Our Programs
The Keren Hayeled programs are tailor made to the children, who come to us with so many varying needs. Each with his own story. With her own background. And every single one of those stories is deeply moving, and painful.
It is up to us to help them, guide them, and support them through their challenging start to life, and build them into strong, healthy individuals who can go on to build stable beautiful relationships in life.
War is raging in Israel. See how our children are managing the fear.
"it took everything we had..."
“I remember when Chaya* came to us. She was completely out of control. Wild as a wild-horse. At her interview, she jerked the tablecloth off, sending items flying. Everything she could get her hands on was in danger. The trouble Chaya got into was endless, and she didn’t seem to want anyone to help her. We worked tirelessly for months, giving her the best support system we could pull off both emotionally and physically. It was hard to coordinate a family who would take her in and love her as their own, but we did it.
Chaya took a long time to learn to trust her Keren Hayeled family. But today, Chaya is a beautiful teenage girl, so gentle and sweet – nobody would believe her story if they knew. You wouldn’t believe it. It took everything we had, but look at the reward!”
– Rabbi Meyer Godlewsky
they need a home.
they need family.
Yael* tells:
“My best friend is terrified of bugs. Other kids in my class are scared of speaking before a group. But for me, the scariest thing in the world was going home at the end of each day. Until my seventh birthday, I remember climbing the stairs to our fourth-floor apartment in terror. I would whisper a silent prayer to Hashem to slow the rapid beating of my heart.
But it never seemed to help. Every day brought another disaster.
I remember Ima lying in bed, moaning wordlessly. I held my nose against the stench of last week’s pots in the sink as I pushed away the mess to find something I could make for dinner. My little sister and brother were kvetching for food, but all I found was a few slices of old bread. Well, toast is food. At least we’d be able to eat in peace.”
The previous day had been much worse because Ima was up and about… and she was looking for prey. We couldn’t do anything right. There was loud yelling, beating and the threat of no dinner, until we finally escaped to our beds…hungry.
But I hardly think about those days anymore. My third-grade teacher realized that something was wrong, and one day, she paid a surprise visit to my house. I don’t know what happened, but cooked meals began showing up at our door. And only a few weeks later, Shmuel, Avigail and I went to live at Keren Hayeled.
Now we have meals every day, we have a wonderful housemother, and we have a lot of friends. My clothes are always clean and I have time to do my homework. There are so many books here, and I’ve discovered that I love to read! But the most important thing is this – I am no longer afraid to go home.
– Yael* has been with Keren Hayeled since age 7.
we're there for them
every step of the way
Due to the difficult circumstances they are coming from, each child taken into the Keren Hayeled family is given a series of comprehensive emotional, physical, and academic evaluations. A detailed care plan is then designed for every child, and progress and milestones are tracked carefully. Our caring staff are always keeping a close eye on every single one of our dear children, doing as much as possible to support them in settling in comfortably both physically and emotionally, and making sure they have what they need.
Rehabilitative Care
At Keren Hayeled, we provide our children with the most advanced therapy and resources available including occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, hydrotherapy, and art therapy.
Educational Center
The Keren Hayeled programs include a full education center designed for our children's various needs. We offer a variety of educational games and activities for the children, making learning wholesome, engaging, and entertaining.
Academic and Enrichment
We provide a full education to all of our Keren Hayeled children. 1:1 tutors are assigned whenever needed, and additional classroom resources provided as necessary. The staff are attuned to the child's progress, and a high level of support is maintained on a daily basis.
"The Siblings" Program
Our children are paired with "older siblings" from the community who meet with them four times a week. The children develop close relationships with their "siblings", who help them with homework, and more importantly - give them the individual, 1:1 attention so many of them desperately need.
The closest thing you can get
to a real home and family
Everything at Keren Hayeled revolves around providing the neglected and orphaned children who come our way with a safe, warm place to call home, where they can learn to trust, and be prepared to lead a healthy, stable, independent life.
Nothing can replace a home. Nobody can replace parents and family.
But we do our best to get as close as we can.
Keren Hayeled is equipped with both dormitories and home-living environments, so we can provide each child with the care and nurturing he/she needs. The high student:staff ratio means our children get individual attention and love. Our facilities and programs provide the children with homelike activities and settings, so they feel comfortable and natural in home environments. The programs at Keren Hayeled are carefully crafted to suit what our children need at the moment. We put everything we have into making Keren Hayeled a thriving environment for our children to grow in.
Living Environments
Every child comes with his/her own background and needs, and our facilities support the various levels of support and individualized attention needed. Our living facilities include dormitories, supplemental support, and family living units.
Low Teacher-Student Ratio
We maintain a high staff:children ratio in order to build close connections and strong relationships with each of our children. This allows us to help each child in the specific ways that make such a significant impact on our children.
Diverse Range of Support Programs
We provide our children with multiple aspects of support, ranging from family living environments, to mental health resources, therapies of all kinds, 1:1 educational tutors, enrichment curriculums, and more.
The results
Are staggering.
Our children graduate Keren Hayeled and continue on at other mainstream educational institutions. Even then, Keren Hayeled maintains close contact with each of them, meeting regularly with graduates throughout their transition, and communicating often with new teachers and principals to ensure our children continue on their path of progress and growth.
Even years later, our staff are proudly present at weddings, Bris ceremonies, and other family events of our graduates.
We pour our hearts and souls into every single child who comes into our care. We give them a home, family love, care, devotion, attention, security, warmth and stability.
But we can’t do it alone. We rely on people like you to help us.
Be a part of their lives.
Help us continue to help them.