Dear Friends,
I can’t thank you enough! Every time I turn around we are either starting or completing an exciting project to support at risk children in Israel. You can read about many of them in the upcoming pages but I want to highlight one in particular.
The library renovation at Aloney Yitzchak Youth Village took a lot of time and energy to complete but staff and children alike are delighted with how it turned out so we can all agree that it was definitely worth it.
You may recall that we raised the funds for the renovation at our 85th Anniversary Dinner in 2018. We worked hard with the team at Aloney Yitzchak, who got input from students and staff as well as the architect, to make sure that the new space suited everyone’s needs.
The once obsolete building has quickly become the heart of the village, not only meeting needs that the village had but, to our delight, also inspiring innovative new programmes. The multi-functional space allows for individual and group study, meetings, lectures, performances, art displays, celebrations, and mediation sessions.
I was lucky enough to attend the opening ceremony, where residents and guests gathered to recognise the incredible achievements of the students, knowing that the best is yet to come. So many people took the time to come up to me and thank me for their beautiful library, but I am passing their gratitude on to you. Without you, the library and all of the wonderful gifts we have been honoured to give would not have been possible.
I wholeheartedly encourage you to visit one of our youth villages next time you go to Israel. The children you will meet, who have overcome unimaginable hardships, are truly inspiring. Please let me know if I can make arrangements for you.