At Beit Moriah, we are fully committed to continuing our forefather Abraham’s legacy of charity and hospitality in Be’er Sheva. With Abraham’s benevolent spirit as our inspiration, we continue to expand our social welfare services in the hopes of assisting those in need within our community. Our social welfare programs include:
Beit Moriah operates two “homes” that provide shelter and assistance to 30 at-risk children between the ages of six and ten. Most of these children come from troubled family environments or families in need. Each location provides the children with after school meals and homework help in a healthy, family-oriented environment run by our professional staff.
Opening of a new 'Children at risk' home
Our Girls at Risk program provides safe “home” environments similar to those for the children at risk for 50 teenage girls who have had difficult upbringings. The girls participate in a range of activities, including photo therapy sessions to help them express their feelings, business skill tutorials to develop valuable tools for success, and assertiveness/self-defense training to help them protect themselves in an increasingly dangerous world. Thus far, the girls have flourished with the help of these activities, producing impressive photos and developing important life skills within a safe and nurturing atmosphere.
Activities for Senior Citizens
Beit Moriah offers various activities that help senior citizens remain active and independent members of the community. We organize daily Torah classes and neighborhood seminaries, as well as social clubs and activities for elderly men. In addition, our programs in preschools provide senior citizens with a platform to share their knowledge and personal experiences with younger generations by teaching children about Jewish history and culture. Within our community center, we offer many activities for elderly women, including sports and craft classes. These programs provide an important social outlet. A full schedule of classes and activities can be found here. The activities are open to all Be’er Sheva residents over the age of 60.
Commitment to Feeding the Poor
Be’er Sheva is home to a large number of immigrant families, as well as many other needy families in underprivilegedneighborhoods. In total, Be’er Sheva is home to approximately 5,000 families who have at some point been considered needy. Beit Moriah receives a list of these families from the Municipality of Be’er Sheva and delivers food parcels and hot meals. On average, Beit Moriah delivers 150 food parcels each week, as well as 300 food parcels for Jewish holidays and 600 food parcels for Passover specifically.
Packing the baskets for needy families for Passover. Vice-Mayor of Be'er Sheva Avi Wortzman also helps
Immigrant Services
Be’er Sheva is home to a large number of new immigrants, accounting for 15-20% of the city’s total population. Beit Moriah offers various activities and services to help our newest residents – many from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, and Morocco – acclimate to life in Israel. On October 18, 2010 we broke ground on an Edible Garden project at the Winnipeg Center in Be’er Sheva in conjunction with the Asper Foundation, JNF Canada, and JDC-Israel. The garden aims to bridge the gap between generations of Ethiopian immigrant families – many of whom come from agricultural backgrounds – by providing them with a common interest and a means to learn about healthy nutrition and responsibility. Tending to the garden also strengthens their connection to the Land of Israel and to their homes here. In addition to this newest venture, Beit Moriah organizes a “Moadon Moreshet” (Traditional Club) for approximately 200 new Russian immigrants to learn more about Israeli history and Jewish culture. The Moadon Moreshet programming includes the study of Jewish texts, hikes throughout the country, a film club and discussion group, and an assortment of special monthly events and lectures. Other immigrant services include religious conversion classes, job assistance and mentoring programs for South American immigrants, and art tutorials run in conjunction with the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption for immigrants from all countries.
Community Centers
Beit Moriah proudly operates a Jewish community center (JCC), called Mercaz Moriah, in the Dalet neighborhood of Be’er Sheva (see address). Our JCC facility is equipped with computer resource rooms, a public library, and a sport center/workout room with new state-of-the-art equipment. At the JCC, we offer a range of programs and services, including computer classes, workout classes, arts and crafts projects, and a variety of activities for residents of all ages – from toddlers to senior citizens. One important goal of the center is to provide neighborhood residents with a feeling of connection and community with others in the area. The JCC is open from 8:00 to 22:00 daily, and a full schedule of classes and activities can be found here. Due to the high demand at our current facility, we are planning the construction of a new JCC in the Hey neighborhood, to be built in 2014.
Location for new JCC in the Hey neighborhood
Family Alliance Program (Kishurim)
This past year (2010), we launched a new “Kishurim” program that seeks to strengthen familial relationships among our community members, particularly among new couples and between parents and their children. For couples, we offer premarital counseling that includes information on better relationships and parenting to prepare partners for the commitment of marriage. This tutoring usually includes five sessions with an experienced counselor.
In addition to premarital counseling, the cornerstone of the Family Alliance program is a free lecture series for parents of our kindergarten students consisting of five sessions each year. The lectures deal with various issues of educating and raising children, and are a valuable way to bridge the gap between what children are taught at home and what they learn in school. These seminars are delivered at each kindergarten by expert speakers, and simultaneous activities are provided for the children of all attendees. In its first year, the kindergarten Family Alliance seminars garnered better than 90% attendance from parents at the schools. Due to the program’s popularity, we have recently launched similar Family Alliance lecture series at our daycare centers and one of our elementary schools.
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