Our Champions In The Jerusalem Marathon

מרטוןLast Friday in the Jerusalem Marathon was held in the city. Lots of runners participated in the race, but one group stood out – the children of Gilboa After School Center of Yad Rachel. The kids and staff ran together and we see them as The Champions and Winners even before the race began.We admire their initiative, participation and sportsmanship!

A fun evening for Bat Yam mothers

Recently we’ve arranged a fun evening for the mothers of the kids from our After School Center in Bat Yam.

The purpose of the evening was just to let them enjoy one evening without the children, husbands, and other things to worry about, the evening just for them.

We invited a makeup artist who works a lot in various fashion styles. She gave a lecture about ways to apply a makeup and also many great tips about cosmetics and care, trying to adjust to the needs of for each one of the mothers.

Finally there was a rich and healthy dinner, and we presented a modest gift to every woman who came!

The event was very successful and everyone had a lot of fun!

A meeting with the writer Mirik Snir

As a part of the project “After the the reading” for encouraging and strengthening the passion to read in Yad Rachel After School Center “Erez” we held a meeting with the writer Mirik Snir. Preparation for the meeting started long before the activity: in the month preceding the arrival of the writer, children read some of her books, during learning activities for parents and children they wrote together some interesting questions for Mirik. In addition, every parent and child received Instructions and materials for making an animal from the story “If suddenly I meet a lion”. The exhibition presented the animals to the writer on the day of the meeting. During the meeting Mirik told children stories, answered their questions, presented them with signed books and held a conversation parents on their responsibilities as adults to expose children to books and enrich their world. Both parents and kids really liked it and it appeared to us that all of the sides got a lot of positive experience from this activity.

Literacy Program funded by The Jerusalem Foundation as a part of Yad Rachel Activity

We are very grateful for the continued funding The Jerusalem Foundation is providing for our Literacy Program.

In the current information age, an individual’s literacy level has a critical impact on a person’s ability to integrate into society, to contribute to it and enjoy the contribution from it. Literacy skills, including the ability to acquire language, social competence, etc. and to use it correctly, begins to form at an early age. As a child grows up, we witness a remarkable evolutionary process, rich and multi-dimensional. Studies show that when it comes to literacy skills, the children problematic social backgrounds struggle wit the  most significant gaps and their success levels in the field of literacy are much lower then those of the children from a high socio-economic background.

The combination of the educational component, emotional component and extra studies, as part of a treatment offered by Yad Rachel, allows families to move forward  with confidence creative and to grow up productive members of the society.

Together with The Jerusalem Foundation we have established the assisted learning room in Yad Rachel main building in Jerusalem. This room has a magical atmosphere where we are able to give children the opportunity to get to know the world of letters, reading and writing more closely. Our teachers have worked hard on the design and planning of the room and of course on preparing learning materials and activities to help kids make the most out of the space offered. The children will find here a place to read, to play, to create works of art on issues related to the stories they are being taught at the moment and on and on. Environment is  comfortable here, neatly kept room and it’s good arrangement helps children to feel respect and appreciation for the activities that take place there, and even for themselves when they take part and make success in the learning process.

We are always happy to thank our donors and partners from The Jerusalem Foundation!

Have a closer look to our renewed learning room:

 

 

Celebrating Passover in Mavkiim Center

Waiting for Passover approaching, the children gathered yesterday in Yad Rachel Center in Mavkiim and and celebrated the holiday together along with the team of the Center. They held a meal, printed their own Agadot, set the most beautiful table and created a very festive atmosphere. This is an opportunity for us to wish happy holiday for all our patients, staff and their families. We wish everyone a pleasant holiday full of experiences.

Evening dedicated to the staff members of the Central Region

Once a in a while we bring together some of Yad Rachel  170 staff members of the from different frameworks we operate across the country, who invest so many hours and energies and powers to fulfil the needs of many hundreds of patients. The staff try to improve as much as possible in helping the patients and respond to their needs. They do so with great dedication and great love. Yesterday, the Center team from all the Central Region gathered at the special evening meeting.

This is one of the ways for us to thank them and express our appreciation to employees for their wonderful work, try to see them as good as they see their patients  and respond to some of the needs of their challenging and complex work. At the event they’ve met with  playback theatre  “Spark” crew. The staff told stories of everyday life at the After School Centers, stories about the challenges they face in their work, stories about children who challenged them, the dilemmas they had while working, and actors presented their stories in front of everyone while they improvise and dramatise the stories as they see and experience them. The experience was very successful and funny and everyone seemed to have really enjoyed. At the end of the evening everyone enjoyed a dinner made by the team leaders.

Mother’s Day in Jasmine Center

Towards upcomming Mother’s Day celebrated soon by Arab society, in Jasmine After School Club for Arab society in Lod there was held a spacial parent-child activity. The families met a yoga teacher, who read them a story and practiced exercises movements according to the figures that appeared in the story. The attendance ind themcollaboration of the families was high. Some families whose children are not regularly in the Center, also came to the event. There was great excitement among mothers and children and they seem really enjoying it.

Paz After School Center Exhibition In Israeli Museum

This week there was an impressive and exciting event at the Israeli Museum. Kids from Paz After School Center which is operated by Yad Rachel in Rainbow Talpaz school in East Talpiot in Jerusalem, presented their art works to their families, school officials and representatives of the Ministry of Welfare. The exhibition at the museum was the end of a very significant process occurred in the past two months, during which the children came once a week, accompanied by a museum’s art instructor, Mrs. Nina Elan. They produced several series of works of art related to nature and life circles. The exposure of children to the subject, the art and the museum was very significant for them. During the work they have learned a lot about themselves and their friends and acquired many tools that will help them in their lives. In addition to the exhibition of children’s works of, families also received a guided tour of one of the current exhibitions at the museum and  were interested in it, asked lot of questions and participated very actively.

This is not the first time we have such cooperation with Israel Museum and all the museums in the country and every time we are excited about the intensity of the process and the exhibitions themselves for the children and their parents and therapeutic work done outside the treatment room.

Purim in Yad Rachel

These days we celebrate the holiday of Purim all around the country. Of course, it also was felt in our programs. The team members are doing their best to give children a special experience, colorful and happy.

Here are only several examples: our  main building in Jerusalem became a palace with a fancy banquet hall, Alonim Afterschool Center became a live jungle, the Center in Mavkiim turned to a magical world of Alice in Wonderland and the kids from  Alon Shvut were surprised to celebrate the holiday in  the Kingdom of Sweets.

Thanks to huge effort of the staff members and their orientation towards the needs of our children, the kids from our Centers had really  happy and special Purim holiday.

Cooperation between Yad Rachel Center in Mavkiim with Magav Police Unit

For several years there was a close relationship and cooperation between Yad Rachel Center in Mavkiim with Magav Police Unit in the area. The police unit members visited the Center, spent time together with the children, became really attached to them, took an active part in the educational and therapeutic process and arranged for us unique activities around the festivals and events throughout the year. The children, both staff and police officers were very excited about the meetings, gained unique experience and felt very good together.

The connection to the community is very important to us and at every opportunity that we can hold joint activities with community organizations in the Center, we try to do so.

On this occasion the Magav unit made huge contribution through their they giving to the children of the Center.