Turning Around Young Lives in Israel
In Kiryat Shmona, the largest city in our partnership region, there are more than 15,000 vulnerable children who need our help. Their situations range from living in poverty, to parents who are under-employed, to being victims of neglect or abuse. Through Friends of Beit Vancouver, Jewish Federation donors are making a positive impact in the lives of thousands of these young people. It is part of our Federation’s commitment to invest strategically in major projects that lift the entire region.
Beit Vancouver, a centre that provides at-risk youth a safe place to have fun and develop new skillsets, is the crown jewel of our work in Northern Israel. The centre offers a wide range of social, educational, cultural and leadership activities for youth who face specific challenges because they grow up along Israel’s northern border. The centre has also built effective partnerships with other agencies and programs, resulting in a strategic leveraging effect on our Jewish Federation’s investments in youth and education in the region.
In 2006, the building underwent a significant renovation and quickly became an extremely active and successful hub for youth activity. Three Vancouver families, the Charles and Craig Diamond family, the Heller family, and the Bev Libin family funded the renovation.
Following a 2013 Federation mission to Israel, chaired by Arnold and Anita Silber, Jewish Federation established Friends of Beit Vancouver to recognize the growing number of Vancouver families supporting our Federation’s work at the centre. After touring the facility, seeing the programs in operation and meeting the youth engaged in programing there, many of the mission participants made donations to support to support the centre and its many programs.
Today, Beit Vancouver benefits from the support of 16 donor families who fund the centre’s ongoing operation and the many programs and services offered there. Their commitment is critical to our Jewish Federation’s strategic development of the region.
Kiryat Shemona has seen a dramatic decline in juvenile delinquency since Beit Vancouver opened, and the centre has grown steadily in the level and quality of programming, as well as in youth participation. Over half of the region’s youth services operate in Beit Vancouver and the rest are managed from the building. Today, more than half of the city’s young people participate in Beit Vancouver’s programs, compared with an average of 30% for most other Israeli cities.
Here is just a sampling of programs and services operating out of the Beit Vancouver building:
Net@
In collaboration with Cisco Systems, high school students achieve advanced information and communications technology (ICT) training and skills that prepare them for careers that otherwise would be beyond their reach. An onsite computer repair shop gives students experience in hardware and software repair, reinforcing community involvement through volunteering while providing the community with subsidized computer services.
Krembo Wings
The only inclusive Israeli youth movement for children and youth with disabilities, Krembo Wings provides weekly social activities for young people living with any type of disability, and helps them become part of community life. The program also develops the leadership skills of their able-bodied peers who volunteer as youth counsellors.
Youth Futures
Youth Futures counteracts the at-risk cycle of junior high school children by connecting them with specially trained counsellors who bridge the gaps between participants and the local social and educational welfare resources they require.
Matmon Counselling
Using dedicated space in Beit Vancouver with a separate entrance for confidentiality, Matmon Counselling provides individual and group therapy for at-risk youth and their parents.
Every gift to the Federation Annual Campaign supports Beit Vancouver and other important programs that affect the lives of thousands of community members here at home and in our partnership region. If you haven’t yet had a chance to contribute to our work through the Federation Annual Campaign, please make your gift today.
