Surrogate Parents

Prior to their acceptance at Sanhedria, these couples are required to undergo personality and psychological testing to ascertain their abilities to successfully handle the undertaking of 'surrogate parents'. They are professionally trained in programs provided by the Ministry of Social Welfare. The roles of the 'foster parents' require compassion, kindness and caring. These qualities come from the hearts of the positive and energetic young people who have committed to this difficult and challenging task as their profession.

Computer Enrichment

This innovative program was launched in order to keep up with the modern demands of education and is intended to be both recreational and instructive. It allows the children to bridge educational gaps at their own pace in material that they often have difficulty with, eg. math, reading comprehension and English. The PC is a medium which is fun for the children, and of course, today it is an absolute must in all educational disciplines. In addition, these games encourage the children to develop a deftness and a skill that they can use to advance themselves. The computer enrichment program is professionally supervised. State of the art computers and games were provided for by donors.

Library

A rich selection of books attractively arranged encourages the children to read while fostering their sense of pleasure in acquiring knowledge. Many of our children suffer from learning disabilities and here they have the chance to improve their skills in a laid-back setting. Volunteers and professionals aid the children in their selections and spend time pouring over the books with them, making the library an exciting place.

Sports

With high level energy to channel, this is a natural and constructive way for the children to release their aggression, and to develop their physical strengths, in a positive setting. The boys play soccer and basketball in the courtyard adjacent to the main building.

Swimming

Sanhedria has an arrangement within one of the local pools, where our boys can use the facilities on an on-going basis. This is a wonderful outlet for the boys to strengthen their physical aptness and channel their energies into a pleasurable activity.

Extra-curricular programs

An integral segment of Sanhedria's extra-curricular activities is with the participation of midrasha and yeshiva students. These include sports, arts and crafts, baking, story hour and Rosh Chodesh parties. Click to see for highlights of these activities. Among the participating institutions are Yeshivot Torat Shraga, Bircas Hatorah, Eretz Hatzvi, Shvilei Hatorah, Lev Hatorah Michlala and Midreshet Harova.

Game Room

Sanhedria's professional staff and outstanding volunteers enhance the children's afternoons with their heart and creativity.  It is here that the kids engage in team efforts; be it at board games, arts and crafts projects or special programs revolving around the holidays. Learning to deal with the disappointment of a loss and the thrill of a win is part of the experience. Individualized attention is offered to the child who is restless, stressed or tense, enabling him to come out of his shell and better cope with his situation.

Library

Junior High School

As an initiative to better serve the teenage populous (ages 12-14 of Sanhedria), we launched a Junior High School program in the fall of 2003. The school also absorbs youngsters from neighboring Jerusalem communities, who are unable to comply with the requirements of the mainstream school system either as a result of suffering from ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and/or having learning disabilities. We hired special education teachers to aid the children combat their handicaps and to raise the level of their academic achievement. This full day program has a syllabus in compliance with that of the Ministry of Education - Torani division and runs from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Hot lunches are provided by the Sanhedria Kitchen. Educational Director - Rabbi Avraham Y. Shapiro

Afternoon Didactic Program

Many of Sanhedria's children are academically challenged and suffer from learning disabilities. A special education teacher works with the children on a one-to-one basis, assisting with homework and raising the level of their comprehension of school material.