Author: Jessica Gavin

Lighting Up Lives: The Science Mobile Program
The Canadian Friends of The Jaffa Institute is proud to support the Science Mobile Program, which aims to introduce disadvantaged children to the world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Delivered on our behalf by The Jaffa Institute in Israel, this innovative program provides children from diverse backgrounds in Jaffa, South Tel-Aviv, Bat Yam and Yehud, with state-of-the-art learning tools in these disciplines.
Recreational vehicle trailers are out-fitted with cutting-edge technologies and these vehicles travel on a rotating schedule to the After-School Educational Enrichment Centers for at-risk youth, as well as to underserved local public schools.
There are three types of these traveling laboratories: The Science Mobile; The Space Mobile; and a Mobile Cooking laboratory. The aim of the latter is to provide participants with opportunities to discover the wonders of science, through cooking.
Each Science Mobile vehicle accommodates 10 students, allowing the instructor to provide this small group with individualized support.

Lighting Up Lives: Esther’s Story
ESTHER’S STORY
Esther, a 15-year-old girl in the ninth grade, is in her second year at Stepping Stone.
Her parents emigrated to Israel from a country in Africa about 15 years ago. Esther’s father works in security for long hours and is hardly at home. Her mother works mainly in cleaning. She has two brothers aged 6 and 3.
Last year, Esther came to Stepping Stone and her behavior was characterized by extreme shyness, minimal social interaction and low participation in the Centre’s activities. The Stepping Stone team worked diligently to get closer to Esther, and slowly she opened up. Yet she continued to stay quiet in group forums.
At the beginning of this year, Esther shared with a Stepping Stone social worker that she experienced violence at home, both physically and mentally. She began to give an open account of the past several years and the difficulty that the violent responses, especially from her mother, posed to her. Despite these challenges Esther is an outstanding student at a reputed school in Tel Aviv, and she takes great responsibility in helping her brothers grow up, making sure to help foster a warm home environment for them.
Thanks to this safe environment at Stepping Stone, Esther’s willingness to share her story has allowed her to be more open and expressive with her feelings, something she had not been able to do for a long time. According to Esther, she had never, until her time at Stepping Stone, told anyone about the violence she experienced at home. Just being able to open up made her feel more safe and secure.
Today, several months after she shared her story, the Centre’s staff are seeing positive changes in Esther, both emotionally and socially. She now makes connections with her peers, laughs more frequently and is more at ease. Esther continues to share her feelings with the social worker in the Centre and has agreed to ask for help or to consult with the staff when she needs to. According to her, the violence at home has stopped, following a police investigation.
Today, Esther is more expressive, enjoys personal hobbies such as writing and playing, and allows herself to strive to develop and advance. Stepping Stone has enabled her to open up about a painful secret and to receive protection and security from caring professionals. She also enjoys the ongoing encouragement to develop her own path and to be uniquely herself.
ABOUT STEPPING STONE FOR AT-RISK TEENAGE GIRLS
This multifaceted program addresses the specific and serious needs of at-risk teenage girls, ages 13-15. Participants in the program are referred to Stepping Stone by municipal social welfare authorities in the areas where the program is offered. The majority of these teenage girls come from homes with parents, who for various reasons, cannot provide them with either financial or emotional support. The Stepping Stone program’s unique structure ensures that staff members are able to provide each teenage girl with individual attention and substantial academic and emotional support.
Click here to learn more about this program.
*Names and photos have been changed to protect the privacy of these individuals.

Lighting Up Lives: Malach’s Story
Tenth-grade student, Malach has participated in our Jump Start program for two years. Throughout his childhood, Malach struggled with attention deficit issues that interfered with his ability to focus in school. Staff enrolled Malach in his school’s remedial class due to difficulties with math. With his parents working multiple jobs, Malach often spends his evenings supervising his younger siblings.
Since joining Jump Start, Malach has developed a trusting and comfortable relationship with his math tutor, Sabine, whose thorough, personalized instruction allowed Malach’s academic performance and confidence to improve immensely. Within a few months of tutoring, Malach’s school decided to transfer him to a regular math class. In February, his instructor further placed him in the advanced math class. Future tutoring sessions will prepare Malach for his honors-level math matriculation exam in the 11th grade.
Malach remains driven to graduate with honors despite various setbacks, an achievement he would never have thought was possible.
ABOUT THE JUMP START PROGRAM
The second in our series of four, the Jump Start program, run by the Jaffa Institute, focuses on the educational and emotional needs of youth ages 11-18. Highly-motivated tutors assist students in core subjects such as math, science, English and Hebrew. Instruction is on a one-on-one basis. Some 50% of the students enrolled in this program have been diagnosed with special needs and many others have learning issues. Tutors are trained to address both the students’ academic challenges and to encourage them to discuss any emotional issues and social pressures that they may be grappling with.
Click here to learn more about this program.
*Names and photos have been changed to protect individual’s privacy.

Lighting Up Lives: Hanna’s Story
Hanna loves to play clarinet. Looking at this energetic, healthy 11-year-old girl practicing with her orchestra at Bat Yam After-School Center, it’s hard to imagine the shy, underweight girl who arrived at the Centre three years ago.
Hanna is one of six siblings. Since her parents made Aliyah from the Ukraine in the late 1990s, her father has worked as a taxi driver, her mother as a cleaner. Hanna’s parents love their children, but there was never really enough food to go around.
Hanna didn’t thrive in her first few years of primary school. She was tired and irritable, always struggling to focus on her work. But a month or so after joining Bat Yam After-School Center, her counselors noticed a change. She began to look healthier and happier as she was given daily Hot Meals. Her concentration allowed her to focus on her love for music. Without Hot Meals, Hanna would still be an underweight, underachieving student; three years of nutritious lunches later, she is a flourishing young musician, sharing her music with her community.
ABOUT THE MUSICAL MINDS PROGRAM
This program introduces students to the arts. It encourages children aged three through 12 to immerse themselves twice a week in one of a wide range of arts subjects. They can learn to play instruments. There is also vocal training on offer. Other choices include: drawing; sculpture; and photography. Instruction is by highly-trained professionals, classes are small and each child receives individualized attention.
Click here to learn more about this program.
*Names and photos have been changed to protect individual’s privacy.

Women in the Desert Trip October 31-November 4
Women in the Desert – Embark on a life-changing experience in the Arava
Join us for a journey of renewal, recharging and reflecting in Israel. Discover how to live each day with more mindfulness, lightness and ease.
New dates will be shared in 2022.

Crisis in Israel – Please Help Our Families and Holocaust Survivors

Passover Food Drive

Cards for Passover

Conversations Over Coffee
Settle in with a cup of coffee or tea to hear Reb Steve of the Beth Tzedec Centre for Spiritual Well-Being in Toronto, with Mitch Chupak, Director of Development for the Jaffa Institute. They discuss the Jaffa Institute and the amazing work they do to assist the city of Jaffa’s severely disadvantaged children and their families.

2021 Road Map