(from left to right) Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Zeev Bielski, and Israeli partner, Arel Margalit.

June 23, 2008 / 20 Sivan 5768

On Sunday, June 15, the Jewish Agency's Youth Futures program was launched at a festive ceremony in Jerusalem, Israel’s capital.

In attendance were the Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Zeev Bielski, President of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles, John Fishel, Israeli partner Erel Margalit and Director General of the Israel Department, Leah Golan as well as many guests.

The Jewish Agency and its partners to the program in Jerusalem, the Los Angeles Federation ,including the Chais Family Foundation, The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, The Richard and Lois Gunther Foundation, Michael Tuchin, and Erel Margalit, will be investing over $1,500,000 in this program over three years.

The program will make it possible for children and adolescents at risk from Jerusalem to get a “trustee” (and adult escort) who can accompany and promote them in educational and social areas over an extended period.

Youth Futures is a unique and innovative program on a national level dedicated to narrowing social gaps in Israel.  The program personally focuses on every child and adolescent participant, while displaying consideration for his or her unique needs and talents.  For this purpose, the children are counseled by “trustees” – personal tutors who accompany the children over a long and significant time.  The trustees are young social pioneers who constitute role models for the children, and are capable of identifying the strong and weak points of the children whom they are fostering.

The local education and welfare systems cooperate with the trustees in building an annual work plan for each boy and girl and parties from all sectors in the community lend a hand in implementing the work plan, to reinforce the academic, artistic, therapeutic areas and others for Youth Futures participants.

To learn more about Youth Futures, click here.

Youth Futures  today operates in 28 communities throughout Israel serving 6000 children and adolescents and involving 400 trustees. Please join us in our efforts.