To say good-bye is always the hardest because there’s so much to say. To stay in this Village for so many years is a real treat that over the years I’ve learnt to make the best of. Many people helped me pave a solid and secure path to be able to go in for the rest of my life. I am taking away with me from this most wonderful place a bag full of wonderful experiences and very special moments that will stay with me forever.

This Children’s Village has become a part of me and became a real Home for me. There were joyful moments as well as difficult ones but it always opened its doors to me… Sincere thanks to all those who took part in my development and understanding and special thanks to Razi Shoshani, the Village Manager and to Ilana, my instructor who accompanied me, helped me out and believed in me through the years. Thanks a lot. With lots of love and appreciation” (Keren)




Gilli (9 years old) and Mike (15 Years old) are siblings from two different fathers. Their mother has made Aliya together with Mike (after her divorce). As she arrived in Israel she remarried and brought Gilli to the world. When Gilli was only 3 years old her father died in an accident. Since their mother could hardly function the welfare authorities have decided to remove the children to one of Hamifal's residential care frameworks. A few weeks before they had been placed in Hamifal (2005) their mother also died.

Gilli was absorbed in Hamifal, at the age of 5.5 years old. Mike at that time was age 11. Their grandmother despite her health condition agreed to take upon herself the responsibility for her grandchildren. However a few months later she was hospitalized and asked her daughter (Gilli and Mike's aunt) to become the official legal guardian. In return the grandmother offered her 25% from her bequest.

Last year Gilli and Mike's grandmother passed away, their aunt took her portion in the bequest and since then Gilli and Mike are by themselves.
According to the Israeli law Gilli can be legally adopted but she is not interested in leaving the Village.

The children have a hosting family during holidays and weekends. Mike, at the age of 15, with our help and support is taking care of Gili


Roni, a 13 year-old, made Aliya together with his divorced mother 5 years ago. After she arrived in Israel, Roni's mother remarried to an Israeli and since than has suffered from violence and abuse. A few times she was able to run away with Roni to emergency shelters. In one of her husband violent outbursts she killed her husband as an act of self-defense. Now she is in prison and Roni comes to visit her when these visits were allowed. In recent months we succeed in locating Roni's father. Unfortunately he has been convicted for the crime of murder and serves time in prison as well. Aside from his Hamifal framework, Roni is now alone.


Avi

Avi reached the Children’s Home when he was only 8 years old, sent over by his school’s therapist, after he used to disturb the lessons at school continuously, failed to study and accumulated tremendous learning gaps, in spite of his clear learning potential. Avi found it difficult to integrate among his 5 brothers and sisters at home and also suffered maltreatment there.

Avi reached our Children’s Home as a small and scared little boy and the first meeting with the children of his group and his instructors was difficult.

The older children tried to boss him around, as he was small. At school he had behavioral problems and he could not concentrate. He was “cheaky” to his teachers and did not put any effort in his studies.

Gradually, Avi got used to the Family framework in the Children’s Home as well as to the children and the educational team. Avi climbed step after step through this difficult ladder. The climb was hard and he tripped a lot but thanks to the mutual efforts of the educational team together with the psychologist and the social worker, Avi standard of behavior finally got to an appropriate level. Today, Avi behavior has become much more stable and mature. He became a responsible teenager, his grades at school have greatly improved and his overall accomplishments are very impressive.Avi leads the children’s council at the Home and was also nominated chairman of the students committee at his school.


“Now, I’m leaving my home, the home of Carmiel Children’s Village of Hamifal.
I’m seventeen and a half years old. I finished high school with a full matriculation certificate. I am about to start my army service. I have gone a long way to reach this moment. Seven and a half years ago, no one around me even thought I would get a matriculation certificate. Here, at Carmiel Children’s Village I got all the help I needed in order to overcome the many obstacles ahead.
This Home was beside me both in moments of joy and happiness well as in sadness. This Home and its people helped me realize what life is all about and how beautiful it can really get. It helped me realize my talents and set ahead goals to accomplish. Here I was taught to love and be loved.
Today, I must leave my precious home - Hamifal’s Children’s Village in Carmiel and I thank all those wonderful people who helped me through.
I thank Bruria and Rafi (the instructors of my family unit). Thank you for teaching me all about life and for knowing how to be with me in the right moments, whenever I needed you most. Thank you for your sincere love. Thank you, most wonderful instructors for always knowing how to help, give a mother’s smile or a good advice when needed… Thanks! To you Chaim Bar-Shem (Teen’s instructor) for being a father to me and teaching me everything I needed. You always had a smile for me which gave me tremendous confidence and joy. Thank you for loving me as your own daughter. Thank you, Razi Shoshani (the Village Manager) for always asking me how I’ve been. Thanks for helping my family, and especially me.

To you, Sonya (in charge of the therapeutic Team) - thanks for everything and for always knowing how to let a hand in the right moment and for always listening to me.

Thank you Elda (Psychologist) - for helping me overcome many problems.
Deep and sincere thanks to all the administrative staff, instructors and assistants for always being present with us along the way



Dana and Shelly are 2 sisters aged 10 and 11 who were absorbed in one of our Family Group Home on November 1999. Their father is in prison for drug felonies. Their mother is in and out of mental hospitals, a fact that prevents her from taking care of her little daughters. The girls suffered for years from major neglect. A year ago this Home was found from them. It answers their physical and emotional needs and became for the girls a worm and loving home, which they deserve so much.

Natali & David

Natali & David were absorbed in one of Hamifal’s Children’s Homes five years ago when they were seven and nine years old. This happened after their mother got remarried and their stepfather refused to take care of them. As a mother who was unable to secure her rights and suffered from major physical violence against her, she was forced to consent to their absorption in a residential framework. Their father is a well-known drug addict and a year ago has totally disappeared from his children’s life as well. When these children go home on vacations, their stepfather scorns them and hits their mother for consenting to their stay at home during vacation. Since their stay at the Children’s Home in the South of Israel, their psychological and mental condition had improved and a major effort was made to make these children smile once again. The children are very much attached to their mother who scarcely comes to visit them. Due to the dangerous situation at home, a hosting family takes them in during Shabbat vacations and holidays.

Shirly was absorbed in Neve Yehuda – Ness Ziona’s Children’s Home when she was eight and has had tremendous learning gaps. She was integrated in a special ed. Class. Up until her absorption in the Children’s Home, Shirly was transferred from one residential home to another. Her mother is a prostitute who abandoned her daughters (Shirly has an older sister). Her father is known as a dangerous child molester and also as an alcoholic and is staying behind bars for sexual molesting of his daughters and other violent acts.
Shirly has recently finished her high-school studies. She has successfully completed her matriculation exams and enrolled into the army. Since then, she keeps warm contacts with the Children’s Home during weekends, holidays and other vacations

These children are our future…

Yoni reached the Children’s Home when he was nine years old. His mother is mentally ill and his father was known to be a criminal. Two years later, he was imprisoned. For this reason, including his difficulty both to integrate in the children’s society as well as in his hosting family to whom he was sent during weekends, he was treated by and Art Therapist.

In the therapy, Yoni was integrated in a group of two more boys. While with the group, Yoni expressed feelings of major anxiety and anger which distinguishable in his lack of trust and cooperation with the rest of the group. At the same time, Yoni received tremendous help from the therapist and the group. During his second year of therapy, Yoni was treated individually and expressed more openness in his expression of feelings. The therapist tried to strengthen the positive parts within the child and helped him grow a positive self-esteem to be able to healthily integrate in society. During his third year of therapy, Avi started showing originality in his artistic work and a high potential of organization ability, planning and perseverance, a higher ability to concentrate and the capability to postpone satisfaction. Together with the major progress he showed in his artistic expression, Yoni refrained from most verbal expression of his deficiencies. Only through art did Yoni manage to express his stormy and conflicting world, doing so with much talent and originality. In his last year at the Home, Yoni continued to show high potential and originality, and at the same time, deal with the difficulties risen during the artistic process and also look for solutions. His art expressed very meaningful contents, the subject of separation being the major one. This was a subject, which Yoni was willing to discuss verbally as well. Through the issue of separation from the Children’s Home,’ Yoni was willing to discuss other painful and hard separations from the past.
‘A’ completed his stay in the Children’s Home with a feeling of acceptance and help, both during his therapy and at the family unit, gradually building up his self-esteem and a sense of cautious optimism regarding the future