• The Jerusalem Hills Therapeutic Centers
  • 1 Mitzpe St., Kiryat Yearim, Judean Hills, 9083800
  • 972-77-2023400
  • EN
  • HE
  • The Jerusalem Hills Therapeutic Centers
  • 1 Mitzpe St., Kiryat Yearim, Judean Hills, 9083800
  • 972-77-2023400
  • EN
  • HE

JHTC March 2021 Newsletter

New Jerusalem Hills Film – Graduates’ Perspective

View a short film describing our successful treatment method at the Jerusalem Hills Therapeutic Centers. Two graduates return to the place that was home for them during their youth, the place where they learned to overcome their hardships. During filming the graduates met with staff members who had cared for them and gave advice to the children currently being treated at the Home.



Jerusalem Hills in 60 Seconds

Jerusalem Hills is happy to launch this new video series describing the work done at the Home, each time from a different perspective.

In our first video an experienced group coordinator talks about how a boy or girl feels when one day they are forced to leave their parents and move from the familiar house to the Children's Home.



Thanking the Staff

All the employees were delightfully surprised to receive beautiful cyclamen plants and a package of dried fruit for Tu B'Shvat from the Home's management, acknowledging their dedication and hard work, especially during this most difficult period.



Celebrating Hanukah and Purim during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Hanukkah and Purim celebrations at the Jerusalem Hills Therapeutic Centers are usually elaborate productions! This year, despite covid-19, the celebrations committee wanted to make sure that the children could celebrate properly.

A fun and festive Hanukkah party was held in accordance with the restrictions; the children had various Hanukkah activities in the school, while divided into their usual bubbles. They played Hanukkah games and enjoyed decorating sufganiyot (doughnuts), which they saved for desert following a festive lunch!

The Purim Carnival spanned two days and opened with the traditional costume parade on the Home's lawns, divided into bubbles. The groups then returned to their decorated cottages, each according to a chosen theme, and played games that were prepared by the other groups. The celebrations were built around group activities, in order to prevent mixing of bubbles. The Pele group was in charge of dinner, decorating the dining hall like a Sultan's Palace, and each group in turn enjoyed a feast fit for a king. The next day each group in turn had a disco party.

On both Hanukkah and Purim, the children were delighted to receive gift bags from friends of the Home who have supported us over the years. Love153 volunteers, who have conducted taekwondo and sewing classes for the children, donated a personal package to each child on Hanukkah. Police officers from the Jerusalem district, who are dear friends of the children, distributed a personal package to each child on Hanukkah and mishloach manot on Purim. Our good friends from the law firm of Agmon & Co. personally packed mishlochei manot for each child on Purim. A number of friends from the area also made sure to provide each child with mishlochei manot for the holiday. In addition, each group received a number of new board games for their cottage, a donation for the holiday.

We are delighted that both over the Hanukkah and Purim vacations, our vacation group children enjoyed a variety of activities that took place with volunteers. Over Hanukah, 8 volunteers from the Agmon & Co. law firm provided the children with a number of fun activities that they took part in themselves. The activities included a game show activity, decorating Hanukiyot and giant floor games like domino rally, ping pong, jenga, that were spread out across the dining hall. They all finished off with a delicious hamburger lunch. All the activities were wonderful and it was a great experience for the children to spend time with the volunteers. The Purim vacation group children enjoyed a TikTok dancing activity and a delicious meal, sponsored by dear friends of the Home.



The 3rd Lockdown at the Children's Home

The third covid-19 wave that struck Israel did not miss our Children's Home, which also entered a third lockdown. Unfortunately, during the closure we had to deal with a large number of sick and/or quarantined staff members as well as a number of sick children. Our wonderful staff members - counselors, teachers, coordinators, grounds staff - all lent a hand and stepped up to the challenge, replacing quarantined staff. The counselors took up more shifts in other groups, the teachers came on their day off to support the partial teaching staffs and the maintenance and support staff cooked delicious meals in place of the cook who also went into quarantine. An entire group of children was covid-19 positive and staff members who had previously been sick volunteered to stay with the children and thus the children received the support and care they needed during this complicated period.

The staff's dedication is heartwarming and proves to us every day how the children's well-being is always foremost in their minds! The children are lucky to have such an amazing staff caring for them!



Covid-19 Staff Vaccination at the Children's Home

At the onset of the vaccination campaign in Israel, the Ministry of Welfare offered staff who work in out of home treatment facilities the opportunity to get vaccinated against Covid-19 regardless of age. Many staff members at the Home accepted the invitation and most of them have already had the second shot. In choosing to get vaccinated, these staff members thought not only of themselves, but also of the wellbeing of the children at the Home who cannot be vaccinated at this stage.



Hapoel Jerusalem

This year we have two basketball teams who are finally back to regular practices, now that lockdowns are behind us. The Carmel and Lavi boys play once a week, proudly wearing the Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club uniforms.

We are part of the Hapoel Jerusalem family, thanks to the amazing basketball program of the Hapoel Jerusalem Youth Basketball Club and the sponsorship of Bank of Jerusalem.



A Moment of Routine - Focus on the Extensive Staff Training at JHTC

During this Covid reality, between closures and routine, we continue to care for our staff - whether it be professional training or in caring for their personal well-being, and therefore training continues, alongside the restrictions. One of the four principles on which our unique treatment method Therapy in Life Space is based, is the principle of Staff Training and Support - Helping the Helpers. We believe that one of the keys to the successful rehabilitation of the children under our auspices is the consistency of the adults around them, who create a permanent and comprehensive support network. The consistency of the staff depends largely on the support and professional training they receive during their day-to-day work. We ensure professional training as part of the work routine, which has a direct effect on the low staff turnover, where employees work at the Home for significant periods of time. We are very aware that high staff turnover would harm the child's treatment and rehabilitation process that is based on creating meaningful long-term relationships, making our work less effective.

The staff's support and training program has developed over many years. It includes intensive training for new staff members as well as personal counseling sessions and group supervision by senior staff on a weekly basis, group training of social and psychological staff by senior clinical psychologists with expertise in group dynamics, and theoretical and clinical conferences and seminars. Along with the extensive training that each staff member receives according to his role in the system (be it counselor, coordinator, social worker, psychologist and administrative and grounds staff), we take care of maintaining the well-being of staff working closely with the children (each group's direct staff) by having staff events and outings.