More than 6,500 teens and young adults have been able to rely on OU Israel’s twenty-two Teen Centers for support since October 7. Left: Nir, an IDF soldier serves as OU Israel’s Sderot Branch Director, where he supports teens like Liav (pictured) whose father was the first policeman killed in Sderot on October 7. Right: An evacuated teen from Kiryat Shemona, Shira currently lives with her family and her dog in a hotel in Jerusalem. Her Teen Center advisor continues to be there for her during these challenging times.
At a time when Israeli citizens continue to live the nightmare of October 7, one segment of Israel’s population is experiencing the trauma most profoundly: youth at risk.
Growing up in poor, tough neighborhoods in peripheral northern and southern regions like Akko, Yaffo, Kiryat Gat, Sderot, Nahariya and Kiryat Shmona, among others, these teens, often from broken homes, are economically and socially disenfranchised. The horrors of October 7 have only compounded their trauma; many were displaced from their homes and live with perpetual anxiety about the future, devoid of any real educational infrastructure and drawn to life on the streets.
Fortunately, more than 6,500 teens and young adults have been able to rely on the support of OU Israel’s twenty-two Teen Centers since the start of the conflict. Operating for almost twenty-five years throughout Israel, the centers, including the Jack E. Gindi Oraita Program, Makom Balev, and the Pearl & Harold Jacobs Zula Outreach Center, serve as a non-judgmental home-away-from-home, where youth connect with their peers and dedicated advisors, participate in stimulating, growth-oriented activities, nurture their emotional health, and acquire critical life skills to help them become the community leaders of tomorrow.
OU Israel invests $3.84 million annually in its Teen Centers and has relied heavily on additional funding from Israel’s federal and municipal government. Sadly, many of those funds have been redirected to the county’s war efforts, leaving OU Israel with a considerable financial shortfall.
“We see firsthand how much of an impact this funding makes for our youth at risk, who literally turn their lives around with the help of our dedicated team members,” says OU Israel Executive Director Rabbi Avi Berman. “Now, more than ever, our teens and young adults need even more support. We’re hoping that our friends and supporters around the world, and especially in North America, will be able to help us to compensate for our losses, so that we can continue to assist our youth at an even higher level than we did before the conflict due to the even more pressing trauma.”
To contribute to OU Israel’s Teen Centers Promise Us Tomorrow campaign, please visit ouisrael.org/promise.
Aviva Engel is a writer for the OU Marketing and Communications Department.