In recent years, Israel has experienced an increase of more than 400% in the number of reported incidents of child abuse. ELI's mission is to address this growing concern, and protect Israel's children from all kinds of abuse (sexual, physical, emotional, and severe neglect) through a comprehensive continuum of services available at a single point-of-entry, including crisis intervention, emergency hot line and shelter services, therapy, prevention programming, professional education, and community awareness. No other agency in Israel focuses solely and specifically on the unique issues and methodologies for preventing and treating child abuse.

Since 1979, Dr. Hanita Zimrin and ELI have worked tirelessly to increase the awareness of this painful problem by educating the public at large, training professionals, lobbying policy and decision-makers, and providing vital information to potential victims and parents - all to increase ELI's ability to intervene, shelter and give assistance to victims of child abuse. ELI approaches this painful problem in a unique and innovative ways. Families all over Israel receive therapy, legal counseling, shelter and other needed support services without having to go from agency to agency.

Some of ELI's Core Programs include:

Emergency Shelter: ELI maintains a fully equipped emergency shelter in the heart of Tel-Aviv in order to accommodate those children whose homes are no longer safe for them. The shelter serves central Israel and often houses children for several months at a time. Children are cared for, fed, clothed and schooled so that when they do return home and go back to school, they are in step with their peers.

Therapy Services: ELI has a full-time staff of fifty seven professional social workers and psychologists who give therapy to abused children and their families all over Israel. Therapy can last anywhere from a few sessions to several years. ELI contends that when possible, treating family members in addition to victims of abuse is the only way to adjust family dynamics in order to rid families of abusive patterns and behaviors. ELI is the only institution of its kind in Israel in that also treats perpetrators in behalf of the victims. Last year, ELI had over 3,800 therapy cases.

Toll Free Hotline: ELI maintains the only toll free hotline in Israel dedicated specifically to the issue of child abuse. Staffed by 40 volunteers and in three languages, Hebrew, Russian, and Arabic, the hotline is ELI's point of entry for many of its clients. Last year the hotline received 6,539 calls. In addition to receiving calls from friends, neighbors, victims, and family members, this hotline is unique in that approximately 20% of calls come from perpetrators themselves. ELI is nationally recognized in Israel as the "central address" for treatment of child abuse, and is the 4th listing in every phone book after the police, fire department, and ambulance service. The volunteers who staff the hotline each attend a three month training course before they are allowed to answer the hotline.

Satellites Therapists: ELI's central office is in the heart of Tel-Aviv, in a space donated by the municipality. In order to provide services throughout Israel, ELI uses an innovative network of "satellite" therapists. Satellite therapists are professional social workers or psychologists who live in cities and regions all over Israel who treat victims of abuse and their families either in office spaces lent by local municipalities and businesses or in their own homes or offices. ELI uses this system of satellites to reach out to people all over Israel instead of opening regional offices in order to deal with the issue of child abuse all over Israel while keeping administrative costs as low as possible. The satellite system was designed to accommodate people who live in more remote areas in Israel.

Mobile Therapy Unit or Orbiting Satellite: ELI maintains the only mobile therapy unit in the world. An unmarked commercial van retrofitted with a fully equipped therapy room in the cargo area, ELI uses the orbiting satellite in a number of ways: There are regions in Israel that have reported instances of child abuse, however, not enough of them to warrant a satellite therapist. In these instances, the mobile therapy unit, driven by a licensed therapist, travels to these regions on a regular basis and therapy is administered in the van.

ELI also uses the mobile therapy unit during emergency interventions. If for instance there is a call to the hotline at 10:00 pm reporting the rape of a child in a town somewhere in the negev, ELI is able to respond immediately. By arriving in the mobile therapy unit, ELI can begin its intervention in its own professional and discreet space.

Prevention Programs:  ELI has designed two musicals and one drama program that are performed in schools throughout Israel. These programs are designed to educate various age groups to understand what abuse is, and their right to be free of abuse. The programs are performed by actors and actresses who are also therapists. In addition to the performances for children, ELI's staff meets with and trains school teachers and counselors how to recognize and report potential incidences of abuse. Last year, over 75,000 of Israel's children saw one of ELI's prevention programs. There are many examples of children who after seeing the prevention program, alerted their parents or school teachers about abuse they had suffered at the hands of friends or relatives.

ELI's Endowment Fund

As a supporter of ELI, you’ll be pleased to know that ELI has created its first Endowment fund in the United States! Non Profit Organizations like ELI are under constant pressure to raise enough money every year in order to continue meeting social challenges, providing services, and paying their staffs. One of the most responsible ways for non profits today to ensure their futures is through the creation of endowment funds.

As the result of efforts put forth by ELI’s West Coast Chairs, Kent Newton, and Bill Slaton, ELI’s new endowment fund will be managed under the auspices of the Jewish Community Fund of the West, based in Sacramento, CA. As the principal in ELI’s endowment fund continues to grow, it will generate interest revenue that ELI will be able to count on year after year. The fund opened with over $7,000 in June of 2007. ELI would like to recognize and thank Bill and Kent for helping ELI to establish this fund which will prove to be an invaluable resource in the future. You can support ELI by making a tax deductible contribution to ELI's endowment by clicking here.