Social worker talks about Israel

Dorit Eldar understands what it means to reach out to victims of society. She does it for a living. Eldar, a social worker and the current attache for community, social and women's affairs to the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., met with students at the School of Social Work Tuesday to discuss specific programs unique to Israel. Eldar eagerly plunged into details about the background of social services in Israel. "With the end of World War II and the flood of refugees into Israel, Social Services began to make a special effort to target children and families as central to the development of the State of Israel," Eldar explained. "Many of Israel's social programs are aimed at preserving the family while enabling children to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment," she added. "We try to use foster homes as a last possible resort." Eldar went on to explain the three main programs designed to guide problem families in Israel help themselves. The first program, called Para-Professional Family Support, pairs a social worker and a professional assistant to work with a family to help them improve their cohesiveness and maximize their family independence. "This program is especially helpful for immigrants," Eldar said. "Para-professionals help them to adjust to life in Israel, assisting them in their emotional transitions into Israeli culture." Yachdav, the second of the programs, targets extremely disadvantaged mothers as candidates for therapeutic groups where they will work on obtaining a better feeling of self-worth. The program, which takes its name from the Hebrew word for "united," uses a different approach in solving serious family problems. But Eldar explained that once the mothers feel better about themselves and their situations, they begin to focus more on their children and their parenting abilities. "This program is based on the idea that if you receive, you'll be able to give," Eldar said. "Women report better social relationships and better relationships with their children after just the initial stages of the program," she added. "After completing the program, there were also significant changes in their children's behavior." The last program that Eldar discussed was "Time-Out House," which offers groups of couples or women from high-risk families the chance to spend five days and nights at a house where they undergo supportive and rehabilitative workshops. "It's an opportunity for people to deal with difficult issues in families that affect not only the well-being of the families, but of the country as well," Eldar said. Eldar, a native of Israel, has been working as a social worker since 1977. Most recently, she served in the Ministry of Social Affairs as a Regional Supervisor and Welfare Officer for the Jerusalem and Southern region. As Eldar proceeds in her third year in America, she said she eagerly anticipates exposure to new people and programs. "I don't believe that one country is the most knowledgeable," she said. "We all have to reach out and learn from each other."