Shalom!

As we begin the new school year and approach Rosh Hashana I would like to share with you the latest news at Bet Hayeled. We unfortunately experienced the effect of the war up North. Most of our kids are from the Haifa area and this meant they did not even have a short visit home until the “all clear” was given after the cease-fire. The kids’ anxiety level was high from worrying about their families and this was only heighten by quiet a few air raid sirens on the kibbutz and a few near miss rocket landings. All are efforts went into keeping the kids as busy as possible and much credit needs to go to our Sherut Leumi girls who did a beautiful job.

With the beginning of the school year three new girls arrived (kindergarten, 1st grade and 7th grade) to join the seven other kids in the Home. All three girls were referred to us by Social Service agencies we have worked with in the past and understand our unique ability to provide the children with a Home for many years to come. While we met the new children with much warmth and a big smile, Irit & I are stilled touched by their personal pain and are more then aware of the long road awaiting them. The kids arrived with almost no personal clothing and Irit moved into high gear to buy each child what they need for the school week as well as new Shabbat clothing for all three. All our children received new school bags for the year and they each start the new school year with the hope that this year will be just that much easier for them. The kids are spread over three different schools and we will of course make very effort to have our presence felt at each of the schools. Through the efforts of our friends and supporters we are able to continue to provide each child with an individual development program tailored to their needs and talents. This includes private tutoring, psychological or psychiatric counseling and extra-curricular activities in sports, music or art. The progress of each child is then followed up in our weekly meeting with our staff psychologist and social worker.

This past June three of our girls graduated High School and joined our other five graduates in the real world. The young ladies each have a studio apartment on the kibbutz and all three began their Sherut Leumi service this month as well. Natalie D. will be working in the early childhood program on Kibbutz Lavi, Diana will be working with children at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem and Hadas will work with developmentally challenged kindergarteners in Tel Aviv. We will of course be with them as they face their new challenges. Three of our graduates finished their National service this summer. Natalie & Lilach will be working for a year to save up some money and we are especially proud of Shmulik has been accepted to the Avni School of Art in Tel Aviv and will be starting his 4 year BA program after Sukkot. Dudi continues his army service in military intelligence in the Northern Command located in Tzefat. He spent the whole month of the war underground and saw his wife only once over the course of the war. Shelly began the new school year as a special Ed. teacher in the local school and is happy to finally receive her first paycheck. Her husband was called up and spent three weeks in Lebanon in his Golani commando unit and we all breathed a sigh of relief when he came home safely.

As the extended Bet Hayled family has now reached “Chai” - eighteen, Irit and I hope we can continue to count on your support as we re-commit ourselves this New Year to provide for this special family.

Shana Tova,

Yitz

P.S. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at: yitz@merav.net or visit our website at: www.bethayeled.org