Battered women's hot line may close..

The following article was published in the Jerusalem Post on November 24, 2009. It was written by RUTH EGLASH and is published in its entirety below.

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As the world prepares to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Wednesday, the future of Israel's National Hot Line for Battered Women and Children at Risk is in doubt, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

According to representatives of the Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO), which currently runs the hot line together with the Welfare and Social Services Ministry, the emergency telephone service that provides private counseling and practical advice to battered women and children will soon be combined into a general national hot line for all matters connected to social welfare.

"A woman who has finally found the courage, after years of suffering, to call someone for help does not really want to be held in a telephone line until their call is answered by an operator," wrote Yochi Feller, director of WIZO Israel, in a letter to Welfare and Social Services Minister Isaac Herzog last week.

"Victims of domestic violence, including children and teens at risk, are a particularly weak population, and they need personal and immediate assistance," she stressed.

However, a spokesman for the ministry told the Post Monday that the idea was to bring together all the currently available help lines under one number (118), similar to what is provided by the police or medical services.

"We have nothing against WIZO, and we work with them on many different projects. We just believe that it will be easier for the public to deal with one main number," he said, explaining that the ministry had already put out tenders for operating the service and that it would provide professional training to those manning the phones.

"There will be staff, including social workers, who will be able to help the callers on most subjects, and there will be no waiting time for calls," he added, noting that the ministry was looking to utilize state-of-the-art technology for the service.

However, Nurit Kaufman, who is director of the Violence against Women department at WIZO and has been working in the field for some 25 years, said she felt strongly that victims of domestic violence needed to be treated separately.

"If these women do not feel they will get the full attention and a sympathetic ear, then they will simply not call," she said, reiterating Feller's remarks.

Kaufman noted that WIZO had been the first women's organization to set up a hot line for battered women in 1987 and had been running the line (1-800-220-000) together with the ministry since 2005.

"We do hope to continue with our hot line, but it really depends on whether we find funding for it or not," she said.

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The Hope For Israel Relief Fund is committed to standing with victimized women and helping them overcome any and all circumstances. We support several ministries that seek to empower and raise up women by providing for their physical and spiritual needs. If you feel that God is putting Israeli women on your heart please contact us at http://www.thehopeforisrael.org today to see how you can join with us in helping women. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Sweetness of Giving

This article first appeared in TOGETHER: Jewish Giving Today, published by The Jewish Federations of North America. Below it is reprinted.

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The Sweetness of Giving
by Ruth Andrew Ellenson

When I was little, my father would begin every Shabbat by having each person in my family donate money to the bright blue and white tzedakah box we kept in our dining room. We would collect coins and deposit them into the little metal slot one by one, listening to each one drop with a satisfying metal clink.

I wish I could say that I was pious enough as a child to have truly enjoyed this act of charity – this small bit of tikkun olam foisted upon me in a valiant attempt to form my good character. But I did not. Instead, with each dropping coin, I lamented in my heart the money that was going to strangers instead of my candy supply. With each quarter that vanished into the void, visions of chocolate, sugar and other tasty treats filled my head with longing and despair.

It’s tough to want things and have to give away what you have. As a kid, sugar was my idea of perfect happiness (and really, has that changed?) and it was being forced out of my hands to help people I didn’t even know.

Our whole society is geared towards acquisition. The idea of owning that one thing that will bring us perfect happiness – be it candy when you’re six, or a car when you’re 60 – is something we are programmed for from birth. The idea that material things can bring satisfaction is a fantasy that’s hard to let go.

And yet sooner or later (hopefully sooner) we learn the lesson that getting everything you want, and keeping everything you have, doesn’t really make you happy. You realize that wealth really has no meaning unless you go out into the world and share it with others.

As an adult, I’m grateful for the lesson my dad taught us at the Shabbat table. Now when I give tzedakah, I get so much more satisfaction than I ever did from my candy supply – even chocolate doesn’t compare with the sweetness of giving.

Ruth Andrew Ellenson won the National Jewish Book Award for her anthology “The Modern Jewish Girl’s Guide to Guilt” and lectures regularly on Jewish women’s identity issues. Learn more at www.guiltguide.com.

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When we give with joy in our hearts the Lord honors our offerings. In this season, if you are looking for ministries to joyfully support, please consider The Hope For Israel Relief Fund. Working with the Messianic Jewish community in Israel we are able to provide for several worthy ministries. For more information please visit our website: http://www.thehopeforisrael.org.

What they need is love: 40 kids seek foster homes

The below article was originally written and published for the Jerusalem Post's online publications by RON FRIEDMAN on November 20, 2009.

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Two-year-old Guy suffers from slight development retardation due to long-term neglect and severe malnutrition. Guy was removed from his home by welfare services six months ago because his parents could not provide him or his two brothers with a worthy environment. Today, Guy is one of 40 children in desperate need of a foster home.

Two-year-old Guy is looking for a foster family.
Photo: Courtesy of Orr Shalom

November 20 is the Universal Day of the Child and Orr Shalom, a non-government organization that provides residential and therapeutic services to children who have been removed from their homes, is calling on members of the public to volunteer their homes and their hearts and consider becoming foster parents for Guy or any of the other children who need a warm environment to grow up in.

Orr Shalom was founded in 1980 and today is the largest organization that deals with foster families, caring for more than 1,300 children from ages 0-18, through a variety of different programs. Working out of offices in Beit Shemesh, Orr Shalom helps children across the country and from all backgrounds.

For the last six months since being removed from his parent's house, Guy has been living in an emergency foster home - a home that is prepared to accept a child at a moment's notice. Children are only removed from their homes as a last resort, usually following a sustained period of abuse or neglect, once all other options have been exhausted, or when a child's life is in immediate danger.

"Many people know about the case that has come to be known as the 'starving mother case,' but all of the 40 children we're looking for homes for are many times worse than that," said Orr Shalom's Erik Rosental. "For us the ground is always burning - we are always in emergency mode."

While Guy has blossomed in the emergency foster home, putting on weight and opening up to people, he is in need of a more permanent home and the emergency foster home needs his spot for other needy children coming in. Children are only meant to stay there for around three months.

Guy never experienced love and warmth before arriving at the emergency foster home. His drug-addicted parents neglected him completely and he lived devoid of attention, human contact and even speech for the first year and a half of his life. Since arriving at the emergency foster home he has become hungry for affection and attaches himself to anyone who is friendly towards him. Nearly every evening, before going to sleep, he is overcome by a burst of laughter that only strengthens once he hears the words "good night."

Sometimes he reverts to reclusive behavior, backing up to walls and avoiding contact, but it passes quickly. Guy loves listening to noises. He is transfixed by human speech and often begins dancing in place when music is played.

Orr Shalom caregivers say that Guy has the potential for normal development and that loving care will do wonders for his cognitive development. What he needs is a warm and loving family that will take him in and invest in his care and upbringing.

Unlike adoption, foster care is designed to be a temporary solution for children-at-risk until their biological parents are able to care for them properly or until a decision is reached about a permanent home for the child, though in some cases the children remain with their foster families until they are grown up.

Anat Dunowicz, executive director of Orr Shalom, explains that in recent years changes in Welfare Ministry policies have seen a shift towards preferring foster home solutions instead of caring for the children in special institutions or sending them to boarding schools.

"Over the last three years we have seen a rise from 15 percent to 23% of children going into foster homes," said Dunowicz. "In other Western countries foster homes are the solution for 85% of the children."

Chantal Hakmon is a mother to six biological children and two foster children. She and her husband Raphael, have been taking care of 10-year-old Eli for three years and seven-year-old Tali for a year and a half. Hakmon said she would recommend the experience to anybody willing to try, but that it came with many unforeseen challenges.

"We raised six children of our own and made sure to seek guidance all along the way, so we thought we knew our stuff when it came to parenting, but with foster children you can never really be fully prepared. The harsh conditions the children grow in leave their marks and their behavior can be very different from children, like ours, who grew up in a warm family environment," said Hakmon.

As an example, she spoke of how her foster child Eli reacted to the birth of kittens to the family cat. "When the cat gave birth in the yard, Eli tried to approach the kittens and care for them. I told him not to touch them because I was afraid that if he did the mother would no longer nurse them. When the social worker came to visit, he explained that Eli's reaction was quite understandable.

"Eli had been forced to take care of his two younger sisters because their mother wasn't home. He simply had no grasp of the natural connection between the mother and her kittens. When I explained to him that he didn't have to take care of the little ones, that the mother would provide for all their needs, he was ready to let go," related Hakmon.

Hakmon said she was sometimes frustrated by the fact that Eli appeared to be a regular 10-year-old, but that developmentally he was sometimes still a baby. "He talks and moves around like a normal boy, but he often reacts to things like a much younger child," she said.

One of the things she always needs to remind herself and the rest of the family is that the foster children are only with them temporarily and that the real hope is for their biological parents to one day get them back, she said. For that purpose, the children remain in contact with their biological parents and the families meet and talk on the phone on a regular basis.

Hakmon said that families that open their homes to foster children have to be solidly united. "It is important that the parents' relationship be strong and that the biological children should be supportive."

She said her own children, ranging in ages from eight to 28, were all on board with the decision and that they got along well with the foster children. "I guess we did some things right in raising them because they are very understanding and have a great desire to give," said Hakmon.

When asked if she would consider taking in any other foster children, Hakmon said that she would if she could. "I hope to retire soon and we have a big house - we hope to fill it up with foster children after our biological kids leave home."

Dunowicz said that the criteria for foster parenting were decided by the Ministry of Welfare and included factors like a reasonable economic situation, good health, enough room to support a child, lack of a criminal record and willingness to work with the welfare authorities and the biological parents of the children.

Foster families receive a state stipend to help with the cost of clothes, food and school supplies and Orr Shalom provides money for extras like after-school activities and toys from funds raised by donors.

Dunowicz said that one of the biggest challenges was finding homes for two or more siblings. The preference of the welfare services and of Orr Shalom are that brothers and sisters remain together so that they can hold on to familial bonds and be better prepared for their eventual return to their biological home. "If people are hesitant to take one child, they are even more hesitant to take two or more," said Dunowicz.

"The Welfare Ministry invests NIS 65 million a year to assist and support foster families. Foster families' willingness to volunteer is unparalleled," said WelfareMinistry director general Nachum Itskovitch. "Fostering doesn't only provide professional and therapeutic care for the children who need it, but it also provides a social and moral example that is second to none in Israeli society," he added. "The WelfareMinistry sees the adoption of these values as an indivisible part of its role and we plan to strengthen the support of foster families in the future."

Orr Shalom calls on anyone who is interested in fostering Guy or any one of the other 40 children in need of warm homes to contact it at (02) 993-6900 ext. 125 or visit its Web site www.orr-shalom.org.il to learn more about ways to help.

All children's names have been changed in the article to protect their identity.

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Here at The Hope For Israel Relief Fund we are asking that you pray with us on this Universal Day of the Child. We are committed to those most vulnerable in Israel. Let us pray that God's favor would shine on the Messianic ministries that are helping the poor all over Israel. The Messianic community within Israel is dedicated to providing for the poor and we encourage you to pray for all of their needs. Make sure every dollar you send to bless Israel ends up in the hands of those who are 100% committed to the causes you are trying to support. For more information please click below to see how you can help through The Hope For Israel Relief Fund. Donate Today!

The Hope For Israel Relief Fund would also like to take this time to stand with organizations like Orr Shalom on the Universal Day of the Child and remind readers that we are supporting several ministries that seek to provide for poverty-stricken children and families. If you'd like to learn more about how we are helping out in the Land please visit http://www.thehopeforisrael.org today!

Blessings,
The Hope For Israel

Survey: 46% of Israelis fear falling below poverty level

The below article was written by RUTH EGLASH of the Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com) it appeared on November 16, 2009 in their online publications.

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Close to half of Israeli's population lives in constant fear that the government's economic policies will force them into a life of extreme poverty, according to a study published Monday to coincide with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

A man searches through the garbage in Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda open-air market.
Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski via JPost.com

The day was marked worldwide on October 17, but will take place here among non-profit organizations on Tuesday.

Using a sample of some 500 Israeli adults, the survey, which was conducted by the Forum for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, found that 46 percent of the those polled were in a perpetual state of fear that government policy would cause them to fall below the poverty line. Only a quarter of those questioned for the telephone survey said they felt financially secure in their current situation.

"We deal with this kind of fear every day," commented B., a working mother of five who asked that her real name be withheld. "Both my husband and I work full-time, but we have no outside help and no assistance from the government. We are constantly struggling to make ends meet."

B., who lives in Jerusalem and whose husband works in hi-tech, added, "We live a simple life, and we don't waste money. We have no car and no television, but we still spend more than half of our income on rent. The situation is absurd."

The family will be among those presenting their personal stories Tuesday at a special conference for lawmakers in the Knesset, organized by the Forum for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

"The situation will only change if we are able to put a face on poverty," said Jona Rosenfeld, professor emeritus from the School of Social Work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and from the Unit of Learning from His Success and On-going Learning in Human Services at the JDC-Myers Brookdale Institute. "Studies and surveys will not bring change. Most of these people living in poverty or fear of poverty are anonymous; they do not have voices, and there is no discourse."

Several of the key Knesset committees will focus on poverty during their sessions on Tuesday.

In addition to the financial fears faced by most of the population, the survey found that roughly a quarter (24%) of those questioned admitted they'd had to make serious cutbacks to their budget this year and prioritize food and medicine in their expenses.

While recognizing that this fear derived from the present global economic crisis some 77% of those questioned said they believed that the fall into poverty was not solely the fault of the individuals, and only 19% said it was the individuals' responsibility to get themselves out of financial difficulties.

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Issues of poverty and an onslaught of helplessness continue to plague the most vulnerable in Israel. While many fear the changes that they'll face if the economic crisis worsens there are those that are hurting now. The Physical and Spiritual crises in Israel is not too big for what God has planned for this great country. Let us pray that all of Israel would come to know their true Provider, the One who will never let them down or let their needs go without being fulfilled.

If you would like to know how you can get involved please visit http://www.thehopeforisrael.org and to donate today please visit http://www.thehopeforisrael.org/donate.html

Blessings and Shalom,
The Hope For Israel Relief Fund

Less than 0.05% of Ethiopians live in Tel Aviv

The below article is being reprinted from the Jerusalem Post, written by Staff writers there.

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In honor of the Sigd holiday, celebrated by Ethiopian Jews to commemorate their acceptance of the Torah, the Central Bureau of Statistics published data about the Ethiopian community in Israel on Sunday.

Jewish Ethiopian children in Gondar, Ethiopoia.
Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Arthur Eidelman

According to statistics, most of Israel's 119,000 Ethiopians live in the central and southern parts of the country, especially in urban areas in which Jews constitute less than one-third of the population. Less than 0.05% of the community resides in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Statistics were also compiled concerning education in the Israeli Ethiopian community, showing that the rate of those eligible for high school matriculation certificates has risen by six percent in the last ten years - thus reducing the gap between Ethiopian and native Israeli students, whose matriculation eligibility rate stood at 55% in 2008.

The dropout rate, however, was found to be lower among Israeli Ethiopian students than among their native Israeli counterparts - 1.54% and 1.78%, respectively.

Of the Ethiopian Jews living in Israel today, 19.3% of them made aliya before 1989's Operation Moses, 46.5% of them made aliya during Operation Solomon in the previous decade and 34.2% made aliya between 2000 and 2008.

The bureau's report showed that a very high percentage of Ethiopians in Israel marry into their community, men more so than women - 93% and 85%, respectively, averaging out at 89%. The percentage of divorced Israeli Ethiopian couples proved to be only slightly higher than the divorce rate in the general population.

In 2008, concluded the report, 2,183 babies were born in Israel to women of Ethiopian origin.

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Ethiopians living in Israel are among the most vulnerable members of society. The Hope For Israel Relief Fund seeks to reach out to this community by supporting them in various humanitarian needs. If you are thinking about donating to Israel to support the Ethiopian population we would ask that you consider using The Hope For Israel Relief Fund, so that you can be sure that your money is being used to support ministries that are owned and operated by the believing community in Israel.

For more information on how you can help please visit http://www.thehopeforisrael.org/donate