Director-General of Youth Aliyah Institutions

Following government cuts in social support and child welfare payments, Israel’s most disadvantaged citizens are feeling the economic pinch.

The number of parents applying to enroll their children in Youth Aliyah Institution’s three junior high remedial residential villages has increased significantly. To meet this growing demand all three villages have taken in more children this year even though this stretches our budget.

This growing number of applications and enrollment not only reflects the economic situation but also the reputation Youth Aliyah has for rehabilitating the lives of disadvantaged children and youth. Children who reach Kiryat Yearim, Ben Yakir and Ramat Hadassah Szold barely able to read and write leave the villages fully literate and numerate. Increased use of therapy and extra-curricular activities alleviate behavioral difficulties.

Furthermore, the construction and renovation of new dormitories and other facilities also makes our villages very attractive.

At Hadassah Neurim, Youth Aliyah Institution’s flagship high school, one of the emphases in recent years has been raising academic standards and diversifying the matriculation tracks offered to include such subjects as drama, the arts and medical studies.

And while aliyah has decreased sharply, Nitzana’s SELAH Science program for new immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, and the KEDMA program for newcomers from Ethiopia, remain highly popular.

Kislev 5765 - November 2004