The four hundred children living in the village include 45 normative children ages 6-12 who have been removed from their parent’s care for various reasons by the Ministry of Social Welfare, and placed in the Ben Shemen’s Children Home.  For many, Ben Shemen becomes their home year round.  The population of the  boarding school, 350  12-18 year olds not only includes native Israelis but also immigrants from the FSU and Ethiopia, youth from France who choose to attend high school in Israel, and a group of refugees from Eritrea and Sudan who were integrated into the village within the last year.

Ben Shemen as a home to its children and youth residents provides for all of their needs – a bed, meals, individual support, social and educational enrichment and more.  However, the village is more than just an educational institution.  In the words of the President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres, “For me, Ben Shemen is where I went from childhood to youth and adulthood: the years I spent there determined the course of my entire life.”

“My own children may currently be out of the country, but I am fortunate as I have 400 children to love.”

Ilana Tischler, knows the name of almost every child in the village.  The names she doesn’t know belong to children who have been in the Village for less than a month.   When children of all ages see her, many coming running to her for a hug and a kiss. The children are not just files which cross her desk,  Ilana knows the story of each child who lives here.

The Ben Shemen Youth Village includes a residential framework for children ages 6-12, a boarding school for youth ages 12-18, an elementary school, a junior high and high school, and an agricultural farm.  The Children’s Home, Hevrat Hayeladim, is home to 45 normative children who have been removed from their homes by the welfare authorities for a variety of reasons.  The children live in groups of up to 15 children with each group being staffed by a house mother and counselor.  The children attend the Hevel Modi’in Elementary School also located on the Ben Shemen campus.

The boarding school is home to 350 youths between the ages of 12-18 who attend the 6 year high school located on the campus along with 100 day students.  All of the children attending the school take a 5 point matriculation exam in agriculture concentrating either on livestock or on vegetation,  and all of the students are responsible for 7 hours a week of practical work every week–  in the stable, hen house, cow shed, zoo, fields, plant nursery, kitchen,  or in the garage for agricultural equipment.

Currently 60% of the children in each graduating class attain a matriculation certificate, an additional 12% are missing minimal points to receive their certificate.  “There are 25 students in each class and lots of support. Many of our students do not believe in their own abilities.  The school offers individualized instruction to anyone who asks for it throughout the afternoon and evening.   We are working on improving the childen’s self-esteem and their belief in themselves.”

Ilana, born and raised in Netanya, holds a PhD in Educational Policy and Leadership from Ohio State University.  Before taking the position of CEO in the Village, she held the position of Director General of the Tarbut Jewish Day School in Mexico City for 3 years, the largest Jewish Day School in the city.  This was not Ilana’s first overseas position, Ilana also taught in Jewish schools in Orange County, California, and in Boston, Massachusetts and was a community shlicha in Columbus, Ohio for three years.  In between these posting, Ilana served as the principal of a Tali school in Netanya for 11 years.

This is Ilana’s fourth year as CEO of the Ben Shemen Youth Village.  When I asked Ilana about the village she told about what a special place Ben Shemen is: “I have a good team – 30% of the people who work here are graduates of Ben Shemen…the deputy director who is responsible for logistics and more has been here for 30 years.  I am blessed with an excellent administration, maintenance people, chefs, you name it.  The village is like a big kibbutz, hundreds of people live here.  We have two nurses on staff, our own mail delivery, even our own cemetery.

Ben Shemen operates on a 12 days on 2 days off schedule.  When the children go home for the weekend, 9 buses drop children off all over the country from Metulla to Eilat.  About 10% of the children, who are unable to go home, spend these weekends with host families.  In addition, Ilana has raised the funds for a “Beit Bogrim”.  This double size caravan is home to 7 graduates of the village currently serving in the IDF.

As I was sitting in Ilana’s office in walked Daniel, a soldier who was drafted only a few weeks ago. Daniel, a handsome Ethiopian young man has lived in Ben Shemen since the age of 8. He requested a copy of his rental agreement, and then when asked about his service he remarked that it was cold where he was serving and that Shabbat in the army is just not like Shabbat in the village.  Ilana immediately offered to go up to her attic and dig out the long sleeve undershirts from her own son’s military service and set a date with Daniel to pick them up.  “The army gives Lone Soldiers a small sum to cover rent. We provide them with everything else…laundry service, meals, we even fill their fridge so that they don’t have to come home to an empty kitchen.”

Ben Shemen’s annual budget is about $7 million, 10% of which has to be raised each year.  “However, this does not include capital improvements.  The village was built many years ago, beginning in 1927 and there is a constant need to renovate and upgrade all of our facilities, beginning with the infrastructure.”  As Ilana and I walked around the village, it was obvious that Ilana is constantly trying to upgrade the living conditions of all of the children.  Even more impressive was the pride the children take in their surroundings.  This is their home and it shows!

The resulting discussions involve complex Jewish and democratic values.  In order to aide these discussions Yesodot has developed materials aimed at high school students to help them understand:

What is the discussion about?

What are the Rabbis talking about?

Is this racism?

Is there a conflict here between Judaism and democracy?

The materials developed to be used in the classroom are designed to help students understand the issues at stake and assist them in forming their own opinions.

From our internet statistics we know that over 200 educators opened all of the materials in a fashion that indicates their intention to use them.  This hit level (over 200 out of 750 subscribers) is considered very high in terms of internet usage.

Please follow the links to the Yesodot website to see examples taken from the educational kit.

We celebrated the end of the school year in June, with our traditional “trip to the theater” when all the MAKSAM pupils enjoyed a performance by the Orna Porat Children and Youth Theater, at Hadera’s Rene Shani Auditorium.  Every year, thanks to a donation from one of our many friends and supporters, the theater company travels to Hadera specially to perform for MAKSAM’s pupils.  Our pupils eagerly look forward to this treat every year.   This year over 200 pupils (accompanied in some cases by family members) enjoyed “Adventure at the Circus”, the pupils were greeted before the performance by the Director General of the Hadera Municipality.

There are currently 2.5 million children living in Israel, 800,000 of which come from poverty stricken households. Out of those, over 100,000 possess the potential for academic and individual excellence. These are the target populations of College for All. College for All began with the realization that motivated and talented children from economically distressed neighborhoods, who do not receive appropriate support and encouragement, often fail to complete their education. Enrolled from the 3^rd grade, the children remain in the program until they graduate from high school. During these 10 years, the children are tutored in subjects such as mathematics, English and language skills, while receiving pedagogical support and taking part in many outdoor and indoor extra-curricular activities that broaden their horizons, develop their academic capabilities and deepen their sense of social responsibility. Most importantly, the children are taught to value their education as the only way to break the cycle of poverty and strive to be the best that they can be.

College for All operations are widespread: 22 centers throughout Israel that serve over 1,500 children, regardless of religion and ethnicity. CFA centers are located in Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Ness Tziona, Hertzliya, Netanya, Beer Sheva, Arad, Sderot, Jerusalem, Katzrin, Acre, Karmiel, Hazor Hagelilit and Givat Olga. Over the years, College for All has not only achieved its educational goals, but have also benefited entire communities. Hence the results: CFA’s first class of graduates achieved a GPA of over 90.0 on their matriculation exams; CFA participants are at the top of their class nationwide; Participants’ grades improve considerably over the course of the program; CFA graduates serve in significant positions in the IDF and are enrolled in esteemed academic institutions.

Established in 1999, College for All (CFA) is an Israeli non-profit organization that operates unique educational centers throughout Israel’s disadvantaged areas, for children who possess potential for individual and academic excellence. CFA aspires to nurture and promote excellence in children and youth whose social and economic circumstances would otherwise hamper their potential for success, by providing them with a top quality, socially-minded curriculum. Each year, as part of its work plan with the children, CFA’s senior management, lead by Executive Director Dr. Shmuelik Weiss, stage a fun-filled and challenging day event in which CFA pupils of all ages throughout Israel compete as a group in various subjects and fields taught at College for All.

Each center, be it the Sderot center, Akko center or any other of CFA’s 22 centers, chose delegates to participate in the event, who worked together as a team. They were divided into classes and quizzed by the staff on various themes, concepts and subjects from the College for All curriculums, such as mathematical thought and language concepts. The children were also quizzed on general knowledge concepts they had learned throughout the year, and were asked to make connections between them.

In addition, the children were given missions beforehand, to be completed at their centers: for example, as part of their CFA curriculum, the children partake in unique architecture and mathematics course named “Kungulu”. One of this year’s missions was to design and build a miniature structure model (house, building, castle, etc.) and bring it to the event. The judging panel, comprised of men and women from the field of education as well as volunteers from other fields, observed the models, took notes and asked questions. This year, the 1^st prize in the “Kungulu” category went to the Neve Ofer (Southern Tel Aviv) center. In a moving closing ceremony at the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Academic College’s main hall, all participating children received collective and individual prizes and recognition from the senior staff and teachers.

The event was first and foremost constructed as a day of fun for College for All pupils. The senior pedagogical staff walked around dressed in costumes and dispersed soft drinks and hot dogs during breaks from competitions. The event’s formal purpose was to summarize the pupils’ accumulated knowledge in fields such as general knowledge, language skills and mathematical thought, but it was not the only one. The event encouraged camaraderie, cooperation and partnerships as a method of achieving success, as well as advocating the message that winning 1^st prize isn’t everything; it’s the experience and effort that truly matter.

For over a decade, College for All’s mission has been to nurture and cultivate talented students from impoverished neighbourhoods and Israel’s  social and geographic periphery. Each College for All pupil that begins the program stays on board for a period of 10 years, until graduation from high school. Events such as the annual “Peak Day”, as well as CFA’s unique pedagogical and social outlook and work plan, not only consider the children’s path towards academic success and excellence in school, but also their journey towards becoming thoughtful, caring young adults, who have high self esteem and feel they can rely on their peers for support as well as offer it. They are well on their way.

Established in 2004, MENIFA is a nonprofit organization instigating programs for the prevention of high school drop outs, as well as for at risk youth that have already dropped out. MENIFA works to reduce educational gaps and return these youth to a purposeful and meaningful life. MENIFA works in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other authorities (see section of website on partners).

Our operating model is inclusive and comprehensive with goal of returning the youth to normative social structures. Our programs stress personal empowerment and identity development of the teens. We believe in instilling in them tools such as: motivation, taking responsibility and trust, which will lead them to reintegrate into normative society.
MENIFA provides emotional and educational support, in the community, with continuous escorting of many professionals, these include: supervisors, teaching team, educational coordinator, psychologists, counselor and more. Out teaching team consists of teaching interns taking part in a comprehensive training program with the aim of improving the future teaching force in Israel.

So far approximately 1500 teenagers all over the country have returned to regular attendance and functioning through our different programs.

In many places around Israel various drop out prevention programs and models are operated by multiple players – the Ministry of Education, the local municipality and non-profit organizations. MENIFA’s unique initiative emphasizes the importance of coordinating all these different programs and solutions. The main goal is to train agents of change within the educational system. These agents can then focus on the teen and his or her needs and on how to better use the resources of the educational system and municipality to help the specific needs of each teen. The training program meets once a week for 12 weeks and offers participants a full and rich program including group work (in small groups) and practical work with a teen. More detailed information can be found on our website in Hebrew and will soon be found in English as well.

The Amuta is the result of the Ethiopian community expressing their own needs and working to obtain the solutions they desire.

The name they chose, “MAKSAM”, is an Amharic word describing the work of the bee passing from flower to flower collecting nectar, and producing honey.

Over the ensuing 13 years, MAKSAM has grown from a homework help program run by volunteers, to a Network of 5 After- School Study and Enrichment Centers in neighborhoods of Hadera with a large population of Ethiopian Israelis, providing professional programming to the pupils and support and enrichment to their parents.

The Program doesn’t dictate solutions, but offers empowerment and responsibility giving the community the tools to develop into a proactive group, working cohesively to better their lives and the future of their children.  This is the only program that has successfully involved not only the children but their parents and extended family members, in creating the supportive framework that has brought about such significant improvement in the children’s academic and social performance.

Can the State of Israel make hard political, military and social decisions while maintaining a commitment to Torah and tzelem elokim (the innate dignity of human beings created in the image of God), without paralyzing conflict and dissension? The issue is not a simple one. Some Orthodox Jews (and non Orthodox Jews) have come to the conclusion that Torah and democratic values are inherently incompatible. We believe that such a conclusion is unwarranted and threatens the continued viability of the State of Israel.

Yesodot, established in May 1996, shortly after the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, demonstrates that a committed Orthodox Jewish life is compatible and also enhanced by a commitment to democratic values. What makes Yesodot unique is that it is the only democracy education program working within the Orthodox educational system. Yesodot staff, themselves members of the Orthodox community, have worked and continue to work, with leading rabbis, roshei yeshiva, and Orthodox academics in furthering this goal.

Yesodot has worked in more than 100 schools and its programs have reached more than 5,000 students , and x teachers in the religious education system.  Our work is empowering a future generation in Israel who are committed to maintaining an active commitment to Judaism and democratic values and who see themselves as active members of society and Israel’s leadership.