Sulam's Principal Named "Woman of the Country"

The Sulam Special Education Center of Jerusalem took center stage this week as its principal received a national Women's Day award.



Mrs. Esti Ernster, principal of Sulam's six branches, was among eight women to receive the special award from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at a ceremony in Holon.  The event was held this past Saturday night, connecting International Women's Day with Israel's 60th anniversary year.

Presenting the awards, the Prime Minister lauded Mrs. Ernster for combining an excellent family career with professionalism and dedication to the advancement of hundreds of special-needs children in Israel. Mrs. Ernster directs Sulam's six branches in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, which treat infants through teens with learning disabilities, autism/PDD, Down Syndrome, and a host of other developmental delays.

Founded 25 years ago, Sulam has helped thousands of special-needs children narrow developmental gaps and overcome disabilities, enabling many to ultimately integrate into mainstream educational systems.  Some 250 children, aged 4 months to 14 years, are currently enrolled in the six branches of the Sulam network, where they receive what Sulam calls "the gift of the future."



Six new classes opened this year, bringing the grand total to 29.



Among the other women honored were Dr. Hanita Tzimerin, Director of the Society for the Protection of the Child; Shulamit Nuss, Chairperson of the Child Diabetes Association; Rivka Sneh, founder of the Yated Association; Dr. Michael Hamu Lotem, Director of B'Terem; and Nuha Bader and Rozit Ganem, active in the Druze sector.



"Our vision at Sulam is to effect a change in the world of children with special needs," Mrs. Ernster told the ceremony participants. "Their smiles every morning, their large and small steps of progress, are the realization of a dream – which is our dream, too."