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Fxmn^rJ^ancouver^^^ Rabbi l^lihan Samueli;;»^ receiTjtly visited ajriiddle^^ -aged Russian couple seeking ; assistance for their J 4-year-old son.
The founder of ShalVa, a nbn-ijrofit Israeli brganiza-tion aiding d isabled Child ren and their families, came face to faice with *'Misha," a husky, hyperactive boy who kept laughing and clutching his father. The father was a computer engineer^ the mother a physician.
"I asked them, 'How do you manage?' They answered, * ^0660, ZaiV/a.' The grandmother and grandfather took care of the children.*'V/:;:.'•■^■^
Among the thousands of
new Jewish immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union are numerous families with physically and mentally disabled children.
Today, Shalva —■- a Hebrew acronym for "Hand for the Handicapped Child and Family" — has started a special program to ease their daily existence.
"We now have about 50 Russian children involved in our program," Rabbi Samuels told The Bulletin d uring a recent visit to Vancouver, where he was guest speaker at the annual general meeting of Canadian Friends of Shalva's Vancouver committee. "The problem is that the Russian children's ages and prob- ' lems are so varied, and there has been a problem identifying the children they're falling behind the woodwork."
In March, through seed funding from Israel's absorption and immigration ministry, Shalva opened a program to aid 15-to-20-year-old Russian yoiiths who are active, despite severe disabilities.
"They need a lot of physical activity, as opposed to younger children, who have, a d ifferent set of problems,"" explained Rabbi Samuels who, along with his wife Malky, founded Shalva in 1990. "We found that, due to the need for physical space, we had to run the program outside the centre itself."
Rabbi Samuels' own son, 15-year-61d Yossi, is deaf and blind. However, his father reports, he is "doing wonderfully well" through sign language.
time, have a feeling of inde-lence . . . and for the
families, who are able to regroup," said the ex-Vancouver resident. ">ye supply the necessary staff and volunteers to ensure that each child has one-on-orie support and that there are no mishaps."
With six full-time staffers and dozens of volunteers, Shalva serves 55 families in its Jerusalem centre and another 40 in the surrounding community. "We're cutting corners right, left and
RABBI KALMAN SAMUELS with Riyka at her 17th birthday party in the Shalva centre.
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"He probably has the best vocabulary" of any of my three children," the rabbi said. "When he uses sign language, his nuances —and shades of nuances — are precise." ■
Shalva doesn't focus on disabled children's formal education, but on their need to develop life skills, he explained, "the tragedy is when a child with special needs comes home from his schooling — then it becomes a 24-hour job. Shalva was designed to answer those needs by providing programs."
For the past two summers, Shalva has run a day camp. This year, it will hold a "sleepaway" camp for 20 children.
"This is a lifesaver for the children, who, for the first
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centre financiaHy," said the founder.
The organization estimates it needs $100,000 a year for operations. While Shalva has glowing recommendations from Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek and Israel's social welfare miriis^ try. Rabbi Samuels said governments .have been "long on promises and short on delivery" pf capital funding. ■■■■
"At this stage, we're still based at our pilot project, which sits in rented facilities in Jerusalem," he said. "We've, had marty promises of assistance with getting a new building, but if you don't have funding to rent there or build on land provided, there isn't much to
talk about."
Shalv^ has begun a building fund and hopes to form several satellite operations
around Israei. Rabbi Samuels said residents of
Beersheba, Ashdod arid Kiryat Malachi have "asked him to start similar faciiities.
Vancouverites Hershey and Kim Belzberg have made a "substantial commitment" toward the building fund, the rabbi announced.
Following the Shalva leadet's address to the annual meeting of the Vancouver committee of Canadian Friends of Shalva, plans were announced for a "card drive."
Naomi Clyde and Jeanne tte Greenhut will create a card system, allowing for the recognition of a range of gifts. Basic cards will still be available. Baskets will continue to bea major source of funds, and a fundraiser is planned for November at Joe and Melanie Gold's home.
"Kalman Samuels is a convincing and magnetic spokesman for his centre, but the support groiip must function the rest of the year in order to help him pay his rent and meet his payroll," stated Shirley Barniett, the Vancouver committee's new president.
Committee member Cor-rine Wopdrow, who visited Shalva on a recent Israeli trip, said the centre is not just a house of play or of hope, but a house of love.
"I have never seen volunteers and staff give so much love to a child, and these children are so needy," she told the^ meetihg, which drew about 20 people.
"A child named Malka, paralyzed from the neck down, receives suchlove arid caring from the workers there, it Was simply incredible. The day that I visited, there were 17 children and 10 caregivers. It is such a positive environment, children show up early and;wait patiently until the program begins."
The annual meeting included the elections of Shalva's local board (see JWB July 1) and yearly reports.
Donations to Shalva may be sent in. care of treasurer Tracy Ames, 1107 West 33rd Ave., Vancouver, B:G. V6M 1 A3. Cards may be ordered by calling 263-1385 arid planted baskets by phoning 263-3143. For more information on Shalva, call Bar-hett at 266-9496.
S. African lions 'bom in israei'
TEL AVIV (JTA) — Ten
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Africa, to help a reported shortage of the; "king of beasts" in their natural habi— tat there. '-^^l. ^ ..The lions — five males and-^five feriiales — were presented free of charge to a private farm in South Africa, where they are to be raised, but the breeder there paid the charges for shipment by sea aboard a Zim
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A safari spokeswoman said the aim was to stop inbreeding among the 40 lions in the Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan Safari Zoo, •where a
highly successfui breeding ■ projgram has now brought about a lion population too large for the zoo to handle — even though the lionesses have been given birth conr
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