Aliyah from the Ukraine Ilya came to Israel from the Ukraine with his family when he was nine. The family had only discovered that they were Jewish the year before.   They immediately started becoming observant and preparing to move to Israel. Ilya had been enjoying a happy childhood, running around outside with his friends.  He was very upset about leaving his friends and his way of life behind. When he got to Israel, he spent all his time indoors, fighting with his siblings

Parents value grades and achievement Re’ut came from a very educated family that put a high value on academic achievement. Her mother was a scientist and her father was a teacher in a prestigious yeshiva. All of her brothers and sisters were high flyers. But Re’ut always struggled in school. There wasn’t a single class that she felt comfortable in. Re’ut’s school wasn’t willing to accept her poor grades and low test results. They insisted that she had an attitude problem, tha

INDIVIDUAL COMMITMENT TO A GROUP EFFORT A SCHOOL GROUP MENTORING STORY On my first day as a mentor for a school mentoring group, I was blown away. Just after walking into the classroom the girls started shouting at me “you’re a psychologist!  We know you’re a psychologist.   Don’t lie to us.  Don’t worry – we know we are autistic…You have nothing to do here.  Go home!” The second week I was again welcomed with very aggressive and combative attitudes. I was barely able to get

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE Developing Emotional Intelligence through Youth Mentoring in Israel Emotional Intelligence: What is it and why is it important? We have all known kids who are very bright, yet they have difficulty connecting with peers and consequently have few if any friends.   They are not good team players, respond inappropriately to authority figures, and are unable to articulate their needs and desires.  These children could be shy and withdrawn, or overly aggressi

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Videos of the highlights from Kav L’Noar’s 10th Annual Conference Promoting Healthy Family Relationships can now be seen on YouTube.  The conference took place in Jerusalem on January 26, 2014 and featured a panel of Psychologists and Educators who spoke about Building Bridges between Home and School in Israel.  The panelists’ presentations were followed by an extensive Question and Answer session. Do you have a question that was not address

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] By Dvora Litt, MSW Family Therapist When your child refuses to go to school (1) Does your child refuse to return to school after a break in routine such as Shabbat, an illness or a blizzard? Does your child complain of headaches and stomach aches or other physical symptoms that seem to disappear by staying home? Are your attempts at persuading your child to return to school met with crying, angry outbursts or avoidant behaviors such as exce

The following is a brief summary of the basic rights of students and their parents.  For more detailed information please check the resources provided in this article and at the end. A. General Education The State Education Law 1953 stipulates that education will be provided, as a rule, by the State on the basis of an educational program that is supervised and approved by the Ministry of Education. The law recognizes two streams of education: State education,(Mamlachti) and S

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] By Joy Epstein, Family Therapist If you’re child has ADHD, you probably wonder, “What can I do to help him/her to be more successful in school?” Parents can be their child’s best advocates! Creating a team of people that are looking out for your child is essential to his/her success in school. Once your child has had a diagnosis of ADHD or any learning disability, it is essential that you set up regular meetings with your child’s teacher. I

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] By Dvora Litt, Family Therapist Children who are Olim Chadashim or children of Olim are particularly vulnerable to bullying in school.  They may want to fit in but speak a foreign language, have an accent, dress differently and display attitudes and behaviors associated with a different culture.  Peers are usually sensitive to and not necessarily forgiving of these differences. The large class size in Israel lends itself to the formation of

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] By Dvora Litt, Family Therapist School is now officially in session.  While this can be an exciting time of the year, it can also be stressful.  Your child may likely have begun his first day with mixed anticipation.  Whether entering kitah aleph, middle school or high school, concerns about fitting in and finding friends abound.  Now is the best time to prepare your child for the school year with a discussion about the dangers of bullying.

[vc_row][vc_column]Q[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Why is bullying such an important issue? And how can parents and teachers help prevent children from being bullied in School? [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]A[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength. It is a repeated behavior and can be physical, verbal, or emotio