Alei nahar

Profile of Beit Naomi The Alei Nahar organization was established in 1994. It operates three shelters in Jerusalem for at-risk girls who left home and were found on the streets. It serves as their home for every purpose. Additional activity of the organization is for the benefit of single-parent families. There are hundreds of girls between the ages of 15 and 23 from the Chareidi and religious sectors roaming the streets of Jerusalem following religious and spiritual conflicts with their families. During any given week, Beit Naomi is only capable of dealing with 30 girls in three apartments in Beit HaKerem, Kiryat Yovel, and Neve Yaakov. The girls receive a bed, meals, and are accompanied by a staff that includes a housemother, a social worker, and volunteers. When they arrive at Beit Naomi they undergo an initial diagnosis, after which each girl receives an individualized program containing a program to continue their studies, emotional and psychological treatment when needed, and professional counseling. On entering Beit Naomi, the girl begins to feel the difference between the street and a place which cares endlessly for all her needs, whether it is a hot meal or support, an attentive ear, or a personal response to their needs. Within a short time one can notice that the girls start a process of rehabilitation. They are calmer, happier, with a smile on their face, feeling more secure in this new location. The other existing frameworks for at-risk youth do not cater for girls who come from the Chareidi and religious community. Beit Naomi was the first to identify this problem more than eleven years ago, and it accepted the challenge. In the past, this complex activity did not always receive full support from the community, but as the years have passed, both the community and its rabbis have internalized the problem, and today the situation is different. There is much more readiness to accept the phenomenon, and there is full support from the rabbis and religious and Chareidi professionals who understand that Beit Naomi is certainly preferable to the street. However, there is still difficulty in treating the girls as a result of the community’s reluctance to face unfamiliar phenomena. Funding for the above activity comes from contributions from funds and individuals who understand that Beit Naomi’s activity is a sacred mission, constituting a safety net for the girls. Without the prompt and thorough intervention, their circumstances could well become irreversible. The resources that we have at our disposal are not sufficient to fund the treatments, to run the workshops, and to pay for general expenses. This hinders the ongoing activity. The expenses are many and involve coping daily, sometimes with substantial changes because of the various situations we encounter when accepting the girls at short notice from social workers and various professionals. Yours respectfully