7000 Homeless Teenagers On Jerusalem's Streets

Ynet reports on the 7,000 homeless street kids that haunt Jerusalem. Although the article and accompanying video don't mention it, a disproportionate number of these kids are from religious homes.

I tried to get Chabad involved in working with these kids in 1994 and early 1995, to no avail. (No other haredi group got involved, either.) Back then, many of the kids who hung out in Zion Square, drinking and smoking dope were westerners who were tossed out of (or were about to be tossed out of) various yeshivot, seminaries and programs. Others were haredim who were booted out of Mea Shearim for various transgressions and religious kids from Har Nof looking to score drugs. All in all, there were perhaps two hundred kids, and most were not really homeless.

There was a lone American haredi guy, Melech (I can't remember his last name) who tried to work with these kids. But outside of him the problem was largely ignored.

Now, in small city, there are 7,000 homeless Jewish teens – 7,000. Before you plant another tree or support any of the various haredi yeshivot that forbid work and army service, find a way to get money to people working with and helping these kids. If any of you know of viable programs that do so, please leave info on them in the comments section so we can check them out. Thanks.

Comments

[Treifalicious]

You know, I think I might have met this Melech before. If he's who I'm thinking of, he went to Yeshiva with one of my friends way back when.

[Neandeershort]

Before you plant another tree. . . .

The Arabs ym"sh are continually setting fire to and destroying trees, which need to be replanted. Here are 7000 young able-bodied men (mostly) who can be recruited into doing something constructive with their lives for the first time. Once they experience the satisfaction of a job well done, the sky's the limit.