Oct 22, 2010
Your Dollars at Work: ‘Susan’s House’ Provides Safe Haven for At-Risk Israeli Youth
One of the pleasures of traveling on a Greater Miami Jewish Federation Mission to Israel is the opportunity to see how your donations to the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign are working to help those in need.
This summer, participants on the “We are Family” Mission visited “Susan’s House”, part of the “Turning Point” program of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a Federation overseas partner, and the Israeli Ministry of Education. Located in Jerusalem, Susan’s House was established in 2002 as an on-the-job training workshop for youth at risk. Teenagers, ages 15 to 18, learn how to make beads, glass plates, necklaces, bowls and other decorative items which are then sold worldwide.
The teens at Susan’s House work under the guidance and instruction of adults, including some of Israel’s most popular artists. They are not only trained for a potential career, but are also taught skills that allow them to create and follow their own business plans. The hands-on experience — coupled with personal attention and therapeutic support (offered by a social worker and other staff) — helps the teens gain much-needed self-confidence.
Susan’s House was named after the late Susan Kaplansky, who aspired to create an art center that could function as a safe meeting place for homeless youth, and a place where Israel’s troubled teens could seek advice and training.
The program is one example of the many ways that Federation works with the JDC, along with the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and other non-governmental organizations, to ensure that every gift to the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign makes the biggest impact on those who need it most.
For information about Federation's work abroad, contact Federation’s Israel and Overseas Department, at [email protected] or call 786.866.8445.
