Joseph, also called Yossi, is the youngest of six children. His mother immigrated from the Caucasus and married in Israel. Violence arose in the family. When his father was imprisoned, his mother divorced. The children were placed in various institutions. Joseph had just completed his bar mitzvah at the time.
The Amunah Neve Landi Children’s Village is under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs. High-risk children with behavioral disorders live there. Some come there after unsuccessful psychiatric treatment. Each residential group, called a “family,” has professional leaders who live in the house.
Unfortunately, this also has its downsides. Josef reports violence from the staff, often out of the blue, probably also due to the violence emanating from the children themselves. After six months in this facility, he ran away. He was drawn home to his mother. When I ask if she was happy, Joseph says, “I think not. But I didn’t ask her.”
Joseph and fudge
Attempts were made to integrate Joseph into the Hila Project, the state’s response to the lack of...
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