In Memory of Dr. Solodkin
Lev Solodkin, Marina’s son: It shouldn’t be taken for granted that we manage to organize a conference in memory of my late mother, which engages in acute problems in the Israeli society. None of this could have happened were it not for the tremendous effort of the members of the A.L.I.A association. Throughout my mother’s service in the Knesset, she fought for a just society. She addressed the new immigrants who were straining to integrate as equals in the Israeli society. I think that this year we’ve realized how ahead of their time my mother was.
Knesset Member Dr. Aliza Lavi: Marina was devoted to her work for the disadvantaged and especially for children, she was against removing children from their family and for developing supportive tools within the community. I congratulate this important work in her memory. More should be done to engage the community in legislation.
Ayala Shtagman, spokesman for A.L.I.A association: This conference is dedicated to the memory of Knesset member Dr. Marina Solodkin who served as a model of courage for weak in the society, fighting against removing children from their family and forcefully putting them into welfare institutions. Dr. Solodkin fearlessly criticized the welfare policy and promoted legislation initiatives.
Natan Sheransky, former minister and Knesset member: At every meeting, we had with Marina we saw how concerned she was for the new immigrants. When we decided, me and Juli Adelshtein, to form a new party it was clear to us that we need Marina . she came to serve the Knesset, to work for the people who voted for her. She took orders from no one, not from me or from the prime minister. She only received orders from people with problems. We and the entire Israeli society miss her a lot.
Greetings and Opening Statements
Shula Mula, Chairman of the Israeli society for Ethiopian Jews: I come from a large family so removal of children from their homes is not something I read about in the news, it is something I know. When I was in a weaker position, I anguished and cried in silence, now that I am in a more powerful position I use my status in the struggle against this policy.
Esther Firon, deputy mayor of Bat-Yam, educational department: The issue of children in distress has been a part of me since my childhood Since when my parents had a shop in “Wadi Salim” during the incidents. As a child, I witnessed the demonstrations and the cries, and realized that the main problem was education. I decided then and there to be a teacher to kids in distress and that is what I’ve been doing all my adult life. I believe kids should grow up within their own community, and there for a change in welfare policy should be made. The community responsibility is to strengthen the weaker families and develop and provide services to does in need.
Anat Livnat, member of the advisory committee to the women’s parliament and chairlady for the advisory committee for the advance of women’s status: Children and youth in distress are a helpless weak group in society in general, but particularly in their own community. It is society’s responsibility to strengthen these families and to develop services for them to improve the quality of their lives and enable them to achieve their full potential.
Hannah Beit-Halachmi: I had a long conversation with Dalia Lev Sade of the welfare ministry who was pressured into cancelling her participation in this meeting. For some time now we have been exposed to pressure by the social workers’ unions. We regard this matter very gravely. Verbal bullying emails circulated against the conference and it’s organizers, are designed to tarnish those who seek change and delegitimize all those that criticize the existing policy. Dalia Lev Sade, director of child and youth services at the Ministry of Social Affairs, sent by the Minister of Social Affairs to talk about new directions for treating children at risk and their parents had canceled her participation because of the pressure put on her superiors by the Association of Social Workers and the social workers of Bat Yam.
Miri Aloni – A Personal story
We are here to discuss the subject of removing children from their homes. This is an issue I have personally suffered from and still do. Dr. Marina Solodkin was one of the few politicians that tried to help. My two sons who were temporarily placed in a welfare boarding school, were incited against us by social workers, and cut off relations with me and my husband. we lost contact with our elder son for many years.
Prof. Vered Slonim Nevo, Social workers school of the ben-Gurion University – The success (and failure) of treatment within the community as opposed to removal of children from home
The principle of parent child relationship isn’t based on theoretical learning but on attachment. A child keeps in touch even when a parent is abusive and neglectful, and this contact is important and significant as it basic and constitutes an essence of life. We know that kids who lack communication suffer from development problems, both physical and mental. When we cut off a child from his family, even from an abusive family, we harm him mentally as this contact is not based on learning but on attachment. The alternative approaches understand that we cannot regard the parents as the enemy.
The professionals testify that though they would prefer to work within the community, very often there are no sufficient resources for the children in the community to prevent removal from home. I have found that in about a third of the cases there is no reference of trying to work within the community before deciding on removing the child. In those cases, when there is some reference, it focuses on the child and hardly a mention on the family and its material needs.
In most cases, there is no explanation as to why solutions within the community failed. When there is an explanation it usually pointes at the parents. What is essentially missing are programs for family problems. It is hard to learn from the protocols what kind of measures were actually taken within the community before the decision to remove the child from home is made.
Ilana Azulai, Deputy mayor of Dimona, in charge of welfare and education – The “Envelop” model – initiation and implementation in Dimona
I am the Deputy mayor of Dimona, in charge of welfare and education. For 34 years, I have worked in the welfare department. I started as an aid to social workers in the neighborhoods, visiting homes etc. I grew up in a family with severe hardships. My mother would not let us leave the house, she was afraid we would be taken out of home, there was poverty all around.
In Dimona, we initiated 16 new services that are the product of collaboration with various organizations in the community.
Zohar Uria, chairman of MAMI association – A human circle saves street children and adolescents in danger
I save street children. Children are not born on the street. They reach the street. They are homeless, young children and the 18 years old, graduates of institutions and boarding schools, etc. As adults, no one owes them anything, and they find themselves in the street. I have founded MAMI a non-profit organization, so that in the distant future there would be no need for such an organization. Help and funds should be given directly to their parents and help them with in the community.
Among the 14,000 kids living in the street there are two kinds. Those who have undergone physical and sexual abuse, and cannot live at home, and those who were not abused. They were taken out of their homes for reasons of poverty or neglect. As soon as we can prevent them from becoming street children, we will be able to reduce the number of children on the street by half. The intention was to raise millions from the Finance Ministry to build more shelters and hostels, but nothing was done.
I was a street girl. For a year now, I have been volunteering at “Beit Shelanu” in Bat Yam, that I founded, this place exists due to private donations.
Ron Waxman, Founder and CEO of “My Waves” (HaGal Sheli), a program for youth at risk through surfing – Surfing on waves – leaving children at home, community for children and youth in distress
I had a dream to introduce the amazing surfing experience, which is a fun and challenging sport, to boys at risk. The idea is to prove to those boys and girls that in spite of what they have experienced till now, whether you’re not studying, you’re in one boarding school or another, if you really want something, you can succeed. The only condition we made for including them in the program was that they should continue their schooling. This program succeeded immensely. There are 700 graduates in Bat-Yam. Staff of 32 people. 17 of the children joined as counselors.