Israeli Sports Program Helps Heal Relations Between Fathers and Sons
The concept of Father’s Day would not always have come easy for 10-year-old “David,” who lives with his parents and older brothers in a coastal Israeli town north of Tel Aviv.
Feature Stories
Country
Empowering Israel’s Future
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Healthy Living Program Gives Israeli Youth a Fresh Start
Two years ago, Odet, 19, was in the midst of a deep personal crisis. Born and raised in a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community in Jerusalem, she was finishing school and looking ahead at the next chapter of her life—one that would imminently lead to marriage and children.
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Employment Initiative in Israel Helps Single Mom STRIVE
One year ago, Shelly M. felt like she’d hit rock bottom. A 32-year-old single mother of two children, 7 and 5, she was living in public housing and relying on a government-issued food card to feed her young daughters. Shelly hadn’t worked in two years and was drowning in debt.
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Creative Arts Program in Israel Helps At-Risk Kids Thrive
At his elementary school, Sammy is just one of many students from struggling homes—recent immigrants from the Caucuses, single-parent families, parents with chronic illnesses or addictions, victims of second- or third-generation poverty, and more recently, migrant workers.
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A Struggling Ethiopian-Israeli Family's Hopes Renewed
"This family has gone from dependency to self-sufficiency—and is now able to help others." That's how their mentor described Danny and Tseganesh Bruk of Rishon LeZion, recent graduates of a three-year JDC empowerment program for Ethiopian-Israelis.
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Israeli Arab Transforms Challenge into Strength for Herself and Her Community
“As a child I couldn’t imagine coming to terms with my disability,” says Hanaa, 32, who was born congenitally blind, the youngest of six children in an Israeli Arab family with limited means. “But once I did, I realized I could derive motivation from it and go far.”
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Early Childhood Initiative Gives Israel’s At-Risk Children New Beginnings
Odelia knew her five-year-old daughter “Tamar” was different. After learning she’d been a victim of abuse at the first day care she ever attended, Odelia was reluctant to enroll her in kindergarten full time. Then she heard about the New Beginnings program at a local kindergarten in Netanya.
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Center for Young Adults Takes Israeli Immigrant Full Circle
Mila A., 24, loves her job. Every day she helps immigrants set out on their life’s course at the very same JDC Center for Young Adults where she was once received help on her own challenging journey, which has now come full circle.
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With New Possibilities, Israeli Arab Youth Thrive
Young Israelis in JDC’s Afikim program benefit from both individual mentorship and group workshops that help them gain self-assurance, develop professional skills, and learn real-life problem-solving strategies.
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Surviving Breast Cancer Marks Beginning of Journey for Israeli Women
At first glance, Ruth, an American-Israeli journalist living in Jerusalem, and Ibtisam, a Palestinian mother of three from the West Bank, could not be from more different worlds. But last month, as they joined JDC’s COPE Forum for Palestinian and Israeli Breast Cancer Survivors on a trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, they cemented a bond that transcends ethnic, religious, and national divides—a bond that can only be understood by fellow survivors of the disease.