Like many Israelis, Hadar, a single mother of two from Afula, was planning on a quiet and peaceful Simchat Torah the weekend of October 7. While visiting her parents in her hometown of Moshav Yachini, she never could have imagined the horror that would unfold.
“We were standing on our balcony and then, out of nowhere, we saw terrorists downstairs,” she said. “I’ve never heard such loud sounds in my life,” her son, Yoav said. “There were booms from rockets and gun shots.” When Hamas terrorists shot her nephew, Yonatan, Hadar quickly sprang into action and used paper towels to apply pressure to the wound so he wouldn’t die of blood loss.
Yet, her efforts were not successful. Despite attending to her nephew’s needs as much as she could for three hours, Hadar saw life slowly leave his body. Yonatan died in her arms that day as her children watched helplessly.
“I saw his soul leave his body. I cleaned him up and watched over it for the 30 hours we were held captive in our own home,” Hadar explained. Witnessing such a traumatic event would shake even the strongest adult, but children especially don’t have the coping mechanisms to grapple with such upsetting events on their own.
Luckily, Hadar had the foresight to call Gali, a mentor for the Youth Futures program, and updated her on their situation. The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Youth Futures is one of Israel’s leading positive-intervention initiatives, which partners mentors with at-risk children for a long-term period of support, learning and growth.
The Youth Futures model focuses on five central areas in a child’s life: personal, social, educational, family and community. The mentors, who each accompany 21 children and their families, operate throughout the year, including during school holidays and informal settings, while formulating and adjusting a personal plan for each child, and providing additional assistance, including support groups for parents.
The program works with all sectors of Israeli society, including secular and religious Jews, Arabs, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouins, and more. Already a Youth Futures mentor, Gali was very familiar with Yoav’s struggles and knew exactly which social workers to contact who would be able to help him once he was able to leave his home.
“I don’t think he would have received this treatment if she wasn’t involved,” Hadar said. “At Youth Futures, professionals come together to determine the best regimen for the child while taking into consideration their unique emotional and physical needs.”
THE ACUTE NEED FOR YOUTH FUTURES POST OCTOBER 7
The ongoing recovery from October 7 has shed new light on how Youth Futures serves as a lifeline for Israeli society in times of crisis; it swiftly adapted to meet the shifting needs of its beneficiaries, which was already evident from the program’s work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the war, Youth Futures representatives accompanied 5,000 families per week, while connecting displaced families with program staff in their new areas of residence. Each family has worked with both a Youth Futures mentor via Zoom and then, when needed, with another program representative in-person in their temporary hometown.
The program’s other ongoing activities include personal support and assistance, encouraging community volunteering, and promoting values of mutual responsibility. Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America, said, “Jewish Federations has been investing in and growing Youth Futures for the past two decades.
After October 7, it became evident we had to expand Youth Futures to meet the moment. Given the proven success of the program, Jewish Federations wanted to be part of an initiative that would give at-risk youth and their families the support they needed during this challenging time.”
To that end, Youth Futures, which was formally recognized by President of Israel Isaac Herzog as the national program to rehabilitate children, recently announced a $13 million expansion that will double the budget and enable it to serve 1,600 additional children across the country. The expansion was made possible thanks to the support of Jewish Federations of North America, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, Jane and Larry Sherman and the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
The expansion will take effect this year and will enable the program to add 77 new mentors. In addition to at-risk children, when accounting for their family members such as parents and siblings, the program will benefit 6,400 more people amid its expansion in the ongoing aftermath of the October 7 attacks.
Although philanthropic and institutional attention is currently and understandably focused on Israel’s northern and southern regions, the program’s primary challenge remains in preserving and continuing operations in numerous locations across Israel as well as its borders.
The unwavering support of the program’s partners will provide participants with the comprehensive services and assistance they urgently need. This is especially critical as many in Israel are experiencing trauma, anxiety, and grief.
“The Youth Futures program is a beacon of resilience and hope for thousands of children and families,” said Chairman of The Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors, Mark Wilf. “Since October 7, the importance of the mentors, who are a real anchor for the children of the South and the North, has become even more acute.”
Since its establishment in 2006 by The Jewish Agency, Youth Futures has operated in approximately 50 communities in the social and geographic periphery of Israel. The program supports children and families at risk through a unique mentorship model, providing intensive holistic support for three years.
Youth Futures was built through the generous support of Jewish Federations, Keren HaYesod and other donors from around the world.
Its primary goal is to strengthen personal and family resilience, improve the educational environment, and promote socio-economic mobility. In addition to helping those traumatized by the war, the program offers assistance to those whose lives have been upended because of it.
For evacuees from Israel’s North and South, adjusting to a new school system far away from home has been a challenge for many students. In response to this challenging situation, Youth Futures made every effort to bridge the gap. As such, mentors from the evacuated communities, who were evacuated themselves, took the initiative to conduct home visits as soon as security regulations allowed.
This initiative, called “The Traveling Mentor,” encourages mentors to travel across the country to where their beneficiary families have relocated, ensuring the continuation of the Youth Futures routine. Nevo, a student from Kiryat Shmona who was relocated to Sde Boker, for example, was able to spend time with his mentor in person.
“I talked to Nevo and his parents every week to see how they were doing. We talked about Nevo’s feelings, how he was doing in school, and how the family was coping with the situation. I even got to visit them in Sde Boker, and it was really special. Sitting under the stars, Nevo opened up about his feelings and worries, and I was there to listen,” his mentor, Inbar David, said.
“That visit was like a little light in the darkness for them. Nevo needed support, and I was there to help him navigate his way through these challenges.” “The recognition of Youth Futures as a national initiative is evidence of the importance of a long-term investment in children and families,” said Chairman of Youth Futures and Mayor of Dimona Benny Biton.
“Our model has proven itself over the years, with a clear improvement in all circles of intervention. We are proud of the broad partnership that we have woven around the project and believe that it will allow us to significantly expand the positive impact on Israeli society.”
Youth Futures graduates have a negligible school dropout rate. Most graduates go on to complete their matriculation exams, have high motivation for military or civilian service, and demonstrate a significant rate of community volunteering.
Additionally, program participants have displayed a decrease in violence, improvement in academic achievements, and strengthening of family bonds. In 2022, the Israeli government selected Youth Futures as one of three programs to help the nation curb violence in the Arab sector.
Stephen Hoffman, chair of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, who helped establish Youth Futures 19 years ago, said, “I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing the work of Youth Futures since its inception. To see it blossom where it has a formidable presence across the country and its ability to consistently adapt to meet the ever-evolving needs of the Israeli people has been gratifying.”
No child was asked to be born into conflict both inside their homes and the country. Youth Futures understands that ever since October 7, even more children are in desperate need of a lifeline and the program is honored to provide them just that.
Thanks to their expansion, they’ve been able to help children like Maor who woke up to an “inferno” on the morning of October 7. Maor’s life changed when his father, uncle and cousin were ambushed by terrorists at a traffic junction outside their home. Only his father survived.
Maor’s mentor, Shiran, embraced the family from the first day of their tragedy and was on hand to help them navigate this unspeakable horror. “It’s important to me that the whole world knows what happened to us in Israel. If the world supports us, we’ll come out of this stronger than ever,” Maor’s mother, Sapir, said.
This article was written in cooperation with The Jewish Agency.