SHALVA

Background

As parents of a child with special needs, Kalman and Malki Samuels understood the need for the founding of an organization that would ease the burdens of families of children with special needs. Their son, Yossi Samuels, was born a healthy child in 1977 however, after receiving a faulty DPT vaccination, he was rendered blind, deaf, and hyperactive. He was isolated in his own world without a method of communication. Based on their personal experience with the day-to-day challenges of raising a family and the constant need to care for a child with special needs, they decided to establish Shalva in 1990.

The first center was established in a private apartment in the Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem and catered to a few dozen local children. As a greater need emerged, the organization bought an additional facility on an adjacent street and began expanding its programs; the building was later called ”Beit Nachshon” in memory of Nachshon Wachsman who was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in 1994. Over the years, programs with innovative therapies were developed for infants, and the organization began to support research in various subjects in its field. Today, Shalva's programs are housed in the Shalva National Center in the Bayit Vegan near the Shaare Zedek Medical Center. With state-of-the-art therapy facilities, family support programs, and beautiful art by Menashe Kadishman and David Gerstein the center is a leader in the field of disability services in Israel.

Me and My Mommy

“Me and My Mommy is an early intervention program for infants with special needs from birth, which provides therapies to advance their physical and social development. The program also conducts a parallel support program for parents and provides them with the tools for coping with their new situation.

In recent years, several studies have been conducted in the context of the “Me and My Mommy” program under the guidance of Professor Malka Margalit (of the School of Education at Tel-Aviv university), for the purpose of better understanding the needs of infants with special needs and their families, improving related therapies, and the desire to incorporate these findings in Israel’s social services systems.

Rehabilitative Day Care and Inclusive Preschool

The program was established in 2003 as an extension of the “Me and My Mommy” program, in order to create therapy consistency, based on the recognized importance of early intervention as a significant contributor for the toddler’s future development. The day care center is operated by special educators for every age and stage of development, as well as a paramedical staff of therapists who conduct a variety of personal and group therapies.

The Inclusive Preschool offers a learning environment where children with disabilities and children with typical development learn and grow together. The program supports the children through different therapies and prepares them for inclusion in the mainstream school system by first grade. The rich curriculum is based on values of respect, acceptance, and appreciation of diversity.

After School Activity Center

Every afternoon, hundreds of children and teens with multiple disabilities arrive at Shalva’s center to participate in a variety of therapeutic activities, such as: hydrotherapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy, media therapy, dance therapy, multi-sensory therapy (Snoezelen), music therapy, animal therapy, drama therapy, and art therapy. An individual learning plan of personal and group objectives is constructed for every participant in order to empower his/her personal potential for social inclusion as a valued and contributing citizen.

Respite Program

The Respite program operates every day of the week, and allows Shalva’s children a regular, weekly sleep-over at Shalvas residential quarters, and a monthly weekend retreat. Every child knows in advance which day of the week is his overnight stay, who will be his/her roommates, and the staff that will be present to assist him/her with every need. The purpose of the program is to enable families of children with special needs to experience a dependable respite period to rejuvenate their spirits and care for their personal needs while their children learn important independence skills.

Summer Camps

Employment Training Program

Shalva's Employment Training Program escorts highly functional adults with disabilities from the special education and therapy programs of their youth into the workforce as contributing and independent adults. The program is an expansion of Shalva’s multi-tiered scope of services from infancy to adulthood, and fills a critical need for meaningful occupation, which is common to Shalva’s graduates and other adults with disabilities. At Shalva, adults with disabilities are personally guided through the process of choosing a vocational field, selecting relevant courses, mastering skills, acquiring the wherewithal to navigate job interviews, introductions with potential employer, and successful job placement.

Cafe Shalva

Open to the public, Café Shalva is a boutique café that is also an equal-opportunity work setting where a staff of individuals with and without disabilities works together as managers, waiters, and hosts. The café’s menu and management was developed in partnership with elite culinary establishments and its interior design is artistically crafted to inspire newfound understandings of inclusion and acceptance. The café provides internship and employment opportunities for Shalva’s young adults and serves as a model of successful workplace inclusion.

The Shalva National Center

In 2008 the construction of the Shalva National Center began, neighboring the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. The center opened its doors on September 2016. The center has unique disability accessible facilities like an auditorium, sports center, swimming pools, fitness rooms, playgrounds and more.