Every individual possesses the right to a respectable quality of life and wellbeing. The heart of our works is focused on reducing high risk circumstances among youth and families living in Israel’s social-geographic periphery. At the same time we help each boy and girl identify their unique capabilities, empowering them to strive for personal achievement and success. This guarantees a resilient, thriving Israeli society, while promoting social justice and actively implements the principles of social Judaism, based on the principles of justice, equality and human dignity.
The Division of Welfare & Social Resilience a network of centers around Israel for over 400 youth-at-risk, impoverished youth or Bedouin, Ethiopian, French and Russian youth who have immigrated to Israel but are displaced as they suffer from exclusion in the social and geographic periphery of Israel. It also operates diversified training centers for professionals working with youth-at-risk, and is constantly engaged in enhancing their knowledge base in working with teenagers. The Division of Welfare & Social Resilience offers a specific multi-disciplinary approach named “Institutional Psychotherapy” which combines social, cooperative, educational and therapeutic aspects. It is a pioneering socio-educational-therapeutic philosophy, first of its kind in Israel, and is based on the principles of social justice and cooperation as therapeutic tools that helps foster self-esteem, empowerment and leadership. A team of therapeutic, multi-disciplinary educators enables the emergence of cooperative frameworks, where youngsters learn to live together as citizens, while using mediation tools to resolve conflict.
These tools encourage every youngster, who finds himself at risk, to find his or her way back to the community, the society and the nation, while realizing their own values. Since 1981, this program has led to dramatic changes in the lives of thousands of youth-at-risk: starting with a reduction in self-inflicted wounds, in crime, violence and vandalism, and continuing with the reinforcement of creativity, volunteer values and involvement of youth in the community and the development of leadership and excellence in all aspects of life.
The Division of Welfare & Social Resilience runs centers in Netanya, Kiryat Gat Beer Sheva, Kseiffeh and Yerucham.
Our committed partners include: Israel's Ministry of Education, Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services, National Insurance, Adelis Foundation, Agudat Sabah, Dan & Gloria Schusterman Foundation, Rashi Foundation, Ted Arison Family Foundation, Ruach Nechona, Bank Leumi, JNF UK, the Academic College of Netanya, Mrs. Mickey Mandelbaum and local education authorities and municipalities in Israel.