By Doron Klein | Managing Director
Promoting Excellence Among EthiopianJewry in Israel
We are honored to present our activity report
In this quarter we have continued working to promote excellence among Ethiopian Jewry in Israel through the foundation's two flagship projects - Star and Vision. In this quarter we carried on with strengthening activities, personal mentoring, social responsibility and learning about the country. In addition, we launched two workshops: one dealing in technology and one to prepare for military service.
This year as well, we will continue to promote excellence among Ethiopian immigrants, and provide them the required tools, skills and direction so they will develop into outstanding, contributing and moral citizens, who will serve as positive role models.This comes from our vision to generate a change in individual‘s life, their family, in addition to the community and entire society
The Vision Program
The Visionprogram is a national program for promoting excellence among youth and teenagers with unique talent in various fields, based on individual tutoring and long term personal mentorship. The program's goals are to enable the participants to successfully join the field in which they excel or other quality fields of their choice, by providing the tools and resources that each student needs.The intent is to enableeach student to join organizationsand institutions where they can continue to develop and respectfully make a living.Within this program, we are supporting 28students with different talents and impressive potential, such as musicians; athletes; medical, law, cinema, engineering, and computer students, and more. The support includeseducationalor professional advice and guidance, personal mentoring, enrichment courses, scholarships, assistance in acquiring educational/professional equipment and support based on a broad social/professional network.
School Aged Students
These students have been received tens of hours of additional study hours over the last quarter, financial support in quality private schools such as the TzviaUlpana and also in enrichment activities, such as piano lessons.
In this quarter we began a series of meetings for students in the 10th – 12thgrades, whose goal was preparing for military service. In the meetings the students learn about the military sorting process, the recruiting possibilities and preparing together for the interviews and various exams that take place in their first visit to the military..
Students and Graduates
In this program, the participants are bachelor degree students in the fields of law (Bar-Ilan University), music (Ramon Music School), computers (The Holon Technology Institute), Industrial and Management Engineering (Ben-Gurion University), medicine (Tel Aviv University), dentistry (The Hebrew University), economics and accounting (Tel Aviv University, Interdisciplinary Center and Management College). In addition, there are two students who have achieved their bachelor's degree in cinema (Sam Spiegel Film School) and combined studiesin law, business administration and accounting (the academic track in the College for Management). And finally, a student with a master's degree in child psychology (Tel Aviv University) and a MA student in civil engineering (Technion).
Social activity:
As part of the Ariela Foundation's social commitment, the students contribute their effortsand talents for the good of society, with a large majority of these efforts being redirected towards the foundation's students. Here are a few examples: Ziona, a law student, hosted meetings for the parents of children from Ariela's Star Yaffo program where professional knowledge on topics of medical negligence and diagnosing learning disabilities was shared.Tali, a MA student of psychology, hosted enrichment meetings on the subject of identity for the students of Star Gadera. Samacho, a computer science student, provides tutoring hours and assistance to high school students, as well as being an Ariela tutor in mathematicsand preparing students for H-school matriculation exams. Hadasand Noa meet on a permanent basis
Counseling and Mentoring:
A central and significant part of the Visionprogram is the counseling and individual guidance done by the coordinators.During the quarter the students enjoyed tens of hours of personal consulting on several areas of life, continuous support over the telephone and in one-on-one meetings, and tutoring with the help of social/professional networks. By doing this, in cooperation with Gaya, a leading organizational consulting company, an additional meeting was held during the quarter as part of an annual group workshop for all the students and graduates of the program whose goal was providing guidance for acquiring various life skills and becoming stronger.
New members of the program:
Zahava, a 12thgrade student in Eldad High School in Netanya. Zahavais socially active and exceptionally motivated. Itamar, is an 8thgrade student in Amit Middle School in Netanya, he is a bright and pleasant student, and studies mathematics in the program for excellence at Bar-Ilan University.
Success Stories
Ziona(27)
from Yavne, is the youngest of afamily of eight. They all made aliyahfrom Ethiopia in 1991 when she was five years old. After completing her high school studies, Ziona continued to serve in the Scouts Movement in theNeyanya’sVitkinneighborhood and immediately joined the IDF in an officers' training program. She was posted as a liaison officer in an engineering battalion and later served as a team commander in the professional portion (Personnel Corps) of officers' training. During her service she received a citation of excellence from the division personnel officer. After much indecision, Ziona chose to study law from the need to promote the field of human rights in general and medical rights specifically. This follows a personal event that she experienced. Ziona was accepted to law school at Bar-Ilan University and is now the middle of her third and last year. Along with her studies, she works in the Isef Foundation - in the beginning in a program for social leadership and reducing social gaps and during the past year as a leadership coordinator for 15 students. At the same time, Ziona is a sponsor in the Atidim program, a program deferring military service for academic studies under the auspices of Bar-Ilan University. Ziona completed her summer internship in one of the four leading law firms in the commercial field.
David
David (15), a new member at the Ariela Foundation, made aliyahwith his family from Ethiopia at the age of 3 and following a stay in an absorption center, moved to Jerusalem. His older sister passed away in Ethiopia before their arrival in Israel and he is now the oldest brother to 5 other siblings, among them 2 year old twins and an infant brother. David studies in the BneiAkiva Yeshiva "NetivotHaim" for the Arts and Sciences in PisgatZe'ev in Jerusalem and completed the 9th grade with a grade average of 97. David began his high school studies in the (expanded) electronics-mathematics track.David began training on the "SollelimYerushalim" team and achieved great results considering the short time he has been in training.
In addition to everything else, David is also a counselor in the BneiAkiva movement. Following the afternoon activities, David makes his way to the neighborhood youth club operated by the ELEM Foundation, where he does his homework and studies. His father studies and deals in silver crafting as part of the unique program affiliated with Yvel and completes his income in cleaning jobs, just like his wife, David's mother, does. David's family is mired in economic distress and barely gets by, but his parents understand the value of education and push David to realize his potential in any field he chooses that will help him in the future. The Ariela Foundation provides support and personal guidance for David, which is expressed in financing running equipment and associated costs (travel, competitions, club payments, etc.). Furthermore, there are additional lessons when needed with close support that includes individual and group mentoring. David dreams of serving in an elite combat unit and continuingon to higher education.
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By Eric Goldberg | Head of the Board of Directors
By Eric Goldberg | Head of the Board of Directors
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