“The Graduates’ Home” run by Bet Singer – The Bridge to Life

The management of the Children’s Home at Bet Singer in Kfar Yehezkel decided to spread its wings and continue to offer its protection to the students who graduate and are no longer legally under the auspices of the Children’s Home. The management has watched for years how the students, upon completion of their last year of school, felt totally lost and alone as they prepared to leave the Children’s Home, their home for years. Leaving the Children’s Home for conscription in the army or for the National Service, arranging a new residence and developing a new social surrounding, thoughts on possible higher education and work all create a formidable challenge that can appear overwhelming to any youngster, even to those who have a family to fall back on and a normative biological family. Even more so these challenges present seemingly insurmountable difficulties to our graduates, who generally are lacking any family to give them support.

 

Each of us, who has guided and accompanied children in our own family through this difficult period in life, has seen to what extent the children need family support as they face the difficulties of army and organizing their lives for the period after army service. All of us, as experienced family members, know that without our support these children will have tremendous difficulty getting on the road to success and building a creative and fruitful life.

 

The Graduates’ Home, set up by the management of our NGO, is the bridge between the young graduates of the Children’s Home and their new stage in life. The Graduates’ Home is an environment that includes a residence and a total social structure supporting them. Arrangements at the Graduates’ Home include family connections, continued counseling and support, and representation for the graduate when the need occurs with the governmental authorities (for example, the army and other government institutions).  The setup at the Graduates’ Home attempts to give social and mental health assistance, especially prior to their entry into the army, and prior to their release, aiding them to prepare for the world, and for appropriate studies. This support continues until the graduate becomes an independent citizen with a healthy outlook and  a salary enabling them to live independently after completing their education.The NGO will assist as much as possible in obtaining the education.

 

The lion’s share of the Graduates’ Home budget is based on your contributions – friends of the Children’s Home. The government gives no financial support or aid of any sort to this important stage in the lives of our graduates. The only governmental support applies up to the stage when the children finish high school and leave the Children’s Home for the army. Consequently, we, the management of the NGO, make our plea to you to support this important activity as part of the traditional Jewish ethic known as “Tikun Olam”  (Changing the world for the better) , and to help us put these youngsters on the road to life that they can start properly.