The Charlotte Jewish News -March 1999 - Page 5
“Coffee Shop” Helps Israel’s Youth at Risk
By Shai Tsur
UJA Federations Press Service -
Tel Aviv’s Central Bus Station bus
tles with activity as thousands of
people pass through on their way to
other parts of Israel. Tucked away
in one comer of the busy station is
a small storefront with a simple
sign that reads “The Coffee Shop.”
E)espite its name, the shop does
not sell coffee. Rather, the little
space is a safe haven for youth at
risk, a counseling and information
center where young people with
problems can come and talk to
someone and get help. The Coffee
Shop is a project of Elem, an Israeli
organization for helping youth at
risk, sponsored by the Jewish
Agency for Israel with funds- from
the UJA Federation Annual
Campaign.
‘There are teenagers out there
with some serious questions and no
one to turn to,” says Ayala
Sheinfeld, director of The Coffee
Shop. “In a lot of places in Israel,
it’s hard to find suitable social ser
vices to help these kids. Many of
the services out there are seen by
teens as establishment, and they
can’t find someone who under
stands them.”
Sheinfeld says The Coffee Shop
provides information and counsel
ing services on everything from
school matters to drug abuse. “In
more extreme cases, we will actu
ally intervene with the parents or
the authorities,” she says.
Most of the youths who seek
help range in ages from 12 to 18
and represent many different cul
tures — olim from Russia and
Ethiopia, religious and secular. The
problems also vary widely, from
fairly normal adolescent concerns
to the most serious problems.
According to Sheinfeld, most
come in once or twice for advice
and information. On the other end
of the spectrum are youths with
extremely complex problems. In
these instances, staff members usu
ally turn the cases over to a gov
ernment agency. Then there are
kids who come in without a specif-
Troubled Israeli teens find help with
everything fi'om school problems to
drugs.
ic problem, adds Sheinfeld. “They
are looking for companionship. We
give them warmth, listen to them
and try to provide them with moti
vation.”
Sheinfeld, a social worker, says
that she first became interested in
working with problem youths
while studying for her masters
degree at Columbia University. “I
worked with a number of kids in
Harlem and was drawn to them,”
she says. “I really wanted to help
them as much as I could.”
Back in Israel, she began work
ing for Elem and in 1997 decided
to open The Coffee Shop. “We
started this really from nothing,”
she says. “Elem gave us everything
from the organization to the decor.
The idea was that we would create •
a space which would look different
— younger and more dynamic.”
The idea of putting the facility in
the Tel Aviv Bus Station reflected
the station’s central geographic,
location and its sociological role
with Israeli youth, Sheinfeld says.
Its accessibility made it a logical
meeting place for many troubled
youth. For instance, she says, “A
young girl from the south who runs
away from home will almost
always pass through this station.
Our hope is that she will stop in
here so we might give her help.”
The staff at The Coffee Shop
consists of three full-time social
w(jrkers backed by volunteers, both
professional and non-professional.
Many are young, and that helps
them connect better to the young
sters. The shop also works closely
with various government bodies
and advisors to help with such
problems as dealing with the judi
cial system and the army.
“In the beginning we did a lot of
reaching out,” Sheinfeld says. “We
would walk around the station and
approach groups of kids trying to
find those who were at risk. We
invited them in and would try to
find out how we could help.” This
intervention soon paid off. Slowly,
the kids began to feel more com
fortable with the counselors and
would pass the message along to
others. “It’s turned into a friend-
bringing-a-friend system,” she
says.
Sheinfeld says she hopes to
expand the scope of the program to
reach more troubled youths. “My
hope is that every young person
will know that we are here to listen
and to help.” ^
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