On Tuesday, May 12th 2015, the newly-renovated and refurbished youth center in the neighborhood of Tsur Shalom in Kiryat Bialik, was officially opened at a dedication ceremony that took place at the location in the presence of the donor – Dame Vivien Duffield and the trustees of the Clore Israel Foundation.
This youth club is a ‘home away from home’ for the Ethiopian-Israeli youths who live in the impoverished Tsur Shalom neighborhood, known for its high proportion of new immigrants from Ethiopia and other countries that have settled there over the decades. Dozens of teens come to this facility every day and participate in a variety of activities including, school-work assistance, enrichment classes, leadership development courses, social activities and muchmore.
For several years, the club is operated by the ‘Hiyot Association’ a national organization that plans and provides educational/enrichment programs for Ethiopian-Israel youths.
At the dedication ceremony, a donor recognition plaque was unveiled by Dame Vivian Duffield, President of the Clore Israel Foundation, in the presence of Kiryat Bialik Mayor, Eli Dokorsky and local Ethiopian-Israeli youths who will benefit from this beautifully refurbished youth center. The young Ethiopian-Israeli ‘Pirhei Bialik’ troupe performed some traditional dances for the guests and the Mayor personally congratulated and thanked the Clore Israel Foundation for the generous contribution to the youth club and ensured the trustees that this newly refurbished facility will become an attraction not only for the Ethiopian-Israeli youths, but for all the teens living in the Tsur Shalom neighborhood.
The visit concluded with an open dialogue between the guests from the Clore Israel Foundation together with the local youths, to learn from them more about their daily lives, their personal ambitions and the nature of challengesthey face in Israeli society.
The Galila Foundation thanks the Clore Israel Foundation and the Israel Office Director, Tamar Galai-Gat for their continued partnership with us and for their dedication to this important project, one that is making a most significant contribution to the daily lives of so many teens living in this neighborhood of Kiryat Bialik.