OUR MISSION & WORK
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Kol HaNearim aims to provide hope, happiness, and socio/emotional support to Israeli at-risk youth so they can cultivate resilience, confidence, and break the cycle of dysfunction.
We envision a world in which every disadvantaged child in Israel has access to a network of personal champions. These mentors and friends enhance their integration back into society and provide access opportunities they would not have otherwise.
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To make our dream a reality, we empower Jewish Teens and Young Adults - the next generation of leaders - to volunteer at one of our affiliate Children's Homes. Together, we create fun, transformative, supplementary programming that compliments the Homes' incredible work. Volunteers get hands-on leadership experience, are deeply inspired, and often commit to staying involved long after their programs end.
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From summer camp and holiday parties to coding classes and mentorship programs, we are dedicated to giving at-risk kids a chance at a better future by providing them with the expanded community they need, and the childhood experiences they deserve.
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Because it's easier to believe in yourself when others believe in you.
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OUR STORY
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In 2008, Michael Reidler, Founder and Chairman of Kol HaNearim, spent a summer volunteering for an Israeli Children's Home. The experience left an indelible impression on him, and what started as a singular experience turned into an annual event. Friends joined him the following year. And then friends of their friends came along as well. Each group humbled and inspired by a summer spent creating fun, loving, camp experiences for at-risk kids. Kol Hanearim is the outgrowth of those early, impromptu summers, and today over 3500 disadvantaged children are treated to both year-round supplementary programming as well as summer camp experiences with the help of Kol HaNearim's network. Lead by a dedicated team of volunteer board members, professional staff, and hundreds of teen/ young professional volunteers from around the world, our KH (Kol Hanearim) community continues to grow. We invite you to get involved or donate today!
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WHAT IS A CHILDRENS HOME?
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Unfortunately, poverty, neglect, and abuse are a reality in Israel, as they are throughout the world in underprivileged communities. For some of Israel’s most vulnerable youth a stable, safe, loving childhood is not attainable in their home environments. In the most extreme cases, children at-risk are relocated to government-run Children's Homes (also known as Youth Villages) for their protection.
While each Home is unique, most of these 24/7 homes provide professional services such as psychiatry, psychology, occupational therapy, social work, conventional and para-medical therapies, and education in addition to basic food, shelter, a safe place to live, and a stable place to heal.
There are approximately 60 Children's Homes throughout Israel serving approximately 18,000 children every year. Israeli children rely on these residential shelters to overcome past trauma, and give them a second chance at childhood, help them realize their inborn strengths, and build hope for a better future.
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