Israel Non Profit News » Jerusalem

LOTEM, Integrated Nature Studies Opens New Center in Jerusalem

Pamela Deutsch — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:32:33 +0000

Tomer, age 15, has dreamt about visiting the kotel for as long as he can remember. Confined to a wheelchair since he was a small child, Tomer finally had the opportunity to make his dream come true. In December 2010, LOTEM, Integrated Nature Studies opened a new center in Jerusalem. Less than a month later, Tomer and his classmates made their first trip to the kotel.

LOTEM, Integrated Nature Studies has been offering educational activities in nature to children and adults with special needs for almost 18 years. Participants include the blind and visually impaired, deaf and hearing impaired, physically and intellectually challenged, and emotionally disturbed. They also include women and children in threat of physical and/or emotional abuse. LOTEM presently serves more than 7,000 children and adults with special needs every year. With the opening of its new Jerusalem center, this number will increase greatly over the coming years.

The establishment of a Jerusalem branch of LOTEM had been a longtime dream of Amos Ziv, LOTEM’s founder and director. “A branch of LOTEM in Jerusalem, will allow us to expand our activities tremendously,” Amos said. “Not only will we be able to take people with special needs on accessible tours of Jerusalem, Israel’s capital, we will also be able to take special-needs participants who live in Jerusalem and surrounding areas out into nature.”

Amos now dreams about making the Old City of Jerusalem more accessible. His ideas include the purchase of small electric cars which will be able to carry the elderly and physically-disabled from Jaffe Gate to the Jewish quarter and to the Western Wall. Anyone who has walked this route, knows just how difficult it can be. Another project which he is presently developing is called “Touching the Kotel”, a program which will help special-needs participants understand the importance of the Western Wall to Jews throughout the ages. Men, women and children will be able to feel the stones, leave personal notes among the cracks, and utter the prayers which are their hearts.

“The opening of the Jerusalem branch will offer LOTEM the opportunity to provide outings in nature for special-needs participants from Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh and the Negev. I have no doubt that the expansion of our services to these areas will be a tremendous success,” said Sorin Hershcu, LOTEM’s chairman of the board, who was seriously wounded during the IDF rescue of hostages in Entebbe in 1976. As a quadripelegic, he became involved with LOTEM in order to help others experience and enjoy the beauty of the Land of Israel.

Jerusalem lies forever in the heart of the Jewish People. It is with great pride that LOTEM has established a center which will serve special-needs populations in the heart of our great nation. With the help of LOTEM’s partners around the world, LOTEM hopes to expand its activities and make Jerusalem more accessible for people of all ages and abilities.

Tower of David Museum Project Promotes Tolerance Among Children

Pamela Deutsch — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 07:29:57 +0000

An Enchanted City is a ground-breaking program created by the Tower of David Museum that promotes tolerance among children from a very young age. Geared towards Jewish, Muslim and Christian kindergarten children, the program focuses on the special character of Jerusalem which makes it magical for all children. An original fable tells about an enchanted city and emphasizes that children who do not share the same language, customs or religion, in fact share much more than they realize. By focusing on the similarities as well as the differences among them, the children become aware that they share common ancestors and roots.

This pilot program was created with the support of the Jerusalem Foundation. With help from supporters of the Museum, we hope to expand the program to include children throughout the city. The program is also being tailored for religious and secular kindergartens to foster tolerance among them.

Tower of David – Museum of the History of Jerusalem

Pamela Deutsch — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:48:22 +0000

The Tower of David Museum strives to offer everyone the opportunity to better understand the history of Jerusalem and its significance. The Museum is committed to reaching out to impact on groups who may not otherwise be able to visit by making access available to all and by creating programs which answer the needs of underserved communities.

The Museum creates special programs for groups which include schoolchildren with special needs, children and youth at risk, and a unique program for young soldiers in the Israeli Defense Forces. Special courses for young people teach them to be junior guides in the Museum. The Museum also hosts new immigrant groups and populations from the geographic and cultural periphery who are not usually exposed to either the Museum or the legacy of Jerusalem.

One of the goals of the Museum is to be receptive to the interests of diverse communities and so we create group-specific programs for varied populations.For example, special programs which respect cultural differences are offered to Ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups and programs are offered to Arab visitors..

Working together with local authorities, organizations and business groups, the Tower of David Museum hopes to continue to serve and involve the community.

Ethiopian Jews Realize their Jerusalem Dream

Pamela Deutsch — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:43:58 +0000

The Jerusalem Dream project has been a rewarding experience at the Tower of David. It has successfully focused on the significance of Jerusalem to the Ethiopian community and has helped to preserve that heritage. Graduates of the first guiding course for young Ethiopian Israelis have taken more than 20 groups of new and veteran Ethiopian immigrants from all over Israel through the exhibit halls of the Museum. These very special tours emphasize the connection between Ethiopian traditions and the city of Jerusalem. The response of the Ethiopian community has been both enthusiastic and moving as elders of the community come together with the young generation torenew their ties to the city. This year, the program has again received funding through the Jerusalem Foundation and will continue by offering a second guiding course beginning this month. A film that documents the unique human aspects of the program can be viewed here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Festival BeShekel’s Wraps Up Another Successful Summer

Pamela Deutsch — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:09:38 +0000

21,000 people attended three festival’s in Israel’s periphery; enjoying a community cultural experience in Gilboa, Jerusalem`s neighborhood Katamonim, and Lod. Each festival was produced in cooperation with a “Cultural Leaders group” made up of local youth, led by our organization`s peer mentors, and in cooperation with the local council or municipality. It was a thrilling experience to see cultural Jewish-Arab cooperation come to life for the first time in these communities.

Each festival was a happening for the whole family. At the beginning of the evening, young children and parents enjoyed creative workshops, drum circles and “Loftgisheft” street theater. During the remainder of the evening, everyone enjoyed the performances put on by the best local and national talents.

On 30 June, the Festival took place at the Harod Spring National Park; 2009`s first Festival BeShekel. About 9,000 people enjoyed the spectacular festival for the affordable coast of a symbolic one Shekel. The event in Gilboa was our first ever Jewish-Arab Festival. It was a tremendous success, drawing one of our biggest audiences ever.

On 6 July, the Festival took place in Jerusalem`s Katamonim neighborhood, at the Elmaliach Park. About 7,000 attended the event. Artistic Director Shaanan Streett noted “The festivals bring a family atmosphere and allow everyone to participate. I saw three different generations enjoying the event, having walked from nearby buildings and homes.”

On 8 July, the final Festival took place in the municipal Gandhi Park, in Lod. Some 6,000 people attended the festival, produced together with the “Cultural Leaders” group – Jewish and Arab youth from Lod.

Lotem

Pamela Deutsch — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:39:02 +0000

Israelis are known for their love of nature. However, for 10% of the Israeli population, a casual walk in the countryside is not a possibility. People with physical, mental and emotional disabilities find it difficult to enjoy out-of-door activities due to lack of physical accessibility or explanations suitable to their individual needs. The majority spend their time within the four walls of institutions, with few extracurricular activities to enrich their lives.

In response to the overwhelming need to expose all people to the wonders of nature, LOTEM, Integrated Nature Studies has created programming which enables special needs populations to take part in specially designed activities every year. These include men, women and children who are visually and hearing impaired, physically and mentally challenged, emotionally disturbed, and at risk of physical or emotional abuse. LOTEM’s participants are made up of groups of all ages – from children in special kindergartens to residents of homes for the aged. Our participants are Jews, Christians, Moslems and Druze, as well as integrated groups which have been organized according to need rather than religion or race. LOTEM serves all socio-economic groups. Participants come from schools, assisted living apartments, and institutions located across the country – from northern border villages to small development towns. By opening its doors to all special needs populations, LOTEM enables approximately 5,000 visitors each year to enjoy the glories of nature in a suitable and accessible environment.

Lotem