For 25 years, OU Israel has been propelling Israeli teens on the edge into a positive future by providing a supportive community, strong mentors, and meaningful life tools.
Now, war has robbed these teens of their homes, friends, and any sense of security. It has also devastated their safe communities and second homes – OU Israel’s 22 Teen Centers.
With your partnership, we can use our relationships, infrastructure, and experience to give the teens a network of support as they rebuild their lives – and our country.
Extend structure and mentorship to teens in underprivileged communities.
Are a sanctuary for at-risk teens and young adults seeking warmth, guidance, and support.
Provide rejuvenating experiences where teens can connect with mentors and friends.
Offers a hybrid work/sheirut leumi seminary program for young women at risk.
Continues to mentor and support young adults throughout their army or national service.
Help teens grow through volunteering, community building, pre-military preparation, and a mentoring program for alumni.
Extend structure and mentorship to teens in underprivileged communities.
Are a sanctuary for at-risk teens and young adults seeking warmth, guidance, and support.
Provide rejuvenating experiences where teens can connect with mentors and friends.
Offers a hybrid work/sheirut leumi seminary program for young women at risk.
Continues to mentor and support young adults throughout their army or national service.
Help teens grow through volunteering, community building, pre-military preparation, and a mentoring program for alumni.
Thousands of Israel’s teens are troubled or at risk due to the war.
Nearly 40,000 have been displaced. All are scared, lonely, and dangerously bored.
Our staff have stepped up in unbelievable ways to get our teens through this – even though many are displaced and 60% of them (or their spouses) have served in the war.
On his off-Shabbos from Gaza, an advisor got together with 200 teens from Maaleh Adumim.
For a recent Shabbaton, a director sent buses to 17 cities to pick up just the displaced girls from Kiryat Shmonah so they could reconnect with their friends.
Advisors travel all over the country, from Eilat to Teveria to Ashkelon, to visit their teens.
Despite our wartime loss of government funding, we have expanded existing programs and even introduced new ones:
Advisors hold meetings in temporary locations and have opened new groups to meet the higher demand.
We launched a crisis hotline, where trained social workers and volunteers offer emotional support and referrals to thousands of struggling teens.
We started a new Teen First Responder Leadership Program to empower teens to assist in emergencies.
Repair and refurbish 11 damaged Teen Centers.
Add security measures to all 22 Centers.
Move 4 shelter-based branches to permanent locations.
Build Teen Centers in the hard-hit cities of Ofakim and Netivot.
Offer more therapeutic workshops and special programming to help teens move past trauma.
Create new programs to complement our existing ones.
Host more Shabbatonim.
Develop our new Teen First Responder Leadership Program, which trains teens to help those in need.
Provide our staff with trauma education and teach them when to refer teens to the mental health care system.
Create advanced professional training for branch directors in light of the complexities of the war.
Recruit new staff to serve our increased numbers of teens.
After October 7, Emunah Tawil, one of the original staff members of Tzfat Zula, faced a challenging situation. Many of the male staff members were called to reserves, and many female staff members traveled south to their parents with their children. With her husband fighting in Gaza and a young infant, Emunah initially did likewise. However, her “Zula girls” sent countless heartfelt messages expressing how much they missed the center and begging for its reopening.
Determined to support her community, Emunah made a courageous decision. Despite the personal challenges of caring for a new baby alone, she chose to return home and keep the Tzfat Zula open. Her dedication ensured that the girls who relied on the Zula for support and community had a place to turn during difficult times.
By supporting OU Israel, you are:
This is a difficult time. But at the same time, we feel the nation awakening. This is not just a war to survive but a war that will take us somewhere else. The teens feel it and they are motivated to improve their lives in ways they never were before.
When you support OU Israel’s Teen Centers, you are helping Israel not just today but tomorrow. Together, we can give Israel’s future a safe place to grow.
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