SHALVA NATIONAL CENTER building the future
SHALVA, the Association for Mentally and Physically Challenged Children in Israel, is dedicated to providing quality care for individuals with disabilities, empowering their families, and promoting social tolerance. Non-denominational and free of charge, SHALVA’s programs range from infancy to adulthood and include family support components that enable parents to raise their child with special needs within the family framework. The organization’s advocacy initiatives, community events, and disability research continue to inspire a more inclusive Israeli society.
Dear Friends, I cannot help but reflect on SHALVA’s meteoric development from a mom-and-pop organization into an international leader in the special needs community. All of the achievements, innovations and awards along the way, have been made possible through your partnership. For twenty five years, SHALVA has changed lives and impacted Israel’s social services, but there is so much left to do. There are so many children and families currently wait listed for our transformative programs and that has motivated us to take the step of creating the new SHALVA National Center. This unique 200,000 square foot facility will be home to dozens of cutting edge facilities including a 400-seat auditorium, two pools, a virtual reality suite and a café operated by the children of SHALVA, just to name a few. Six acres of inclusive parks will be open to the public where children of all abilities will play and grow together. The SHALVA National Center is approaching completion and we need your help to reach this goal. There are meaningful dedication opportunities available and I hope that you will join us in identifying your name with the eternal legacy of Jerusalem. With heartfelt gratitude and friendship,
Kalman Samuels Founder and Chairman
The Need Intellectual and physical impairments are prevalent in Israeli society, affecting a significant minority of the general population. Thus, the future expansion of SHALVA is a matter of vital importance. Recent reports relay the following: • 8.5% of children born in Israel have severe disabilities (The Knesset Research and Information Centre, August 2011). • 1 in 3 Israelis has a family member with special needs • Two of every three children with disabilities are not receiving the medical, educational, and therapeutic services that they legally deserve (Joint Distribution Committee, 2010). The SHALVA National Center is the long awaited answer to so many families’ prayers. The National Center will allow for a 400% increase in beneficiaries, meaning that more children with special needs will take part in our life-changing programs while their families receive crucial hours of respite. The SHALVA National Center will be equipped to offer a more comprehensive range of services to meet the needs of a wider scope of disabilities. Your partnership will make a powerful difference in the lives of these deserving children.
Project Overview The SHALVA National Center, opening in 2016, will allow for the significant expansion of SHALVA’s programs. We will be able to meet the needs of a wider spectrum of physical and cognitive challenges. The Center’s choice location, adjacent to the new Route 16 highway, was chosen by the Jerusalem Municipality to be the welcoming face of the nation’s capital. SHALVA’s precious partnership with the Municipality represents Israel’s strides toward innovation, inclusion, and social change. The eleven story SHALVA National Center is both contemporary and accessible in its design. The following is a brief synopsis of the building’s facilities: • Hydrotherapy and semi-Olympic pools • Full-size gymnasium • 600 seat dining hall • 400 seat auditorium • Accommodations for 100 respite sleepovers per night • Virtual Reality Therapy Suite • Family Counseling Unit • Research and Study Institute The SHALVA National Center is positioned to be an international leader in innovative program development and optimal care for individuals with disabilities.
Location
The SHALVA National Center is located in the heart of Jerusalem and is easily accessible from the planned new route 16 tunnel entrance to the city. It neighbors with some of Jerusalem’s most venerable institutions and will be opening its doors to visitors from around the world, sharing its innovative programs, therapies and caring environment.
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Yad Vashem Shaare Tzedek Medical Center
SHALVA National Center and National Park for Inclusion
Hebrew University Givat Ram Campus
Israel Museum
SHALVA National Park for Inclusion
In UNICEF’s 2013 State of the World’s Children report, accessible parks were recognized as “incubators of a more inclusive society”. Open to the general public, The SHALVA National Park for Inclusion is located at the entrance to the campus. Nestled in six acres of landscaped gardens and walking trails, is a 700 square-meter, bi-level playground. The playground is a constellation of disability accessible equipment with increasing levels of challenge where children of all abilities can play and grow together.
Entrance Plaza
Items: Entrance Playground Founders Plaza, 10 Sculptures by Menashe Kadishman Wings of Building
Quantity: 1 10 4
The Entrance Plaza will welcome each child, family member, and visitor into the Center. The Plaza will include: the walkway leading to the building’s entrance; a panoramic observatory overlooking the inclusion parks and an inspiring sculpture designed by Israel Prize Laureate Menashe Kadishman, of blessed memory. The sculpture will be visible to participants and passersby alike. This work of art is comprised of ten children holding hands with each figure representing one of the ten divine utterances of the world’s creation as depicted in Genesis. The sculpture relays that each child, regardless of ability, is a beautiful part of creating a world community.
Level -1. Sports Center
Items: Indoor Recreational Swimming Pool Therapy Pool Gymnasium Special Needs Fitness Center Reception Laundry First Aid Room Therapy Room Staff Room
Quantity: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
In 2009, The Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation reported that 86% of children with special needs who participate in sports report an increase in overall health and quality of their social interaction. The Sports Center is the stage on which a significant portion of SHALVA’s therapeutic, recreational and advocacy initiatives are set. Designed under the guidance of Access Israel, the Sports Center includes a multipurpose gymnasium, swimming pools, completely accessible locker rooms and a fitness center with disability accessible equipment.
Level 0. Main Entrance
Items: Main Entrance Lobby Visitors Center/Orientation Area Children's Gift Shop Guest Room in Memory of Nachshon Wachsman Employment Studio Workshop Auditorium Dressing Rooms and Backstage
Quantity: 1 1 1 1 1 1
The Main Entrance Lobby of the SHALVA National Center will welcome thousands of program participants, family members, specialists and guests on a daily basis. The artistic design of the main entrance will envelope all of our visitors with the warmth and energy of SHALVA’s underlying values: hope, community, human dignity. “From the first moment SHALVA opened its doors to me and my family, it has been all about love.” - Tamar K., SHALVA parent
Level 1. Education & Training Center
Items: Auditorium Research Library Inclusive Coffee Shop Experiential Center Lobby Over Atrium Auditorium Foyer and Balcony Seminar Rooms Lecturers Offices
Quantity: 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1
The Education and Training Center will provide a composite of research, educational and vocational venues. The Institute will be a hub of study and the dissemination of new findings as well as offer continued education and certification courses for immersion of minorities into the field special needs services. Additionally, international collegiate delegations will visit SHALVA to get hands-on experience with the special needs community.
Level 2. After School Activity Center
Items: Oral Hygiene Wellness Center Music Center Courtyard Terrace Drama Room Lobby Over Atrium After School Activities Center Lobby Gymboree Toy and Book Library Virtual Reality Therapy Room Computer Room Arts & Crafts Room Snoezlen Room Panoramic View Terrace Staff Conference Room Staff Offices Animal Therapy Activity Rooms
Quantity: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 20
The After School Activity Center is a life-skills oriented, recreational program for children and teens ages 6-21 with a variety of disabilities. Joined by peers from the community, participants are enveloped by an empowering and inclusive social network and enjoy an array of recreational activities on a daily basis including sports, drama, dance, and art.
Level 3. Dining & Events Floor
Items: Synagogue Dining Hall Kitchen Beit Midrash Educational Kitchen Guests Dining Room Dining Hall Terrace Amphitheater Children's Hygiene Training Area
Quantity: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Positioned at the heart of the building, the Dining and Events floor will be a center of activity. The dining hall boasts panoramic views of Jerusalem with the capacity to seat over 600 individuals. In addition to daily meals for program participants, this floor will be a venue for organization wide affairs, holiday parties, and Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations for the children of SHALVA.
Level 4. Overnight Respite Center
Items: National Service Staff Apartment Pavilions Respite Staff Apartment Respite Floor Lobby Independent Living Apartment Yossi's Space Laundry Facility Bedroom Self Care Training Pavilion Terraces
Quantity: 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 20 1 4
The Overnight Respite Center will provide a sleepover experience for 85 different SHALVA participants every night of the week. This program provides a rare opportunity for children with disabilities to cultivate independent living skills while the family unit is rejuvenated through 36 hours of respite. “Most people take a solid night’s sleep for granted, but for us it’s huge” ~ Shulamit E., SHALVA Parent
Level 5. Me & My Mommy Center
Items: Administration Wing Pavilion Me and My Mommy Lobby Gymboree Inclusion Early Childhood Classrooms Parents' Support Lounge Snoezlen Rooms Physio Therapy Staff Room Occupational Therapy Social Worker Offices Speech Therapy Massage Therapy Reception Area Me and My Mommy Offices Terraces Changing Room Nursing Room Didactic Toy Lending Library
Quantity: 1 3 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 5 1 1 1
Me and My Mommy Center provides immediate intervention to infants with special needs during a period of critical growth while empowering parents to become co-therapists in the rehabilitative process. Participating infants, accompanied by their parents, receive four weekly hours of occupational, speech, physio, hydro, computer, and sensitivity awareness therapies. This vital program effectively restores parents and their families to fuller functionality.
Level 6. Inclusive Rehabilitative Day Care Center
Items: Therapy Center Dining Hall and Kitchen Rehabilitative Day Care Lobby Classrooms Toddler Play Area Terrace Snoezlen Room Administration Offices Therapy Room Terraces
Quantity: 1 1 1 8 1 1 1 11 7
The Inclusive Rehabilitative Day Care Center is a specialized, therapyfocused day care program for children ages 1-3 years old; with a therapeutic schedule that meets the needs of a broad spectrum of physical and cognitive challenges. The Day Care Center parallels an Inclusion Program where children with typical development will play and grow together with the children of SHALVA. Pairing these programs is a vital facet of SHALVA’s inclusive vision and is a long-term investment in a more accepting society.
Level 7. Inclusive Early Childhood Center & Rooftop Playground
Items: Scenic Rooftop Terrace and Playground Classrooms Animal Therapy Terraces
Quantity: 1 6 1 2
The Inclusive Early Childhood Center presents a unique educational environment where children ages 3-6 with special needs, together with children with typical development patterns, learn together and interact as equals. Designed to escort participants until first grade, the program curriculum prepares participants for mainstream integration.
Project Team SHALVA’s design team for the construction of the National Center is headed by the Kolker, Kolker, and Epstein architectural firm whose award-winning designs include the Israeli Foreign Ministry building in Jerusalem. The project’s landscaping is under the direction of Shlomo Aronson and Company and the project is managed by the Ehud Tayar Management and Engineering Company. The Yehudah Raveh and Partners law firm is responsible for all related legal matters.
Friends of SHALVA Capital Campaign Committee: Norm Alpert; Leon Wagner AMERICAN FRIENDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Executive Director: Leo Klein Co-Presidents: Norm Alpert; Carol Levin Co-Chairs of the Board: Nathan Low; Leon Wagner Chair of the Board of Emeritus: Hillel Weinberger Vice President: Adam Chill Treasurer: Yoni Leifer Secretary: Jacques Semmelman Executive Committee: Raanan Agus; Mitchell Presser; Daniel Schwartz; Ari Storch; Dov Wiener Board of Directors: Nicole Agus; Jane Alpert; Ludwig Bravmann; Harry Freund; Jay Goldsmith; Ishaia Gol; Lois Hager; Mordechai Hager; Debbie Jonas; Howard Jonas; Nathan Kahn; Sandy Kahn; George Karfunkel; Lisa Low; Basya Lowinger; Andrew Lowinger; Tina Machnikoff; Matthew Maryles; Ruth Mazurek; Nachman Mazurek; Lauren Presser; Gabrielle Propp; Tommy Rosenthal; Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald; Debbie Schwartz; Yossi Segal; Jack Silver; Ruth Slade; Michael Slade; Vera Spira; Soli Spira; James Tisch CANADIAN FRIENDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Executive Director: Johanna Brooks President: Lenny Rothschild Board of Directors: Gordon Diamond; Esty Edell; Eli Grossman; Renee Lieberman; Brucyne Sud; Mery Volovich
BRITISH FRIENDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Chief Executive: Gaby Hirsch President: Debbie Besorai Trustees: John Corre; Howard Goldring; Ronen Kannor Honorary Patrons: Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis; Esther Wachsman Patrons: Lauren and Keith Breslauer; Barbara and Mick Davis; Debbie and John Frenkel; Ari Krieger; Louise and Hilton Nathanson; Bianca and Stuart Roden; Michelle and Bob Shemtob ISRAELI FRIENDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Chairperson: Ehud Savion Board of Directors Miri Donin; Ofer Feinstein; Ariel Markel; Sefi Mei-Zahav; Osnat Michaeli; Chaim Taib INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE: Chairperson: Malka Margalit, PhD Members: Jake Burack, PhD; Michael Guralnick, PhD; Arie Rimmerman, PhD/DSW; Melvyn I. Semmel, EdD, FAPA, FAAMR
SHalVa - Beit nachshon 6 Ibn Denan St. POB 34449 Jerusalem, Israel, 9134302 Tel: +972-2-651-9555 Fax: +972-2-653-5787 info@shalva.org
British Friends of SHalVa Unit 239, Kinetic Business Center Theobald Street Borehamwood, Herts, WD6 4PJ Tel: +44-208-387-4135 Fax: +44-208-387-4136 juliet@shalva.org
mexican Friends of SHalVa Hacienda del Ciervo #27 - 504 Hacienda de las Palmas Huixquilucan Edo de Mexico CP 52787, Mexico City Tel.: +52-55-52163542 stevanjennifer@gmail.com
american Friends of SHalVa 315 Fifth Avenue, 6Th Fl. New York, NY 10016 Tel: 212-725-0900 Fax: 212-725-5624 leo@shalva-usa.org
Canadian Friends of SHalVa 201 Bridgeland Avenue Toronto, Ontario, M6A 1Y7 Tel.: 416-256-4002 ext. 386 Fax: 416-256-4003 canadianfriends@shalva.org
www.shalva.org