By Bernice Malka, Federation Program Coordinator

Summer vacation has the potential for youth and especially at-risk youth to hang out, be up to no good and generally get into trouble. It’s also a great time to reach out to them, make an extra effort and get them involved in the special summer programs tailored for them. 

The place is so busy, you could not hear yourself think. In one corner the “Acharai” participants sit with their counselor taking part in yet another weekly meeting of their IDF preparation course.  This is another successful program funded by Federation for the past three years.

The adjacent room hosting a professional pool table, ping-pong table and some other table games was occupied by a dozen teenagers, some Ethiopian, some from the FSU and some veteran Israeli youngsters.

The leadership room had 14 other teens busy with computer games. There were eight Ethiopian youngsters together with other boys their age, sitting together, sometimes two kids sharing a computer playing computer games or looking things up in the Internet.

In the dance hall, the Ethiopian Ethnic dancers of the Tespa group (also funded by the Federations) continuing to practice during the summer months.

The youth center's office was busy with eight teenagers from different leadership groups preparing activities and getting letters ready to be sent out.

All this was overseen by Gali who is the centers’ dedicated coordinator.

The dream was that different groups of youngsters would feel that the center is a safe and meaningful place for them and this is exactly what is happening there each and every evening. Federations’ ongoing support of youth programs in Yokneam has no doubt assisted in making this dream come true.