http://israelnonprofitnews.com Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:23:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://israelnonprofitnews.com/directory/other/benjamin-childrens-library/ http://israelnonprofitnews.com/directory/other/benjamin-childrens-library/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:40:51 +0000 Pamela Deutsch http://israelnonprofitnews.com/?page_id=1096 Benjamin loved books. When he died in 1990 at the age of four, his family chose to perpetuate his memory in a child-friendly way. With the help of family, friends and local volunteers, they established The Benjamin Children’s Library in Beit Shemesh, Israel.
The Benjamin Children’s Library, centrally located in the Meyerhoff Community Center, currently serves thousands of children from all segments of the local population, their parents and teachers. Library users are veteran Israelis, as well as new immigrants from Russia, Ethiopia and English-speaking countries.
The Benjamin Children’s Library is a community gathering place run by and for the community by a small professional staff and an army of dedicated volunteers. It is a stimulating, safe activity center which is close to home, where children can do homework, play, use computers, draw, use puppets and scarves, and listen to music. And, of course, read.
The library offers a range of resources to members and walk-in visitors, including collections of Hebrew, English and Russian books, computers, cassette and videotapes, a toddler corner and a homework/reference room. The library sponsors informal book-based programming such as story hours, puppet-theater, summer reading programs, workshops in paper and bookmaking, and a storybook carnival.
A large percentage of the library’s most regular visitors come from disadvantaged homes and use the library as an afternoon center. At the library they receive homework help, subsidized memberships, a wonderful selection of books and activities, as well as warmth and support.

]]> http://israelnonprofitnews.com/directory/other/benjamin-childrens-library/feed/ 0 http://israelnonprofitnews.com/introducing-kindergarten-kids-to-the-library/ http://israelnonprofitnews.com/introducing-kindergarten-kids-to-the-library/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:39:46 +0000 Pamela Deutsch http://israelnonprofitnews.com/?p=1095 Since Jan ’09, the Benjamin Children’s Library CL has been running an exciting new program for Gan children in coordination with Keren Karev and the city of Beit Shemesh. The goal of the program is to give the children perhaps their first exposure to the wonder of books and libraries and to familiarize the children with the library so that they feel at home here.
The program includes talking to the children about the way a library develops and how growth necessitates order. They discover ways to sort the books so that they can be easily found. The children sort a pile of books themselves deciding where to put each book depending on colors, page size, number of words and pictures per page etc. They discover the color coded labeling system for books and take a tour of the library to find where each of the categories they defined are actually found in the library. Once at a shelf, they learn about alphabetizing books by author name. Ultimately, the children get to sit down with some delicious books and READ! The program continues after a reading break with a creative activity by Keren Karev. We believe the children should experience all kinds of development within the walls of the library and are therefore very pleased to be cooperating with Keren Karev for this enriching program.

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