Migdak Ohr
Migdak OhrMIgdal Ohr

Israel continues to be a melting pot of cultures and backgrounds, compelled to keep up with the fast paced, growing demands of a multi-ethnic and diverse society and to address the complex challenges that demand entails. Migdal Ohr is once again at the forefront of the initiative by supporting over 3,000 children in need of a better home environment.

Every year, thousands of Israeli children are placed into children’s residences throughout the country. Today, there are over 10,000 children who are living out of their home environments. This has created a burgeoning need to build infrastructures to cope with the problem. Migdal Ohr offers a full-time loving home and excellent education to children ranging from the ages of 1-18 by supporting them in educational facilities located in the city of Migdal Ha’Emek in northern Israel. Over 350 children live on campus

From the time Migdal Ohr was established in 1972, it has functioned as a standard boarding school/orphanage for boys and girls. Traditionally, the Migdal Ohr style boarding school had a "dorm family" and each floor, in addition, had its own counselor. While this format worked well for many years, a new model was piloted in 2015. Following its unprecedented success, the Ministry of Education recently approved the establishment of a new and unique service at Migdal Ohr – a Children’s Residence Framework known as a Mishpachton.

The Mishpachton is an unusual model for residential care. It is headed by a married couple who usually have their own children and together the family unit embraces the children as a surrogate family. The Mishpachton is staffed by a social worker who stays in close contact with the biological parents; a psychologist who ensures that various therapies involving art, music, pet, group, etc.—are made available and a teacher who is responsible to ensure each child is prepared for school.

Migdal Ohr’s therapeutic residential facility represents what is for many the first real home they have ever known. Children are provided with complete care for their physical and emotional needs by a genuinely devoted staff. The nurturing environment is, for many, their first experience of love - which translates into their basic needs being met, in the form of regular meals, homework supervision and family excursions; all of which help to create a stable living environment.

Peres
PeresMigdal Ohr

Migdal Ohr is rigorous in the selection of the appropriate couples who are carefully chosen according to their educational and therapeutic experience, as well as their personality profiles. They are responsible for caring for all of the children’s physical, emotional, social and educational needs and are required to maintain ongoing contact with the school and to instill discipline and good values into the children.

The children′s daily routine is structured around the family, particularly the home. They eat together as a family, receive separate therapy sessions and attend special events/go on trips as a family.

Currently, there are 2 families living in the Mishpachtonim with 24 students aged 12 – 14 under their care. In light of the evident success of this model and the urgent need to provide a warm home for many more children at risk, Migdal Ohr is planning to open 12 additional Mishpachtonim which will house an additional 144 children ages 12 - 18, bringing the total to 168.

We invite you, our international partners, to join hands with us in this holy and important work. Support Migdal Ohr by purchasing letters in the Torah Scroll that will be written in honor of Rabbi Grossman’s 70th Birthday. The proceeds will go towards building a Children’s Residence for Israeli at-risk youngsters . Click here http://www.migdal-ohr.org/ and help save a child and change a life.