Celebrating our Diversity

Israel Elwyn

5 days ago

One Community, for Everyone 💙

More than 150 neighborhood children and their families joined the residents of Israel Elwyn's Supported Living Program in Jerusalem for a joyful community celebration on the lawn of our residential campus.

The afternoon was filled with arts and crafts, face painting, animals, medical clowns, giant soap bubbles, music, photo magnets, ice cream, and lots of smiles. At our accessibility station, children and parents experienced fun, interactive activities that helped them better understand physical, hearing, and visual disabilities.

One of the most heartwarming moments was welcoming graduates of the Lulav Kindergarten, who came back to celebrate once again with their friends from Israel Elwyn.

A special thank you to the Yuvalim Community Center, our residents, staff, volunteers, and all our partners who helped make this evening so meaningful.

This is what an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming community looks like. 💙 ... See MoreSee Less

Israel Elwyn

2 weeks ago

A World of Water, Pirates, and Lots of Smiles 🏴‍☠️💦
The team of Israel Elwyn's Afrer School Enrichmemt Program at Moriah School in Ashkelon, led by Mor Machluf together with her wonderful staff, celebrated the almost-end of the school year with a special Water and Pirates-themed event.

The second floor was transformed into an immersive adventure space featuring stunning decorations, activity rooms, a treasure hunt, balloons, arts and crafts, songs, and plenty of surprises. The children's huge smiles when they arrived and discovered what was waiting for them made every bit of the effort worthwhile.

By the way, our program is continuing to grow ahead of the upcoming school year, and we are looking for dedicated instructors to join us in meaningful, flexible part-time positions, as well as activity leaders to run fun and enriching classes for children and young adults in special education.

The program takes place at Moriah School in Ashkelon, Sunday through Thursday during the afternoon hours. Previous experience working with children in special education is an advantage.
For more information, please contact Dorit Abdu at +972-52-602-4443. ... See MoreSee Less

Israel Elwyn

3 weeks ago

Ten Days of Summer. Hundreds of Moments of Joy. ☀️

One hundred and fifty residents from Israel Elwyn's Supported Living Program enjoyed a 10-day summer retreat filled with unforgettable experiences. From visits to the Aquarium and the Israel Museum to clown and circus performances, animal encounters, arts and crafts, science activities, giant soap bubbles, a water day, and, of course, refreshing ice cream and smoothies, every day brought something new to enjoy.

Beyond all the activities, the retreat was an opportunity to step out of the daily routine, try new things, learn, have fun, and experience a true sense of belonging.

A heartfelt thank you to our Supported Living Program staff, our wonderful National Service volunteers, and the team from the Lotem organization for their professionalism, creativity, and thoughtfully adapted activities.

Our sincere thanks also go to nearly 100 volunteers from HaNoar HaMitnadev, WIZO High School, the Taglit-Birthright Israel Volunteering Program from the United States and Canada, and Aish HaTorah, as well as to medical clowns Hannah Appel, Moshe Kahan, and Meirav Alush.

Special thanks to Niv Peleg from Shlomo's Animal Team, Yossi from Flash Photography, Ran Moreno, and Ben Tabib and Bat El Russo from Dogs & Joy, who helped make each day a unique and memorable experience.

We are wrapping up these ten incredible days with a good kind of exhaustion, a great sense of pride, big smiles, and memories that will stay with us for a long time.

This is what a summer of belonging, joy, and meaning looks like. See you at the next summer retreat! ... See MoreSee Less

Israel Elwyn is with Birthright Israel Foundation and Taglit-Birthright Israel.

3 weeks ago

A Day of Connection, Joy, and Open Hearts 💜 🇮🇱 🇨🇦

A group of women from Canada, visiting Israel through the Taglit- Birthright Israel Volunteering Program, spent a wonderful day with residents of our Supported Living Program, enjoying arts and crafts, singing, sports activities, and plenty of smiles.

During their visit, they also spent time in the therapeutic garden dedicated to the memory of IDF soldier Evyatar Abukasis z"l, the son of Yasmin, a member of our Supported Living Program staff. They learned about his life and planted flowers in his memory.

Thank you for a truly meaningful day filled with warmth and light.

And thank you to our partners at Birthright Israel. ... See MoreSee Less

Israel Elwyn

3 weeks ago

Equal in Learning, Equal on the Journey 👨‍🎓👩‍🎓🎓

We were excited to celebrate the graduation of the sixth cohort of the Shoval Program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Thirteen Israel Elwyn service recipients and nine university students learned side by side, studying law, psychology, computer science, new media, and artificial intelligence. But more than anything, they learned from one another.

Shoval (Equal in Education) is a program that promotes the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in higher education. It is designed to strengthen self-confidence, advance equal opportunities, and provide participants with an authentic university experience.

The program was established at Reichman University in partnership with Israel Elwyn and has since expanded to Tel Aviv University, the Technion, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Thank you to all the students, the course staff, and our partners at the Hebrew University for a journey filled with learning, partnership, and meaning.

When we create equal opportunities, everyone grows together. ... See MoreSee Less

Israel Elwyn

1 month ago

Sometimes, all it takes is one day of volunteering to remind us of the power of an open heart.

We were delighted to welcome the wonderful employees of Protalix Karmiel to the George & Irina Schaeffer Early Intervention Center in Karmiel.

They arrived with smiles, incredible energy, and so much warmth, turning the day into a true celebration filled with joy, color, and meaningful connections for the children.

There were bubbles floating through the air, arts and crafts, songs, games, and the kind of children's laughter that fills your heart.

But beyond the activities, there was something even more meaningful:
There was presence.
There was generosity.
There was a community that came to tell our children, "We are here with you. You matter to us."

A huge thank you to the employees of Protalix Karmiel for a day filled with inspiration, kindness, and heartfelt giving. We are grateful to have such wonderful partners on our journey. ✨💜

May we continue creating more moments like these, small moments that become lasting memories. ... See MoreSee Less