The community of Dolev, which hosts an important facility for at-risk teenage girls, was hit badly by last week’s wave of fires, many sparked by Arab terrorists.
Dolev is a religious Zionist community in the Binyamin region of Judea and Samaria that devotes itself to communal life and mutual care.
Ulpanat Dolev, located in that community, is a residential treatment center for 110 at-risk high school girls from across Israel.
Yaara Shilo, Ph.D, a graduate of Ulpanat Dolev, demonstrates the success of the school. National adviser and advocate for early childhood education in Israel, she is a product of an emotionally and economically disadvantaged family. A proud mother of four, she is dedicated to giving her children “the head start in life that was given to me, thanks to Ulpanat Dolev.”
When the community was set on fire last week, the students were quickly evacuated to a synagogue in the nearby Talmon community. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Two storage buildings (blankets, clothes, books, mattresses, etc.) were burned to the ground. A family group home, the school kitchen and the vocational metal art studio suffered severe fire damage as well.
In addition to the trauma felt by the whole school, the total loss of buildings, supplies, furnishing, clothes and equipment will limit our efforts towards accepting new students.
Residents of Dolev consider it a privilege to care not only for building their homes and their private community, but also to contribute personally to the social and educational needs of the people of Israel. This was the basis upon which this special school for religious girls was founded in 1988.
The founding members of Ulpanat Dolev to this day each host a student weekly to serve as a model of a loving, nurturing family.
The values that the Dolev Homes for Youth staff stress are the importance of knowing, believing in and loving oneself; recognizing one’s strengths and limits; building one’s belief in G-d, and developing a sense of control, responsibility and independent decision-making regardless of social pressure.
Finally, the Dolev Homes for Youth staff strives to help the students develop internal and external boundaries, to love, respect the surrounding environment, and obtain a sense of protection, belonging and meaning on the individual and social level that lasts a lifetime. Our Dolev Homes for Youth students keep in touch with us after graduation, often inviting us to their weddings and other family celebrations.
The innovation and creativity that characterizes the work at Dolev Homes for Youth is the basis and leverage of their success. Where others have given up on them, our staff encourages them to realize their hidden potential for success in life. The range of possibilities that are available to the at-risk teens enables each and every one of them to choose their right path, walk confidently towards their future and acquire significant life skills and tools to achieve and enhance their personal development and education.
