MK Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz was hosted by Beit Shemesh Mayor
Daniel Vaknin on Monday when the Deputy Welfare Minister
arrived for a working visit, accompanied by top-ranking
ministry officials and joined by municipal officials and
local activists.
The visit began with a large meeting held at the Mayor's
Office. Mayor Vaknin described the unique demographic
composition of the city, whose population has increased by
500 percent in the past 12 years and over 50 percent of the
population is now age 21 or under. "We have immigrants from
around the world, not just Russia and Ethiopia, but from
Western countries as well, such as a large community from the
US and numerous immigrants from France, all of whom find
their place here and live together in peace," said Mayor
Vaknin, adding that the municipality invests heavily in
welfare programs for city residents, 17 percent of whom are
registered at the municipal welfare bureau.
Degel HaTorah City Councilmen Rabbi Moshe Montag and Rabbi
Eliezer Greenbaum told the participants about the special
needs of the chareidi sector in the city, stressing the
importance of allocating special funding. They also raised
the painful issue of youths unsuited for regular study
programs and who need professional care to prevent them from
harming themselves and others. They asked the Welfare
Ministry and the municipality to participate in funding a
mentoring project operated by Yad Eliezer, which is helping
dozens of youths in the city's chareidi neighborhoods. Other
chareidi representatives stressed the importance of assigning
social workers from the chareidi community to foster trust
between social workers and the families being assisted.
Rabbi Ravitz said he has been working with Beit Shemesh for
decades, recounting how he came there to work on youth
projects when it was still a maabarah. As Deputy
Housing Minister 15 years ago, he noted, he initiated the
construction of the first chareidi neighborhood in the city
and later, in the Education Ministry, the Knesset Finance
Committee and now in the Welfare Ministry he has worked
extensively to promote Beit Shemesh.
Toward the end of the meeting he pledged to increase funding
for the elderly day center, youth programs and communication
centers for parents and children. Rabbi Ravitz said that in
light of the mayor's requests he would hold a special meeting
with ranking Welfare Ministry staff members to advance the
various welfare issues that need to be addressed in Beit
Shemesh. He also said that although the municipal welfare
bureau works for the sake of all residents, emphasis should
be placed on the needs of the rapidly growing chareidi
community, kein yirbu. He said programs for problem
youth are at the top of his priorities and the ministry would
prepare plans to handle the matter.
Upon leaving the Mayor's Office, Mayor Vaknin presented Rabbi
Ravitz with a special gift.
The two then set out to visit the NIS 3-million elderly day
center built with Welfare Ministry funding. Both the welfare
minister and the mayor spoke to the dozens of elderly people
on hand, most of whom immigrated from Oriental countries in
the 50s and were among Beit Shemesh's first residents when it
was still a maabarah. They also spoke to a group of
elderly immigrants from Ethiopia. The elderly listeners told
Rabbi Ravitz about the exceptional work done by the municipal
welfare bureau and the mayor made a request for additional
funding for the day center in order to accommodate more
elderly residents.
Rabbi Ravitz completed his tour of the city with a long visit
at Ezrat Achim, a chessed organization on Rechov Sfat
Emet set up and directed by Rabbi Avrohom Kapp, one of the
city's central figures in chessed activity. During the
course of the tour of the organization's offices, Rabbi Kapp
showed his guests the variety of medications and medical
equipment available for loan, and sifrei kodesh and
other equipment for houses of mourning, lo oleinu. He
also presented the extensive activity by the volunteer staff,
which assists patients and their family members travel to
hospitals in Jerusalem and distributes hot meals for mothers
following birth, needy families, etc.
So far, the organization boasts 14 branches throughout Beit
Shemesh. "The Welfare Bureau refers to us needy people whom
it is unable to help and we provide answers for all of their
needs," said Rabbi Kapp.
The deputy minister and the mayor were moved by the volunteer
work performed by Ezrat Achim and promised to assist the
organization to develop.
