(Courtesy of Meromim) When Meromim opens its doors September 1, 2020, parents of teenage boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, they will not have to make the heart-wrenching decision between a special education framework for their child and a Jewish one.
Meromim is both.
Situated in the Judean Hills of central Israel, Meromim is a residential therapeutic center modeled after many of the successful programs offered in America. With its 24-7 supervision, therapeutic programming, and family-like atmosphere, it’s a home away from home for these boys.
“There are a minority of children with ASD that are not able to live at home, that are not able to function in school. They need the type of care and love that we offer at Meromim.” Adam Rosenberg, founder and co-director of Meromim (with his wife, Chanie), would know. Their son has ASD. In their own search to educate their child, the Rosenbergs struggled with the very issues they plan to solve with Meromim.
“I personally felt the suffering that my son as well as my husband and I went through was partially to push us to fill a huge void that exists in the jewish community. That’s why we decided to open this program for English speakers all over the world,” explains Chanie Rosenberg. She and her husband have been working tirelessly to establish a high-quality program that will effectively serve the needs of this population.
Rabbi Dr. Gil Elmaleh, one of Meromim’s clinical advisors, speaks passionately about those needs.
“It’s not enough to have therapy once a week. Meromim is a full-board therapeutic program. It’s a 24-hour, 7-days/week, 365-days/year program.” Nothing less.
What makes Meromim additionally unique is the Jewish experience it provides. Through informal and experiential learning, Meromim boys can connect to their spiritual roots in an unprecedented way.
Meromim’s progam is guided by five core goals, which the professional staff and residential counselors reinforce on an individual level for each student. These goals include.
Each student is his own world. By helping him to be emotionally healthy and self-confident, he can tackle other areas of learning and growth.
Meromim teaches students how to interact with different types of people and to be a part of a community.
Meromim fosters self-independence by teaching the students daily living skills like cooking, budgeting and organization.
Using Penn Foster, a self-paced academic program, staff members ensure students’ IEPs are geared toward his specific needs and abilities.
A student’s overall physical wellbeing is crucial to his ability to function effectively. With physical exercise and well-balanced meals, students learn how to maintain their health.
But within this framework, there is the overarching goal of creating human connections and bonds and fostering a safe environment to enable the students to truly grow.
Meromim is driven by the belief that all children can reach their potential given the right environment.
Dr. Jenny Goldstein, adolescent psychiatrist and Meromim advisor explains, “All children flourish no matter what their struggle when they feel loved, when they feel people believing in them. There’s no treatment for ASD. There’s treatment for childhood that’s a struggle. Children with ASD are like any other children who need love to reach heights.”
Meromim strives to provide that love.
For more information, please visit www.meromimisrael.com or contact us on [email protected] / +1-516-204-4409.
