"A little light repels much of the darkness."
Inspired by this Jewish proverb, Hut HaMeshulash was established to empower the distressed and troubled young person to discover the special light within. At the root of this statement is the belief in the goodness of every human being and the contention that hope has the power to override despair. We maintain that by offering love, hope and unconditional acceptance the distressed young person can discover and learn to express his/her unique strengths.
Our holistic, therapeutic response rests on three pillars:
• Home (Being) – We anchor each person facing crisis to something solid by providing refuge, hot meals, laundry and shower facilities, clothing, and long-term and transitional housing.
• Environment (Doing) – We offer emotional counseling and workforce-preparedness training to foster successful social integration and financial security.
• Meaning (Searching) – We enrich and empower young people and connect them to their inner emotions, by facilitating activities such as music, art, creative writing, and dance.
Community Projects
The Open Space – A Drop-in Center
The Open Space Drop-in Center, as its name implies, is a warm, inviting place that accepts the at-risk young person unconditionally and provides practical humanitarian care. We attend to people (age 25-14) with a range of challenges, helping them to reach their potential with highly individualized care. This energetic multi-purpose space -- essentially a physical and emotional anchor -- operates 12 hours a day, every day, and offers counseling and therapeutic care; legal and housing referrals; hot meals; laundry facilities; showers; Jewish learning and enrichment activities (including creative writing, art and music) adult mentoring; refuge from violent domestic circumstances; and a clean and sober respite from street life. Approximately 60 young people walk through our doors on a daily basis, many referred though social welfare services. Our primary intentions are to encourage young people to discover their capacity for change, provide the requisite tools and experiences to direct them toward positive endeavor, and stand by their side as they move toward wellness.
Secure Future - Employment Preparedness Project
Program Established
2014
Participant Ages
17-25
Cycles Since Founding
13 with 12-14 participants per cycle
3-2
Annual Workshops 12
Sessions per Workshop 6
Advanced Courses
The right job or profession can move an individual forward in life, toward a better future. For the young person who lacks the right tools, struggles with authority, and has been unable to take initiative, such possibility may appear beyond his/her reach. To overcome such obstacles, our Secure Future program imparts critical life-skills needed to develop self-confidence and discipline; interact in positive ways with others; secure gainful employment; and live productive lives. By meeting young people where they are -- intellectually, emotionally, and temperamentally -- Secure Future enables them to set their own goals and work at their own pace. There are three program modules. The first includes intensive one-on-one counseling to assess the young person’s aptitude and goals. The second is built around a group workshop series offers concrete skills, such as resume development, job interview preparation, follow-up, etc. The third phase follows participants for up to one year after securing employment. The program -- with a significant social work and mentorship component -- is intended for young people, ages 17-25, who are unemployed as well as those who are already in the workforce but seek to enhance their employability. In September 2020, 10 participants completed the 10th program cycle, a profound accomplishment given the challenges presented by the pandemic.
Therapy Through Music
The Open Space music project provides emotional therapy through the world of music. The project brings together young people with varying degrees of experience. Our music instructor, aided by Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance mentors, provide private and group lessons in a variety of areas, including guitar, piano, drums, and sound engineering. Given the power of music, especially for young people, this initiative is frequently the entry point to other Hut HaMeshulash interventions. Indeed, thanks to the music room, even during this past difficult year, we provided hundreds of young people with the opportunity to share and express their complicated emotions and an alternative to street life. Aside from such programming, we also nurture the Hut HaMeshulash Band. This group of particularly talented young people has performed dozens of times on small and large stages in Jerusalem and abroad and is currently working on its first self-composed and produced disc.
Residential Programs
Hut HaMeshulash provides both long-term and transitional housing and wraparound services for high-risk young men and women aged 18-25. Our two moderately supervised transitional housing initiatives assist those still in need of bridging support as they make their way toward complete independence.
Home for High-risk Young Men
Established Resident Ages Days per Year Residency
2006 18-25 365 12-24 Months
The home, the only initiative of its kind in Israel for young men in various risk situations, can accommodate 12 residents and is staffed by a social worker, coordinator and night counselor. Most residents have participated in previous therapeutic frameworks but still lack the personal agency to live independently. Our highly-structured programming offers individual and group therapy, provides the tools to enter the workforce, and fosters the development of other basic skills needed to enter society as autonomous, self-reliant, and responsible citizens. Residents are referred by municipal social workers from around the country or through Israel’s court system and parole board. By living in a caring, family-style environment, residents gain much-needed discipline, support, and encouragement in their journey toward healing and, ultimately, independence.
Home for High-risk Young Women and Unit for Expectant Mothers
Established Resident Ages Days per Year Residency
2009 18-25 365 12-24 months
The initiative provides a continuum of support for high-risk young women. Staff works with each resident to develop a personalized treatment program according to her needs and aptitude. Participants, referred by welfare professionals, live responsibly as a family in a rented home where, together, they acquire basic skills necessary for independent living, such as cooking, cleaning and doing laundry; attending to personal/sexual health and hygiene; pursuing vocational training/employment; and learning basic financial management. Notably, residents are required to set up a bank account in preparation of life outside the home. Pregnant women are cared for through a special program (the only one of its kind in Israel) that oversees pre-natal care and prepares them for birth and motherhood. We remain in contact with all program graduates, and many serve as mentors to the home’s current residents. The home is in high demand and usually has a waiting list.
Transitional Housing Programs
Established Resident Ages Days per Year Residency
2017 18-25 365 12 months
Our shorter-term, semi-supervised transitional women’s and men’s residential initiative is intended for those who, even after completing other therapeutic programs, still require support as they cultivate adaptive skills and enter normative society. The initiative facilitates the transition from supervised care to semi-independence and, eventually, full autonomy; provides a supportive framework to increase chances of success and decrease a return to street life; and allows the person to practice and refine pro-social and problem-solving skills necessary for successful integration into the larger community. Residents participate financially in the shared costs of running each household.