Hesed at the Sanhedria Children’s Home

The Sanhedria Children’s Home in Jerusalem is a residential rehabilitation center for boys aged six years and up. These kids come from extremely disadvantaged homes where they suffered severe emotional and/or physical abuse and neglect. Their wounds are deep and real and hidden beneath the surface. Sanhedria nurtures their physical, emotional and spiritual needs and gives them a loving and stable home.

Two 2010 Yeshivah of Flatbush High School graduates are volunteering there at the moment. They visit the children and hang out with them on the sports courts.

Teddy Chattah and Murray Zalta, both students at the prestigious Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi, chose the Sanhedria Home over other hesed possibilities because they hoped that they would have a positive influence and bonding experience with the boys—and they are. From week to week, the friendships grow and strengthen.

Murray and Teddy are doing such an amazing job with Sanhedria’s children that they have been invited to participate in additional functions at the center, such as bar mitzvah parties where they help organize the dancing and keep the energy level up.

Both guys possess strong leadership skills and speak Hebrew fluently, which makes them successful and popular personalities on the Sanhedria campus.

“We are getting much more out of the program than we imagined and the significant relationships we have with the kids are making our year in Israel all the more meaningful,” said Murray.
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Miriam Braun is director of program development at Sanhedria Children’s Home.