Who you will help

Of the 1.9 million Israelis living under the poverty line, 880,000 are children. The Bet Shemesh area includes some of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Israel with a disproportionate number of the nation's neediest children. Many of these children are physically and emotionally neglected and from diverse backgrounds, such as Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) and Ethiopian youth, often face sociocultural barriers. These children have the potential to lead productive lives, but neither their parents nor local schools have the resources to provide the academic, social, and emotional support they need to succeed. As a result, these children experience significant gaps in their education, deepening behavioral and social challenges, and the cycle of intergenerational poverty continues.

Your donation will fund

A New Outdoor Exercise Space. To the side of an existing sports field/area, BSEC plans to develop an outdoor exercise area that contains climbing and rope systems, an obstacle course, team building elements, outdoor exercise machines, shading and landscaping. Most of the boys live on BSEC's campus, which is made up of dormitories, smart classrooms, synagogues, recreational facilities and dining halls, a clubhouse serving as a recreational center, and pleasant spaces for therapy. To better address the boys' physical and mental health needs, BSEC is seeking to improve its recreational and sports areas. Sports play an integral role in BSEC's holistic approach to academic success - when a child begins to strengthen their physical fitness, there are also improvements in their self-esteem, participation, greater confidence in the classroom, and thus, a higher chance for academic success.  

Location

Bet Shemesh, 30km west of Jerusalem

The Bet Shemesh Education Center

(BSEC) provides comprehensive educational, therapeutic, and nutritional support to more than 200 disadvantaged boys, ages 13-19, who come to the residential campus from impoverished communities throughout Israel. Essential to their success is their holistic approach that makes every student feel truly valued, sometimes for the first time in their lives. With an impactful commitment to their students physical and emotional welfare, BSEC has twice received the Israel Ministry of Education's top prize for academic excellence.