Thank you!!!
All monies received from the sale of this cookbook directly support
The Rachel Karwan Child Development Center--
"Merkaz Rachel"
("Rachel's Center").
Merkaz Rachel opened ten years ago as a memorial to Rachel Karwan (z"l), a special woman who devoted herself to her family, her friends and her community. Merkaz Rachel is a joint project of Rachel's family and the Ganim community center in Jerusalem's Kiryat Menachem low-income neighborhood.
Merkaz Rachel was created to meet the needs of almost 1/3 of the neighborhood's preschool and elementary-aged children (ages 3 to 13) who have learning disabilities such as attention deficit, coordination issues, hyperactivity, language difficulties and motor problems. Because they do not perform well in class, the children are disruptive and do not progress in their studies.
Unfortunately, parents are often unaware of the extent of their children's problems and cannot afford the diagnosis and ongoing treatment therapy ($25 - $60/session for private teachers).
Each week 200 children come to Merkaz Rachel to work with our trained staff of professionals:
- 5 teachers (specialists in remedial education)
- 4 special ed teachers (specialists in learning disabilities)
- 3 occupational therapists
- 2 clinicians (specialists in communications)
- 10 volunteers, 2 secretaries and 1 coordinator
Funding & operation of Merkaz Rachel:
- Ministry of Education of the State of Israel
- "Clalit" health fund (largest HMO in Israel)
- Parental fees on a sliding scale
- Rachel Karavan's extended family
- Donations from individuals and foundations
- Recycling of bottles, cans and books for reimbursement.
There are over 180 children on our waiting list that we can't treat because of limited funds. Unfortunately, the longer they have to wait to receive the help they need directly affects their progress in school. You can help us reach more children by buying additional cookbooks or sending contributions to Merkaz Rachel.
