Letter from Chaim Peri
January 2008, Shvat 5678
As we begin 2008, marking Israel's 60th anniversary - there is indeed much to be proud of and to celebrate. At the same time, the unsolved social and political issues still overcloud our existence. When people sometimes refer to Yemin Orde as a utopian mini-Israel - a place that proves that the best of our dreams can come true - it reassures us that we are on the right track, and that eventually the clouds will scatter... Our gift to Israel at this juncture in Jewish history is, therefore, a continuous commitment to carry on tirelessly doing the best we can to assure the thriving existence of future generations.
This very recent picture, better than a thousand words, is a moving testimony of the very basics - we need the State of Israel so that no Jewish child will ever remain unclaimed. The picture depicts the joy of a grandmother, reunited at Yemin Orde with her only grandchild. She sent the child away years ago to be raised here in Israel, believing she's doing her best for him. He is one of the 60 children who already arrived from orphanages in Eastern Europe - a gift to Israel on its 60th birthday...
The last arrivals of 2007 to Yemin Orde were three children from Ukraine. In the absence of other relatives these siblings had lived with their great-grandmother, who also made sure they reached Israel. The first stage of any child's arrival is sometimes marked by mistrust because of adults who have let them down. The trip overseas to the unknown can be very frightening and confusing. It takes much sensitivity and patience to build up their trust. The process begins when they are welcomed at the airport by our staff and "veteran" children, who only a few years ago were themselves picked up at the same spot. Now they are the ones who warmly greet the new ones.
Yet one can never predict the newcomers' reaction... The last three of 2007 have specially warmed up our hearts - in the midst of an unusually cold winter - with their immediate cheerful response. As it turns out, we really owe it to their very special great-grandmother, who, when she still had the strength, instilled in them through her loving care, a sense of basic trust in humanity. When making the arrangements to send them away she promised them that they will arrive at the best possible place, where they will find many new brothers and sisters - and they believed her - their cheerfulness indeed proves it.
Every child needs to be raised in a caring home and sense the presence of a community, otherwise how will s/he ever be able to recreate those in his/her own life? This very basic revelation is one of the foundations of the Yemin Orde philosophy. All our children have been deprived of what natural justice was supposed to provide them with. That is where our unique educational programs have the most impact. When our children reach out to help recent immigrants living in absorption centers, as well as when they are engaged in activities that expose them to the plight of the elderly, whose great Zionist dream is yet to be fulfilled, they grow to become a great promise for Israel's future.
The view from our mountain is expanding: Through the work of the Yemin Orde Initiatives our capacity to help thousands more children is becoming a reality. Our work at Neveh Amiel Youth Village is exceeding all expectations with almost 110 children registering for the 2007-2008 academic year when only 80 were expected to enroll. To our delight, children who were barely able to look at a visitor in the eye last year, happily mingled - and even danced - with guests from America during the Friends of Yemin Orde mission to Israel in October. Another beautiful illustration of how quickly an investment in children can manifest confidence and hope.
Our work is also making news nationwide. Only last week, Israel's state radio broadcast during primetime an extensive program praising Yemin Orde's success where other villages have failed. And in October 2007, Israel's Ministry of Education endorsed Yemin Orde's educational philosophy and methodology as the leading conceptual and applicable framework for rejuvenating other youth villages. The Yemin Orde Initiatives is now getting organized to reach out to five more villages that will adopt our unique methodology in line with our mission to de-marginalize thousands of youth-at-risk in Israel. As with Yemin Orde graduates, these villages will provide our nation with value-laden heads of households and contributing members of their communities.
Our Graduates - Our Future - Another successful Graduate Reunion has just taken place at Yemin Orde. As always, the graduates led group workshops in which all the children in the Village participated. One cannot underestimate this experience. Individual graduates talked about their backgrounds, their struggles, and their determination to turn their lives into success stories. Isaiah, one of the graduates, announced his upcoming wedding, to which he added a nice check of 1,800 Shekels - "a token of love to my childhood home"...
The constant exposure of our children to the graduates, who, just like them, were raised at Yemin Orde, is one of the most effective tools that instill in the heart and mind of children who have experienced abandonment in their early life a strong sense of inner confidence. Some of our graduates' endeavors in working with each other later in life for great causes were also presented to the children - some are building a community of Yemin Orde graduates in the Upper Galilee, others are helping create a village for orphans in Rwanda modeled on Yemin Orde ... When Katya (in the picture), of the senior class, summarized the reunion, she thanked the many graduates who attended, obviously referring to them as "our dearest mishpacha - family".
Certainly this is how we feel towards you, our loyal friends, without whom all this wouldn't have materialized. Thank you wholeheartedly for your continuous support - for being part of the Yemin Orde extended family, and Mazal Tov to our people at the commencement of Israel's 60th anniversary!
