Israel is facing a new and troubling reality: a growing number of at-risk youth on the streets of its largest cities. While many organizations have been established to meet the needs of these vulnerable teens, certain subcultures remain permanently and dangerously sidelined. One such population consists of hundreds of English-speaking youth. Wrongly stereotyped as members of an affluent and integrated immigrant community, they suffer from poverty, isolation, and neglect. They are estranged from any rehabilitative framework in which to recover and rejoin society.
For this reason, the Crossroads Center was established in 2001. The only organization actively targeting Anglo teens, its social workers, therapists, and volunteers offer a range of intervention services to support those in need.
We provide our clients with:
- information and resources
- recreational activities
- psychological care
- counseling
- referrals to other services
Our social workers run the Center in the afternoon and evening. At night, they circulate the streets of downtown Jerusalem, seeking out English-speaking teens in distress. It is here that our staff begins to forge bonds with these youths, offering them immediate assistance when necessary and informing them of the long-term services Crossroads provides.
We give Anglo teens both emotional support and concrete guidance as we set them on a road to a healthier life.