"Ophra's Children"

Exerpt from Erez Sharwinter's Article on the 25th Year Celebration of the Nitzan Branch in Rechovot and on Nitzan's President, Ophra Elul

(free translation by Oren Rosenberg)

The Rechovot Branch of Nitzan, the non-profit organization for children with learning disabilities, celebrated its 25th anniversary since its founding. Ophra Elul, president of Nitzan in Israel and director of Peres College in Rechovot spoke at the festive gathering. Elul, the wife of former Knesset member Rafi Elul, known as close friend of Israel's President, Shimon Peres, has served as president of Nitzan for 12 years. She is also one of the founders of the Peres Academic Center. Elul tells, "During the time that my husband served as the head of the Mizkeret Batya municipality, Aviva Harari who served as the president of Nitzan in Rechovot turned to me and requested that I join the organization. I agreed to her request.  Three years later I was asked to serve as president of the association and since then I am in this role. In Rechovot we treat toddlers until young adults with learning disabilities. This treatment includes remedial instruction, occupational therapy, and more. There is also a young adults club for those aged 18 and older, which has 30 members, and in which there is a program called "Alone and Together" for intimacy and relationship training for the members of the club. The project offers training for healthy relationships and relations between the sexes, and is given by a psychologist. Since we're talking about a special needs population, the subject is given a very high importance.