Orr Shalom Children's Stories

Ella
Eight-month old baby girl Ella was left at a neighbor's house by her mother who dropped her off "for a few minutes". Ella's mother, a drug-addict, never returned. The welfare services placed little Ella in an Orr Shalom Emergency Foster Home where she will receive love, care and support from her devoted emergency foster parents until a permanent foster home is found. Although she was abandoned, Orr Shalom will ensure that Ella will never be alone - she will grow up cared for and cherished in a loving Orr Shalom foster home.

Nadav
Nadav, a bright little boy with an infectious giggle, was born with no arms.  His biological parents refused to take him home from the hospital.  The Ministry of Welfare began looking for a family for him through Orr Shalom, and located an extraordinary couple who fell in love with him the moment they laid eyes on him, taking him home to their own five children.  Nadav has become an integral part of the family, showered with constant affection and attention. He is growing and thriving, surrounded by his loving foster family and a special counselor who works closely with him.  The counselor, too, was born with shortened arms and sets a wonderful example for Nadav.

Daniel
Daniel joined Orr Shalom at the age of seven, after experiencing severe neglect at home. While his parents were loving and affectionate, their dysfunction and erratic behavior made Daniel’s home life a nightmare. When Daniel came to Orr Shalom, he was extremely undernourished. His parents had left him alone for long periods of time while they stayed out until the early hours. At Orr Shalom, Daniel has blossomed in a supportive, attentive environment. His parents continue to visit him, under supervision, but their rampant neglect rendered their home unfit for Daniel to return to for any length of time. He began attending the Holiday Camp for At-Risk Children during vacation periods, and now looks forward to seeing his friends there at each break from school

Alex
Seven year old Alex arrived at Orr Shalom's Intensive-Care Reut Home after being abused by his drug-addict father from a very young age.  With severe emotional and behavioral disturbances as a result of extreme abuse, Alex was violent and self-destructive with an inability to trust anyone. Alex is now being cared for intensively by experienced professionals who are putting an end to his nightmares and helping him recover from his trauma, enabling him to start to trust in life for the first time.

Dana
Dana was referred to Orr Shalom following severe neglect. There was no food on the table and her mother was unable to raise her properly. She has now lived in an Orr Shalom Therapeutic Family Group Home in Eilat for two years. During this time, she has developed in many directions. She is doing well at school and her self-esteem is growing rapidly. At home she had been the victim of violence; now she is learning to take care of herself and be a responsible young woman. She wants her Bat Mitzvah to be a shared celebration, in the presence of all her friends and the other children from the Eilat cluster. Dana is extremely excited about the Bat Mitzvah, as it is the first real celebration in her young life.

Sveta
Twelve year old Sveta came to an Orr Shalom foster family thirsty for warmth and love. Sveta's two older sisters are mentally retarded and her mother is a single-parent after her alcoholic husband abandoned the family and returned to the Ukraine. Sveta was suffering from severe neglect when she arrived at Orr Shalom and had undiagnosed learning difficulties. Sveta is now receiving warmth, love and academic support from a wonderful foster family and is making steady progress and a much happier life for herself.

Dan
Dan is a young boy who suffered terrible violence and extreme neglect at the hands of his biological family. His case came to the Ministry of Welfare's attention following reports that him and his sister were on the streets, scavenging for food in trash cans. For the last three and a half years, he and his sister have lived with a foster family just outside of Jerusalem. In addition to the terrible traumas to which Dan has been subjected, he is mentally challenged, and suffers from a severe neurological disorder. He studies at a special education school, where he enjoys a range of activities, including gardening, electronics, and cooking.

At his Bar Mitzvah, Dan laid tefillin in synagogue, accompanied by his foster-father and in the presence of his foster-family and friends. Because of his learning difficulties, he was unable to read from the Torah like other children his age. Despite this, he insisted on holding the ceremony in a synagogue, seeing it as an important step on his Jewish journey.

Sigal
Sigal arrived at Orr Shalom’s Therapeutic Family Group Home in Be’er Sheva at the age of 14, after being placed in an emergency shelter due to serious violence at home. Sigal's behavior at the Home was self-destructive, with frequent outbursts of anger at everyone around her. Orr Shalom staff worked with Sigal intensively, giving her positive reinforcement and helped her understand the harmful effects of her behavior. A volunteer mentor and a tutor worked with Sigal and helped her catch up academically. Thanks to the dedicated work and consistent professional care at the Group Home, Sigal has made significant progress and her behavior is much calmer. She is very bright and progressing well academically. Sigal now has the peace of mind and emotional support she needs to form positive aspirations and is beginning to live up to her potential.

David
David was eight when he was referred to an Orr Shalom's Therapeutic Family Group Home. The years of neglect were apparent – David lacked daily hygiene habits, had no routine and bit, hit and threatened adults and children alike. He had never attended kindergarten or school and was already behind his peers academically. Thanks to years of Orr Shalom support and professional care, David has developed into a wonderful, caring seventeen year old. David even volunteers in the local firefighters – his way of giving back to the community that gave so much to him.

Nurit

Nurit joined the Yaacov Zeev Graduates’ Home a year and a half ago, after graduating from Orr Shalom’s Therapeutic Family Group Home in Eilat, where she had lived since the age of ten. Her mother died when she was very young, and her father was unable to care for her. When Nurit first arrived at Orr Shalom’s Therapeutic Group Home, she was very introverted – she was afraid to meet people’s eyes, and she rarely spoke. Thanks to the love, care and therapy she received, Nurit slowly gained confidence in those around her and in herself. She told the house parents that her dream was to excel in sports, and they enrolled her in tennis lessons. Nurit was such an outstanding athlete that she was soon recruited by a coach of a leading handball team.
 
At 18, Nurit prepared for her induction to the army, and moved into the Yaacov Zeev Graduates’ Home which enables her to spend her mornings in her IDF job at Army Headquarters in Tel Aviv, while pursuing her career as a professional player in Israel’s national Hand Ball Team. At the Graduates’ Home, Nurit participates in various life-skills workshops, such as personal budget management, and is learning other important skills that will serve her in the future.  Nurit maintains close ties to her house-parents, and is thankful for all their encouragement and help in making her dream come true.

Sarit
Sarit, 19, has almost finished high school and is planning to graduate from Orr Shalom and enter the IDF in 2009. The individualized tutoring and supplemental education have helped Sarit improve her grades enormously over the past year, during which she also participated in an extra-curricular theater group. Sarit entered an essay competition on the topic of Peace, and was among the 50 winners included in a book with the best entries, out of 20,000 Israeli children and teens who competed. 
 

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