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Ophra Elul
President of the Board of Directors |
Shalom from Israel!
This year we celebrate 44 years since the founding of Nitzan - four decades of helping Israeli children and adults with learning disabilities to reach their full potential. We have had enormous successes, but we also look forward to meeting the challenges that lie ahead. Israel's need for Nitzan has never been greater than it is now. Likewise, Nitzan needs your help more than ever.
We started in 1964 as a small group of parent volunteers concerned about our children. Since that small beginning, thousands of parents, students, and professionals have benefited from Nitzan's services. Nitzan's efforts have raised public awareness about learning disabilities higher than ever before in Israel. More Israelis are diagnosed - properly diagnosed by Nitzan's professionals using Nitzan-developed, nationally normed assessments - and more Israelis receive the help they need than at any time in our history. No matter which Israelis need our help - parents and children; teachers, counselors, and school administrators; psychologists, physicians, and college professors; soldiers, college students, and legislators - Nitzan is there to provide the information and services people need in order to support people with learning disabilities.
Notwithstanding the positives, there remains an immense amount of work to accomplish. Israel continues to lack legislation to assure that people with learning disabilities receive publicly funded diagnosis, education, and accommodation. Our best and brightest continue to slip through the cracks due to the lack of an educational infrastructure in Israel designed to support the needs of all students. Nitzan makes the difference for thousands - especially the poor. Yet even with 35 branches nationwide; even with dozens of programs for students, parents, professionals, and others; even with Nitzan's persistent and determined lobbying, public awareness, and professional development efforts - even with all that, it is still not enough.
Now we begin one of our boldest and most far-reaching efforts. Nitzan is proud to announce the International Dialogue Project. Our vision is to address the challenge of learning disabilities as a worldwide Jewish community. Dialogue among parents, experts, professionals, students, and others will help us to be more effective in Israel and will also support efforts to help Jews with learning disabilities around the world. We become stronger and more effective by sharing with others who deal with the same issues - the problems, ideas, solutions, experience, and expertise. None of us need feel isolated or unable to access resources. Nitzan's International Dialogue Project is a network of resources and of people who can help.
Please take a few minutes to become familiar with our new international website. It is designed to provide you with information about Nitzan's services and the opportunity to get involved in the struggle to support the needs of people with learning disabilities. We are extremely proud of our accomplishments and we welcome you to join us.
B'Shalom ("In Peace")
Ophra Elul
President of the Board of Directors
