ULPANAT OFRA – WHERE EVERY INDIVIDUAL COUNTS
Our pedagogical creed here at Ulpanat Ofra, WHERE EVERY INDIVIDUAL COUNTS, is based on the words of our Sages who have taught us that “he who sustains a single soul it is as if he has sustained an entire world.” This creed has driven us to develop a program for disabled students, a program that is mutually beneficial to all our students
Every one of the 950 young women who attend Ulpanat Ofra represents a world of dreams, of aspirations, of likes and dislikes. Our staff is here to focus on every one of them personally.
– we are aware – when she has the drive to push forward and when she is unmotivated and lagging behind
– we see her passion – whether it is art, science, earth and nature or social action
– we accept her for who she is – recognizing her uniqueness without judgment and believing in her goodness
In this way we facilitate the intellectual and emotional growth of the women of tomorrow.
Over the last two decades we have integrated young women with disabilities into our program here at Ulpanat Ofra. Students with Down syndrome, mild intellectual disabilities, communication disorders and physical disabilities have joined the Ulpanat Ofra family, participating in seminars, studies, excursions, prayer and extra-curricular activities, in the dining room and in the dormitory, engaging with all students. Classrooms have been adapted to meet the special needs of our disabled students, rehabilitation programs have been integrated to prepare these young women for an independent future, integrating them into the daily life at the Ulpana.
Studies have shown that a vocational framework is of utmost importance for future integration of these young women into society, in particular in the workforce. Special projects have been instituted in the Ulpana – in our social canteen where special needs students sell snack items to the entire school. Our “social sewing workshop” is open to any Ulpana girl who wants to participate and to older adult women from the community. They work together in a warm accepting atmosphere building special bonds, sewing items later offered for sale. Not everyone can take part in the sewing workshop (due to motoric and other issues); we have therefore decided to advance an ‘greenhouse’ program, to develop vocational skills that don’t require fine motor skills. Setting up this critical program, of course, requires resources.
The Ulpana provides whatever support is necessary – as always, on an individual basis, to facilitate each student in reaching her personal potential. Disability inclusion as part of the Ulpana’s value system becomes an integral part of tomorrow’s adults.
In 2019 we began the construction of a new apartment-style dormitory for our students, planned with our special-needs students in mind. An accessible apartment with several bedrooms facilitates wheelchair accessability. Bathrooms and shower stalls meet accessibility standards. In the fully equipped accessible kitchen, the young women can learn life skills to prepare them for an independent future. In a comfortable living area, residents can hang out with friends from other apartments. In addition, a supervising family apartment houses direct-support professionals living on-site, involved with the young women in the evenings and available at night for cases that warrant it. Infrastructure is in place for an elevator to be constructed at a later stage to allow our disabled students to access other dormitory floors.
When we began our planning, we first went to see how other such dormitories in Israel operate. We quickly realized, however, that we are the first educational institution in Israel to be building a dormitory integrating disabled and non-disabled students!
At this point construction is basically complete and the building is in use. However, we have so many more directions in which we would like to expand, and we have many loans to repay.
We need your help – come partner with us. The various parts of our new building and the projects we run are available for dedication to a loved one. We are reaching out to you, lovers and supporters of Israel who have an appreciation for this ambitious program, understanding that it serves the students of our institution, but also sends out a beacon of light – promoting inclusion of all kinds throughout Israel. With your help, our dream can be realized.