Who Does Kav L’Noar Serve?
A Few Case Histories
G. came to KLN at age 15 appearing depressed and anorexic. Her parents described her as impossible to deal with. In working with one of our mentors as well as separate therapists for G. and for her parents, we learned that the home was quite abusive to the children. Both G. and her siblings were being hit daily and sometimes going to bed hungry. Our mentor has been a ray of sunshine for G. and her therapist has given her hope for the future. Our staff has worked with the parents on stopping the hitting while their therapist has been focusing on the food issues. G. is also working with her therapist on a pamphlet to help kids cope with difficult family situations. G. continues to meet twice weekly with her mentor.
P. got married this year. When she first came to KLN one and a half years ago, she was 18, living at home and depressed. She was doing nothing other than focusing on the tragedies she had endured in her lifetime. As a young girl, P. had been in a terror attack in which she lost both her father and sister. She, her mother and siblings spent years recovering from physical and emotional scars. When we assigned a mentor to her, they clicked almost immediately. They met twice weekly and spoke nightly on the phone. During the following months, her depression lifted and her mentor was able to help her find a seminary. It was there that she found a rebbetzin and support network of friends that changed her life. Today she is a young married woman making her home in Jerusalem.
J. came to KLN at age 16. She had lost her mother five years earlier and had taken on the role of substitute mother for her four younger siblings. She was in constant conflict with her father as well as with her school teachers. KLN assigned J a mentor, who met with her twice weekly and maintained nightly telephone contact. J’s life began to change. Over the past year, she has become more successful in school. While things are still stressful at home, she and her father have developed a better working relationship. Through KLN’s contacts in the community, several families have reached out to J’s family and provide different kinds of support so that J. no longer needs to assume the role of ‘substitute Mom.’
