Ayalim Association
The Ayalim Association believes that bringing students to settle in the Negev Desert in the south of Israel and the Galilee region in the north of Israel is a national undertaking of supreme importance. Ayalim provides scholarships and subsidized housing in student villages for leaders who initiate social action projects in neighboring communities in the periphery. Ayalim students work with children and youth in their neighboring communities, acting as role models and building relationships that keep the community strong. Collectively, they reach more than 3,000 youth daily. While supporting social action and community service, the student villages also serve as springboards for students to make their homes in the Negev and Galilee after their studies. To increase its efforts in this mission, Ayalim works together with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Office of the Vice Prime Minister to promote incentives for its graduates who wish to build their lives in the Negev and the Galilee.

 

Having completed the first year of a three-year commitment, SFI is now supporting the strengthening of Ayalim’s activities in Moshav Yahini near Sderot and in the city of Kiryat Shmona. 

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Israel was founded in June 2003 and is an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters International and sister to the 103-year-old program in the U.S.A. The organization supports mentors who commit to weekly meetings with a child from an isolated single-parent home over an extended period of time. The number of children and teens in Israel growing up in single-parent homes, without extended family or close friends, is unfortunately on the rise. An influx of single-parent immigrant families and the rising divorce rate have all contributed to this new reality. A lonely child lacking a support network may become depressed and vulnerable to negative influences. While no one can replace a parent, an ongoing one-on-one relationship with a caring, responsible adult can take the edge off loneliness and be a source of stability, guidance and modeling crucial to a child's healthy development.

The Havatzelet humanitarian fund was established by the legendary Abey Natan, a renowned advocate for peace and humanitarian efforts in Israel and abroad. Administered by the Havatzelet organization, the fund has brought humanitarian relief to areas hit by natural disasters throughout the world. SFI works closely with this fund, headed by Henry Elkeslassy, whose nationally and internationally-recognized spirit of volunteerism and social-action led to the creation of the Henry Prize, honoring individuals and organizations exemplifying the same qualities and values.

 

Tevel b'Tzedek, (The Earth in Justice) – The Center for Jewish Leadership on Global Poverty and Sustainable Development, is an independent Israeli NGO with a unique volunteer program dedicated to creating a new generation of Israelis and Jews engaged in global, social and environmental justice. Tevel b'Tzedek’s program bridges two growing trends – the rise of Israeli travel to the Far East and the growth of social awareness – during three months in Kathmandu, Nepal. Volunteers works with different social and environmental justice causes in Kathmandu as they live together, study Nepalese language and engage in ongoing study and dialogue of pluralist Jewish thought throughout the ages on social justice. The organization looks forward to establishing centers in other developing countries in the future.