Thank you dear supporters from Yad L’Ami

Jun 18, 2018

At this opportunity we wish to thank Yad L’Ami, without whose generous and important contribution we would not have been able to offer our girls these therapies.

The proven and significant contribution of these classes to the wellbeing of our students is a testimony to your organization.

The Bright Future (Nekudat Chen) boarding program is a home for 45 high-school girls from at-risk backgrounds who, for various reasons, did not fit into traditional educational frameworks.

As a recognized therapeutic program, we make every effort to offer our students as many therapies as possible, our goal being to strengthen them, teach them coping skills, and to provide them with life lessons and tools that will help them to prepare for their futures.

Two of the important classes that we offer, funded by Yad L’Ami, are therapeutic horseback riding and dog therapy.

Therapeutic horseback riding

Fourteen girls participate in these classes, in groups of 3–4 each.

The classes are held weekly, and the girls attend each session gladly. They report that the classes help them learn to feel, and remain, calm. Their instructor, Arnon, reports that the girls have made significant progress in all of the subjects that the class involves:

  • Discipline: The girls have learned to be extremely disciplined, to follow instructions, and to act precisely as directed.
  • Calmness and confidence: When they began, the girls were nervous, fidgety, and lacked confidence. Over time, they have become more self-confident, acting with restraint when necessary, behaving calmly, and accepting guidance. The girls are more confident and therefore more open to others.
  • Control: When the classes began, the girls felt out of control, that things “just happen.” Today they have gained the ability to control the horse, its speed and gait, and the girls have become more attuned to each other, and more understanding of one another’s challenges.

Dog therapy

From the beginning of the school year, 6–8 girls have participated on a regular basis in these classes, in 2 groups of 3–4 each. The class takes place once a week on the kibbutz. The girls love these classes. We see how the techniques used in this therapy increase the girls’ sense of calmness and serenity. These girls have definitely gained courage and confidence. Their feeling of control over the dogs’ actions helps them to feel that they can also control their own lives. They learn to be leaders, to open up to others, and to be assertive. They learn that they can be pleasant and friendly while setting limits.