the good guys, I'm afraid to fail, I prefer to be in the regular school, everyone tells me that I can and that I am capable of more. I did not believe that I would succeed in the task today, but I did it. I hope that I'll feel like that in school too”, said D.

G. is a 15th-year-old girl, who grew up in a home for new immigrants from Ethiopia. Her mother left home when G. was very young, and she stayed with her older sister; the girls were raised by her father and grandmother on the mother's side, both live in a relationship... The father drinks alcohol on a daily basis. G. suffers from anxiety and one of the side effects is extreme and critical insecurity.

This is a girl who is sometimes called "carpet". Everyone can step on her... nobody acknowledges her existence (at least from her point of view).

In the NLC there were two facilities, she didn’t even try to climb the first. G. did not believe she could do it. There was insecurity on the one hand and indifference on the other. All the time she said: “Leave me alone… Stop, stop talking… ignore me… go to the next person on line”.

In the second facility, she received much help from the group and the trainer, who explained that she could do it. At first, she objected, but finally, she agreed.

Her success was tangible and powerful. The trainers took this to the question of: “In the scale of 0 to 100, how much did you believe that you would do it” to which she replied: “0!” And when she was after all this, we talked to her a lot about the implications for life, as to which area can she leverage the experience. G. talked about personal care.

“I’m fat, and so it's good for me not to cope… I was born to be like that… But, today I’ve decided to do something with it… I can look good too”!

 

May you be blessed!

From me and on behalf of all the staff and the children, Thank you very much!

Eviatar Shaki, Principal & Director – Beit Hayeled

 

 

HETZ KADIMA Ramle

We would like to thank you at the National Leadership Center in Ariel, for your contribution and for an empowering and meaningful experience.

The organization works to promote and nurture youth living in the social and geographical periphery of Israel.  We operate 20 Youth Homes, serving 1,000 children and teens, who are directed to us via the Welfare Bureau and schools. The activities at the Youth Centers include a hot lunch, dinner, educational assistance, social-values activities and a variety of extra-curricular classes taught by our counselors, all of whom are volunteers at the one-year civilian service program. The Ramle House has 40 pupils from grades 5th to 12th, and, serve as a safe place covering all cycles of life – home, school and society.

In these days, we are holding our Summer activities for the Youth Center – with many attractions, activities and workshops that, if not for the framework of the Youth House, these children would probably not have been able to experience them at all. This week (July 8th) we visited the National Leadership Center in Ariel.

From the first phone call, we were amazed at the generosity and the desire to help and give to others. Every contribution in general, and a highly invested, empowering and quality contribution in particular, is deeply appreciated and is not taken for granted.

The attitude of the local staff was courteous and charming, and the trainers were inspiring, patient and inclusive. During the course of the activity, the trainees were able to break the limits of their abilities, overcome the difficulties and proved to themselves, time after time, that there was nothing that stands on the way of the power of their will. The activity emphasized personal empowerment and the development of a sense of competence, goals that fit exactly the character and needs of the group.

Bat-El (“Daughter of God”), a 9th grader who tends to give up a lot, thinks she is "unable" or "not good enough": She surpassed the challenges in the facilities and proved to herself in a moment of determination and courage that she was capable of overcoming any obstacle or challenge. According to her, this is one of the most significant experiences in her life.

The feeling of satisfaction that Bat-El and many others of the group experienced at the end of the day excited us and proved to us how much this activity was significant and necessary.

We appreciate and thank you for giving us a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The Staff and Students of HETZ KADIMA Youth Home Ramle.

 

 

Raphael Eitan Comprehensive High School Ramat Gan

Empowerment day for 9th graders

"I did not believe I could do it." "If someone had told me to go up that high, I would not have believed it." "Now I feel I can do anything."

These are just some of the comments by 9th graders in the Education Class, held immediately after the day of activities at the National Leadership Center in Ariel, to which they were invited to spend a day on personal empowerment.

The students in the Raphael Eitan Comprehensive High School Ramat Gan came to us after they lost their way in the education system and here they are given a true first chance to succeed. These students faced various difficulties and personal challenges that shaped their self-image and their readiness to experience challenging tasks.

The day of activities at the NLC was a fascinating experience for them, providing them with the opportunity to cope with the difficulty and challenge and win them. The students have succeeded in proving to themselves and to each other that they are capable of much more than what they thought and believed. It is also an experiential and unusual activity that many of our students will not be able to fulfill in any other framework.

We would like to thank the wonderful staff of trainers who were able to work with infinite patience and a sense of mission with the students.

Greetings, Eran Yerushalmi, School Principal & Ms. Limor Sela, 9th graders  teacher & Social Coordinator