Newspapers / The Charlotte Jewish News … / March 1, 1988, edition 1 / Page 19
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Page 19-THE NEWS-March, 1988 Keeping Them Off the Streets By Wendy Elliman UJA Press Service Shlomo was eight years old and had escap>ed from Syria by walking across the mountains to Turkey. Everyone — first at the Netanya absorptions cen ter, and then in Jerusalem where he settled with his parents, wanted to hear his stories. But, once the stories were told, Shlomo no longer drew an audience. No one had time to listen. He fell behind in school and his anger against home and school mounted. By the time he was 14 he was rare ly £my where but on the street, on the verge of becoming a gang member. It is here that Shlomo’s story takes a different turn from that of an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Israeli teenagers currently heading down the road to delinquency. He was befriended by a youth worker, who brought him to the Preparatory Center for Youth Studies—usually called the Interim Station—in down town Jerusalem. “The Station’s aim is to help Shlomo and youngsters like him to cope, both educational ly and socially,” says Lisa Kaufman, coordinator of Youth and Technology Projects for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. “The Station makes kids believe in themselves £uid fit into soci ety.” “Shlomo was 16 when he came to us,” says Rami Sulimani, the Station’s direc tor. “He was big, tough and angry. We told him he was welcome at the Station one day a week and could choose what he wanted to do here.” Sulimani remembers that Shlomo remained tense and jumpy all through the first year. “He shied away from arithmetic and language classes but agreed to try the computer. That gave him con fidence. Then he eagerly tried technical drawing.” One of the JDC’s main em phases for the Station is modern technology. “It was assumed that all this kind of population was fit for was basic workman skills,” says Kaufman. “But the future for which we’re preparing these kids is technological, and we want to introduce this into the Station.” The installation of five com puter terminals has proven a successful beginning. “We thought the kids would van dalize the computers in days,” says Sandra Gruber, one of the Station’s part-time teachers. “But nothing has been damaged — not even the fragile floppy disks.” The Interim Station has been helping an annual 140 teenage dropouts since 1978. Two years ago it joined with the JDC, funded largely by American Jews through the UJA/Federation Campaign, who was seeking to create a model outreach system for Israel’s marginal youngsters. Many of the ideas developed by JDC’s reserach teams were shared by the Interim Staff £md so the partnership began. “We were working with very troubled, difficult kids, gmd we lacked backup — financial and academic. Now that the JDC is with us we not only have their close support, but they’ve £ilso brought in pres tigious institutions,” says Kaufman. Coordination with a range of institutions is a cornerstone of the JDC approach in building a national youth rehabilitation model. With continued sup port from the United Jewish Appeal, the JDC hopes to reach out to larger numbers of troubled youngsters in Israel each year. Lubavitch of North Carolina Invites You To An Exciting Passover Experience At Our MODEL MATZOH BAKERY A fun and learning experience for the ' entire family ' ^ • Participate in the actual Matzoh baking process ' • Knead your own dough • Bake your own Matzoh (not for Passover use) • Hand-baked Shmurah Matzoh will be available ' V • Enjoy Pesach stories and songs Come and bring your friends on Sunday, March 20, 1988 12:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at s CHABAD HOUSE 921 Jefferson Drive Charlotte, NC 28226 ADMISSION $1.00 For More Information Please Call Us At Lubavitch: 704/366-3984 DieGinicDwdeR Hand Knit Aran Sweaters Celtic Music Designer Woolens from Ireland English China Tea Pots Specialty Foods from the British Isles Kilt Skirts 2400 Park Rd - The Courtyard Charlotte, NC 28203 704-332-2358 Mon.-Fri. 10 AM-7 PM Sat. 10-6 PM Shop in Dilworth cc O Z o GO z u u u CO o o CX4 PORCELAIN VASES • SILK SCREENS FURNITURE CHINA SEA TRADER DIRECT IMPORTERS FROM THE FAR EAST 2400 PARK ROAD • THE COURTYARD • 374-1397 T O S E P H ’ S IMPORTS, INC. Exceptional Accessories for the Home and Office Imarl Dinnenvare Unique Stone Vases 10-5 Tues. through Sat. 375-4662 Hand Painted Ceramics Oriental Accent Furniture 310 East Boulevard at the Streetcar Station Factory Authorized LEATHERCRAFT SEMI-ANNUAL 50% OFF SALE • Every Style, Leather, and Color Included • Select From Sectionals, Sofas, Chairs & Otts, Loveseats, Wingbacks, and Office Furniture • Lifetime Warranty • Over 300 Designer Colors, Premium Leather "'Charlotte's Only Fine Leather Specialty Shop" 5 Seat Sectional $3999°° Mfg. Sugg. Retail $8500°o *We Will Not Knowingly Be Undersold LEATHER Gallery Ltd. 2400 Park Rd.-The Courtyard-Dilwortn Mon.-Fri. 10-5:30 Thurs. Til 9:00 372-4609 Sat. 10-4
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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March 1, 1988, edition 1
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