About The Scool

A message from the Dean

 

Welcome to the website of the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare.

Our school is the first of its kind in Israel, with a past replete with academic and professional achievements, and future still to come.  

Our school plays an integral part in the shaping of the social work profession in Israel, with impact reaching far beyond its borders. Our mission is to prepare the future generation of social workers and influence research in the area, including social policies in Israel and beyond.

The School of Social Work also influences the profession through the faculty’s research activities, which are placed at the forefront of contemporary research in broad areas of social work. This also takes place through the teaching and fieldwork training provided to the students.

asherbenariehOur research is innovative and knowledge-developing, including evaluation of treatment and training approaches, promotion of social issues and shaping all sectors of Israeli society. We are committed to training future researchers from among our students, who will become the next generation of leaders in the field and pioneers working towards new horizons. The research we promote and encourage facilitates a cross-fertilization process between the professionals in the field and our cadre of researchers.

We seek to train future social workers by applying the highest professional standards. The curricula of our various programs are up-to-date and pluralistic, where the understanding of the individual is informed by a systemic view addressing the intrapersonal level through the family, community, and societal systems. We are committed to a friendly, inspiring, challenging, and culture-sensitive environment where students are able to form and refine their own professional identities. Clearly, in order to provide the finest professional training, an environment that accepts its students and faculty with their diverse ethno-national, social and gender identities, is necessary.  Thus our students are enabled to express their otherness through teaching, training, and social activities on campus.

Our school is involved in social activism in Israel, particularly in efforts to shape the country’s social policies. The combination of training, social engagement and research which we lead promotes our profession and the specific populations we treat on both the personal and community levels, and also generates social change and affects social policies.

We are proud of our students’ extensive activities at the school and university levels, in departmental and school committees, as well as in the student association. We are also proud of their engagement in social activism through civil society organizations promoting equality and social justice in Israel.

On a personal note, as a school graduate (all three degrees), I know that studying here is a unique experience and a privileged exposure to the beauty and complexity of the world of social work. I have acquired the basic concepts of the profession and experienced the spheres of theory, research, and fieldwork. As a faculty member for over twenty years, I have always enjoyed constructive and dignifying encounters with my colleagues, and no less importantly, with my students. I feel certain that the environment which has benefitted me so greatly in my own academic career will remain with us for the foreseeable future, and will enable us to give the school community the gift of a fascinating and challenging, as well as individualized and personal, learning experience.


Prof. Asher Ben-Arieh,

Dean, Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Work

 

 

History of the School

 

The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work, Versailles, France

The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work was established for the first time by the Joint at the Château de la Maye in Versailles, France. It operated as a school between 1949 and 1953. Technically, it continued to exist until 1955, but instead of a central school, the staff engaged in various programs for training social services and consulting Jewish organizations in Europe, North Africa and Iran.

In 1955, the status of the school was changed to a division of the Joint-, the Division of Social Services and Human Resource Development named after Paul Baerwald, which continued the training and counseling activities.

Around the same time, a process began to transfer the training of social work to Israel under the auspices of the Hebrew University and to expand its scope. The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work at the Hebrew University was opened in 1958 with the participation of JDC on the Givat Ram campus in Jerusalem.

 

PBS פנ             PBSV
     
Video: The Barwald family visits the school in Versailles 1950
 

The Bearwlad family together with
the school principal,
Dr. Henry Silver, 1950
 
Château de la Maye, 1949

 

The Establishment in Israel

The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was founded in 1958 and offered a study program for a bachelor's degree in social work. The program was operated in collaboration with the Joint Organization, the Ministry of Welfare and the Tel Aviv Municipality.
 

הנחת פבגר  
The cornerstone laying
for the establishment of the school
on the Givat Ram campus, Jerusalem

The school building,
Givat Ram campus
The 60s
 
   

 

The establishment and activities of the school until this very day reflect the joint effort of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Joint. This organization provided the initial funding for the establishment of the school and the construction of the building on Givat Ram (where the school was located for a few years) and also contributed greatly over the years to the various programs that were developed in it. Since the academic year 1982, the school is located in the university campus on Mount Scopus. Paul Baerwald (1871-1961), after whom the school is named, was one of the leaders of American Jewry and a founder of the World Joint. He devoted himself to many humanitarian and philanthropic activities for the Jewish people.

*The pictures and video are taken from the JDC archive.

 

Bachelor's program

The "Bachelor of Social Work" program, which was established as mentioned already with the establishment of the school, trains academic social workers to work with individuals and families and to work in the community, with the aim of integrating into the welfare and social service systems in Israel.

In the sixties, a special program was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor to train immigrants with academic degrees for social work, and in 1974, in collaboration with the Ministry of Aid, the "Program for Training Academics for Social Work" was established, which awarded a bachelor's degree in social work to holders of an academic degree who demonstrated practical experience in social work or in a related field. A similar program was also established in 1977 in Beersheba under the auspices of the school. These programs ended in 1980. In addition, over the years, the school has run several conversion programs.

 

 

Master's programs

Since 1970, the school also offers a master's degree program, which prepares students for roles in the academic field of teaching and research in social work, planning and management of welfare services and direct treatment of individuals and families.

In the seventies, two certificate programs were established within the Joseph J. Schwartz program and in collaboration with the School of Education: one for training managers and senior staff for community centers and one for training human resources for early childhood. In the nineties, the two programs were upgraded and became master's programs that grant an advanced degree: one is the master's program in early childhood, which has been operating since the academic year 1994-95 and grants a master's degree in early childhood studies. The studies are based on an interdisciplinary approach and are designed to train professional staff for the development and management of programs in the field of early childhood.

The other program is the master's program in management of human services and community organizations, which was opened in the academic year 1996-97. Its main purpose is to provide extensive theoretical knowledge and skills required for policy-making processes and advanced and professional management of community organizations and non-profit organizations, organizations that belong to the "third sector" and are part of civil society.

From then until today

 

In 2009, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary.

During its years of existence, the school's teaching staff grew, the fields of research and teaching were expanded, the professional training methods were improved, and new study programs were added. Today, about 850 students study in the school's undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs. In recent years, the school has opened a program that offers the possibility of certification in social work and a master's degree in social work for graduates in other fields. In addition, the school offers joint degrees at the undergraduate level with the faculties of law, humanities and social sciences at the university. The school's staff includes an academic staff of researchers in various fields of knowledge, a field guidance staff and an experienced administrative staff.

Within the school, various research centers and research groups operate. The school's staff and research students are at the forefront of research in social work and social welfare; The staff also play central roles in shaping social policy and welfare services in Israel, maintain close ties with the field of social work, and are an integral part of the academic community of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

 

 

 


 

 

 

Our Mission & Vision

 

Our Mission

The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare endeavors to further social justice and the personal and social wellbeing of individuals through path-breaking research, the training of leading professionals, and an active role in the social work profession and the development of social services and policies for individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities in Israel and across the globe.

 

Our Vision

To fulfill our mission, we will

  • Engage in path-breaking research that contributes to a better understanding of complex social issues and the ways to address them.  We will endeavor to undertake this research in partnership with students, social workers and other professionals, as well as with social service users.
  • Educate and train professionals in the fields of psychosocial treatment and social welfare who will be committed to the vision and values of the social work profession and will be actively involved in their studies, the social services, and in civil society.
  • Train professional leadership in the social services that will further social change and formulate social policy on the local, national and global levels.
  • Develop critical thinking, academic curiosity, creativity, cultural and sociopolitical sensitivity, and adaptability to changing environments in our students.
  •  Promote social justice through education, research and the civic and social engagement of the school community. In particular, the school seeks to consolidate the ties between the Hebrew University and social services and social workers in the field, and to strengthen our local community in Jerusalem.

 

 

Social Work and Social Welfare

 

Throughout the life cycle and in diverse social situations, a person is liable to suffer from disadvantage and distress.  Individuals, families and communities are susceptible to poverty, to physical and mental health issues, and to dependencies that can lead to social exclusion, harmful behavior, delinquency and family violence.

The institutions, the services, and the cash benefits of the welfare state offer support in these situations. These provide members of society with social rights, with access to a safety net throughout the life cycle, and with psychosocial services that assist individuals and families in need.

The social mandate of the social work profession is to ensure the wellbeing of people by affecting social policies, forging partnerships with communities and service users, and responding directly to the psychosocial needs of individuals and families.

In order to fulfill its mission, social work draws upon a commitment to engage in practice that is grounded in social justice, knowledge and skills. These principles are linked to a fundamental approach that focuses upon dynamic interactions between a person and his or her environment. People are affected by the systems that comprise their environment – their families, communities, culture, as well as social policies and social welfare services. Improvement in the wellbeing of people requires a deep understanding of these systems and the intricate ways in which interactions between people and their environment are created, and of the means by which they can be improved.

As such, social work can be defined as a profession that furthers human wellbeing in society through the development and application of research-informed knowledge, by actions that seek to bring about social change and better social policies, and by general interventions with individuals and their families to create a relevant body of responses – intra-personal, inter-personal, material, occupational and rehabilitative.

Social work is undertaken in a wide range of service settings provided by the state, local authorities, and civil society that serve very diverse social groups. Social workers engage in various roles ranging from direct practice with individuals and families, through community work, administering social services, engaging in advocacy, and actively participating in social policy formulation.

Given the wide ranging expertise required from social workers, in Israel the profession is taught in academic institutions and its practice is regulated by the Social Workers’ Law. Social workers also play a role in developing theoretical, research, and practice-based knowledge in their academic studies and by joining the research and teaching staff at schools of social work.

Becoming a social worker is an exciting and challenging process of personal development and it offers an opportunity to engage in practice that not only helps others but reflects individual and social values.

 

SWSW

 

Prizes and appreciation

The Israel Prize

prasThe Israel Prize is the most important and prestigious prize of the State of Israel. It was initiated in 1953 by the then Minister of Education, Benzion Dinur, and has been bestowed continuously since then. Every year the judges’ committee submit to the Minister of Education their recommendations to give the prize in various fields of activity and creation in Israel. The winners are Israeli citizens – individuals, or in rare cases partners to achievement – who have evinced particular brilliance and excellence, breaking new ground in their field, or making a special contribution to Israeli society.

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Rotenberg     Prof. Mordechai Rotenberg – 2009

     Mordechai Rotenberg, Wikipedia

     During his years as a faculty member at the Paul Baerwald School of Social                Work and Social Welfare, Prof. Rotenberg developed an original, creative and            groundbreaking theoretical model, combining aspects of sociology, psychology        and religion with welfare and social work. He received the Israel Prize for the            development of this model, which is based on Jewish sources but also takes                                              inspiration from cultural perceptions from East and West.

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Doron     Prof. Abraham Doron – 2004

     Abraham Doron, Wikipedia

     Prof. Doron received the Israel Prize in Social Work for laying the foundations           for in-depth historical and comparative research in varied topics in social work        and social policy in Israel. Thanks to his important research, his commitment            to welfare, and his great involvement in the processes of shaping social policy,                                          Prof. Doron won great international and local recognition. Prof. Doron passed                                          on the immense knowledge he amassed in his studies to his many students,                                            who continue in the footsteps of his research.

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Rosenfeld     Prof. Jona Rosenfeld – 1998

     Jona Rosenfeld, Wikipedia

     Prof. Jona Rosenfeld is one of the pioneers and leaders of social work in Israel.        He is an emeritus faculty member of the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work          and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he served as          dean in 1974-1979.

 

Mifal Hapayis Prize for Arts and Sciences

 

Mifal Hapayis acts to advance culture, art and science by providing grants to artists and scientists who have recently attained significant achievements in their fields and contributed to their furthering in Israel.

 Prof. Howard Litwin – 2014

1 

Prof. Litwin is the initiator and Principal Investigator for SHARE-Israel, the Israeli component of the SHARE project, a multidisciplinary longitudinal survey, considered the most important international gerontological study. Litwin studies various aspects of late-life: social, cultural, psychological, physical, economic, medical, health-related. Through his original research, he attempts to change society’s attitude towards the elderly and to sketch a better alternative future in light of the rise in life expectancy and its meanings.

 

ESPANET Lifetime Achievement award

 

The Forum for the Study of Social Policy in Israel is an association of researchers and teachers in the field of social policy in Israel. It aims to advance the analysis of social policy in Israel and forms the local chapter in Israel of the European Network for Social Policy Analysis ESPANET

a

 

 

Prof. Hillel Schmid - 2020 - for a contribution to the study of social policy

aProf. Uri Aviram – 2015 – for contribution to the study of social policy in the field of mental health

aProf. John Gal – 2014 – for contribution to the study of social policy

aProf. Abraham Doron – 2013 – for contribution to the study of social policy

 

Exemplary Distinction

To Prof. Hillel Schmid

a

"Exemplary distinction" for a special contribution to the design of social work and the Israeli welfare state. The distinction was given by the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services in 2019.

 

To Prof. Johnny Gal

b

"Exemplary distinction" for a special contribution to the design of social work and the Israeli welfare state. The distinction was given by the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services in 2019.

 

 

Recipients of the Brawald Award

פול ברוואלד

 

The Brawald letter is named after Paul Brawald, after the school.
Paul Brawald, who lived from 1871-1961, was one of the leaders of American Jewry and one of the founders of the JDC. He devoted himself to humanitarian and philanthropic activities for the Jewish people.

The awarding of the Brawald Medal was introduced on the occasion of the celebrations of the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the school in 1978. The award is given to one  of the members of the teaching staff at the school and / or to an outsider for their special contribution to the development of the school for social work and the field of social welfare in Israel.

The award is given subject to the approval of the University President and School Dean.

Recipients of the Brawald Award:

1977-1978 The late Dr. Miriam Itzkovitz לוגו
1977-1978 Mrs. Sylvia Horowitz and the late Mr. Lou Horowitz לוגו
1977-1978 The late Dr. Israel Katz, the late Israel Kaz Israel Kaz
1977-1978 The late Mrs. Esther Landa לוגו
1977-1978 The late Dr. Joseph Nafris לוגו
1977-1978 Mrs. Palin Falk לוגו
1977-1978 Mrs. Margot Pines, and the late Prof. Arnolf Pines

פינס

1977-1978 Prof. Philip Klein לוגו
1977-1978 Mr. Donland Robinson לוגו
1977-1978 Mr. Peter Schweig לוגו
1977-1978 The late Dr. Eileen Balki ELEEN CLKI
1977-1978 The late Prof. Milton Rozenbaum MILTON
1978-1979 The late Prof. Frankenstein KARL
1978-1979 The late Mrs. Luta Zalzberg LUTA
1999-2000 The late Mr. Harold Traub לוגו
1980-1981 Mrs. Kate and Mr. Harbert Katzki לוגו
1982-1983 The late Dr. Monica Shapira MONICA
1982-1983 Prof. Yona Rozenfeld YONA
1997-1998 The late Prof. Avraham Doron DORON
2000-2001 The late Prof. Eliezer Yaffe YAFE
2004-2005 Prof. Miriam Rozental MIRIAM
2004-2005 The late Ralph Goldman RALPH
2008-2009 The lat Prof. David Makrov DAVID
2008-2009 Dr. Zvi Pein ZVI
2015-2016 The late Prof. David Bar Gal BAR GAL
2015-2016 The late Ralph Goldman GOLDMAN
2018-2019 Yossi Tamir YOSSI

 

Former school Deans

mona

 

 

 

john

 

gail

 

Hilel

 

howie

 

Uri

 

zeev

 

aaron

 

israel

 

jona

 

mliton

 

charlotte

 

katz

 

eileen

 

 

 

Former Administrative Directors and Deputy Deans

Michal Chai-Atias 2017-2020

Drora Bardichiv 2012-2017

Shula Walder 1990-2012

Mordechai Prost

David Kleiman

Hanna Shacter

Abraham Lang

   

 

Friends

Late Dr. Arnulf M. Pines

Dr. Arnulf M. Pins (“Arnie”) bequeathed an extraordinary legacy. He was the rare combination of the man of vision and implementation. With Arnie, ideals were meant to be realized. His fuel was his abiding love for the Jewish people and Israel. His tools were the disciplines of the social work profession and education. As educator and social worker, he left his lasting imprint not only on the many services and programs he initiated and developed, but on the hearts and minds of those who were privileged to work with him.

 

He first came to Israel in 1971 as visiting professor at the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work at the Hebrew University, where he helped establish the Joseph Schwartz Graduate Program for Training of Community Center Directors and Senior Personnel. During this year, he acted as advisor to Chayim Zipori on the development of community centers. In 1974, Arnie returned as an immigrant to assume the position of Associate Director of JDC-Israel and Director of the ADJC Regional Office for the Middle East, posts which he filled with distinction until his death on February 8, 1978.

 

During those four years, Arnie innovated and created, in addition to raising the standards for his profession and for the community center staff. He worked tirelessly for closer cooperation and understanding between Diaspora Jewish communal workers and Israeli professionals. His influence will long be felt by those who were his colleagues at the JDC, in schools of social work, and in various government ministries.

 

Late Bracha Ben Zvi

ברכה

The Ben Zvi Prize for Excellence and Innovation in the Study of Social Work and Social Welfare is intended to commemorate the late Bracha Ben Zvi, and her contribution to the advancement of social policy and the social work profession in Israel, as well as her commitment to professional innovation, excellence in research, initiation and leadership of the Nursing Law. Ph.D. in the Paul Brawald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, who submitted a research proposal that is characterized by scientific excellence and significant innovation.

Late Michal Sela

A research scholarship awarded annually to male and female students, at the Paul Brawald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The scholarship is awarded in memory of the late social worker Michal Sela, an outstanding graduate with a master's degree in social work. Sela was a beloved woman who dedicated her life to helping vulnerable populations, including the mentally handicapped and those with limited sexual assault. Sela was brutally murdered in her home on October 3, 2019. The accused in the murder is the father of their baby daughter.

Late Nira Shner

שנהר

The scholarship named after the late Nira Shenhar is given from a fund set up in her memory by her family and the Jewish Agency. Nira Shenhar was a senior social worker in the Welfare Services Division of the Immigration and Absorption Department of the Jewish Agency. Immigrant absorption and welfare were at the center of her interest and she devoted herself to improving the level of services for immigrants and training workers for this purpose.

Late Pnina and Izchak Levy

 

The award for the social work named after the late Pnina and Yitzhak Levy is given to students at the Paul Brawald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, with a physical disability who excelled in studies and / or demonstrated original thinking

And excellence in activities for the individual.
The award came to remember the late Pnina and Yitzhak Levy, Pnina was a student counselor at the school and worked for many years in student counseling services, and Yitzhak is a teaching staff member at the school, both people who love people and are attentive to his hardships and needs. The award comes to encourage students to develop sensitivity and original thinking in caring for people while dealing with their limitations.

 

Late Pnina and Marcel Pinchevsky

The Pnina and Marcel Pinchevsky Scholarship is awarded to outstanding students in the doctoral program at the School of Social Work and Social Welfare. The scholarship was donated by Pnina and Marcel Pinchevsky. 1972-1975. She graduated with a master's degree in social work from McGill University, Canada in 1978. Pnina has dedicated her life to caring for people with mental disabilities and domestic violence. In recent years she has been teaching and mentoring students.

Late Prof. Avraham and Chava Doron

The Paul Brawald School of Social Work and Social Welfare is pleased to announce the awarding of the Prof. Avraham and Hava Doron Award to outstanding researchers in the field of social policy. The award is intended for doctoral students, post-doctoral students, members Faculty members up to the rank of senior lecturer without tenure (full academic track) or a lecturer in the accompanying track with a standard, who are engaged in research in the broad field of social policy and social security in Israel. The late Prof. Avraham Doron is one of the founders of social policy research. For his many studies in the field of social policy and social work, he won the Israel Prize for the Study of Social Work in 2004. Even today, his publications serve as basic materials in courses dealing with the welfare state. The late Prof. Doron also played a key role in the process of shaping social policy in Israel for decades. Among other things, he was one of the drafters of the Income Security Law. As a faculty member, the late Prof. Doron held many positions at the school and even served as head of the school. The late Prof. Doron has nurtured generations of social workers and welfare state researchers. Some of his students now serve as faculty members in schools and other social work schools.

Late Rachel Reichman (Freidenberg)

The Rachel Reichman (Freidenberg) Prize, founded by her family, is intended for students who have excelled in the field of individual therapy or in scientific writing or in providing assistance that has contributed to the well-being of human beings. The award is given in memory of the late Rachel Reichman (Freidenberg), a graduate of our school and a student counselor, and is intended to commemorate her interest in the therapeutic field, and the encouragement she gave students to continue to work and innovate and work with people in need.

Late Ruth Lachman Davis

The annual Ruth Lachman Davis Social Work Award is given to students at the Paul Brawald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, who have achieved impressive results in professional work, in the field of volunteering or in the academic field. The prize comes to remember Ruth Lachman The late Davis, an instructor at the school who was one of the first social workers and mental health officers in the country. In awarding the prize, priority is given to those whose contribution is to children, teenagers and families, which were the areas of work of the late Ruth Lachman-Davis.

Late Ruth Lachman Davis

The annual Ruth Lachman Davis Social Work Award is given to students at the Paul Brawald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, who have achieved impressive results in professional work, in the field of volunteering or in the academic field. The prize comes to remember Ruth Lachman The late Davis, an instructor at the school who was one of the first social workers and mental health officers in the country. In awarding the prize, priority is given to those whose contribution is to children, teenagers and families, which were the areas of work of the late Ruth Lachman-Davis.

Late Tali Bar

 

The scholarship is awarded by Dayan Bar, in memory of his wife, the late Tali Bar, for research work in the field of trauma, health or rehabilitation. The purpose of the foundation is to assist in innovative research work and to help improve

The interventions in these areas that were important to Tali. Tali Bar was our student in the years 2009-2010 (2009-2010).

Tali was the ideal model of a student in the graduate program, demonstrating high intellectual abilities alongside many emotional abilities and extensive therapeutic experience.

She dedicated her professional life to her work as a social worker in the Social Security Department.

 

 

Late Yehuda Elkin and his daughter Yaffa Tubli Elkin

The scholarship is awarded from a fund set up by the Elkin family in memory of their beloved Yehuda Elkin, the father of the family who immigrated from Chile, Ohav Adam and his daughter Yaffa Tubali-Elkin, a senior Social Security employee, which saw its mission in improving service to the needy and a lot of commission on training workers across the country to achieve this goal.
The scholarship is awarded annually to a graduate student whose final thesis deals with the issue of welfare from an approach of social work.

Late Ziva Strauss

 

The awarding ceremony is to commemorate the late Ziva Strauss, a graduate of the school, who worked in the Swedish village in individual care with people with mental retardation and at the Kfar Shaul Psychiatric Hospital in a variety of positions, including the deputy director of social services.

In her work, Ziva combined individual work, theoretical work and the development of experimental projects in the field of social work. The purpose of the award is to encourage patients' well-being and rehabilitation, while showing initiative, innovation and integration in teamwork. The award is given for direct work with applicants or for organizational or theoretical donation.

 

Prof. Richard M. Titmus Annual Memorial Lecture

טיטמוס

Richard M. Titmus (1907-1973)

The Memorial Lecture in Memory of Prof. Richard M. Titmus began as an initiative of the winner of the Israel Prize for Social Work, Prof. Avraham Doron, and of the National Insurance Institute, which aims to commemorate the work of one of the most important voices in the field of social policy design in the past century and the forefathers of the modern welfare state. Titmus. Titmus was also a close friend of the State of Israel and the National Insurance Institute and even visited Israel on several occasions.

The memorial lecture is known as a stage for meaningful learning and therefore the research group in the social policy of the School of Social Work and Social Welfare named after Brawald at the Hebrew University each year invites one of the best academic minds in the world to give a lecture. In recent years, Prof. Timothy Smithing (Senior Lecturer and Founder of the Luxembourg Income Studies Research Center), Prof. Joachim Palma (Senior Lecturer and Director of the Institute for Futures Studies), and Prof. Peter Tyler-Gobi ( OBE, Senior Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Kent) and Prof. Irving Garfinkel (Senior Lecturer at Columbia University and Director of the Retired Poverty Research Institute).

Community involvement

 

Model for academy-community involvement

The school has a community-academic study canter. At this center, the students experience the elements of community social work: building a profile of the community, locating community needs, diagnosis of social problems, recruiting and organizing people to deal with social questions and activating programs for social change.

The study center is active for three years in a single Jerusalem neighborhood with the aim of trying to influence the area, as well as creating a community and community feeling among the students. The students are training within the community services and welfare services available in a selected geographical area: at the community center, the welfare bureau, schools, absorption centers, NGOs active in the area, etc.

Since its founding, the center has been active so far in the following neighborhoods: East Talpiyot, Pisgat Zeev and Gilo.

Among the projects carried out by the students are:

  • Establishing a neighborhood pupils’ council
  • Establishing community gardens
  • Developing groups of activists on various topics, such as education, health, etc.
  • Working with people with disabilities to increase accessibility in the neighborhood and raising the residents’ awareness of people with special needs
  • Organizing evenings dealing with rights and information for the residents on various topics according to need
  • Organizing merchants to improve the appearance of the commercial center

The study center works in cooperation with the residents of the neighborhood, the activists and the social services already existing there. The work aims at maximal involvement of all concerned and is conducted with full coordination between all sides.

 

Example of the center's activities (2015-2016)

Example of the center's activities (2013-2014)