Everyday, I thank the almighty for the amazing path I traveled with my son. I decided to put it in writing this time ....

 

I have two sons that I am raising because I am divorced. They are four years apart and the eldest graduated with a matriculation certificate and this is the route I planned for both of them ... only that life does not always work as per the script we wrote.

שכתבנו.

 

My Nati (about whom I write) discovered friends in ninth grade and started faking everything called school, unfortunately the rabbi did not even get a report card... since he did not take tests and missed a lot of studies, I felt like a failure and was great disappointment mostly from myself. Concurrently, my neighbor's children graduated from Ben Shemen Youth Village with honors, which really surprised me since I knew their past.  This made me realize that I was fighting, Nati was going into tenth grade and things could not continue the way they were. At first his father did not agree but I was determined that my son will finish with a matriculation certificate .. something that seemed at the time like a distant dream, I started a process and it was time for our first visit to the Ben Shemen Youth Village.

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From the first moment I set foot in the village, a sense of optimism gripped me, a warm place where love is scattered there from all sides, along with clear boundaries and seeing everyone regardless of gender, religion, color or academic background. I came and looked for a man named Zadok Akzin as following all of the warm recommendations I heard from my neighbor, who called him an angel in a human body, and her children would call him "Dad". When I first saw Zadok I understood and connected all the stories to the character, and to make it short, we went through the whole process we were accepted and started this unconventional journey. My child received an exemplary education with clear boundaries and lots and lots of love and faith in him, his father to this day thanks me for insisting and not giving up because this is indeed the right way for us. Slowly the child began to feel a sense of success. More than once he received a certificate of excellence and the progress he made is both appreciable and admirable. There were difficulties along the way but always there was an amazing sense of security that it too will pass and he is on track! He received emotional therapy, private lessons, an amazing social life but the most important thing was he realized that we believe in him!

I always felt I had someone to turn to if it was Zadok Aktsin, the mentor Bnei Aklum, Yaniv Tez, Ilana the Village Director, Avi the Director of the Boarding Program and many more good ones, you do not understand how good! ... We were never alone. I always knew that together we would reach the goal. My Nati finished an amazing three years in the Ben Shemen youth village with a matriculation certificate! And this is indeed the greatest gift I could give, and receive, I will conclude and say that my conclusion is that there are children for whom a normal framework is not suitable! Therefore, one should be open-minded and indeed embrace "luck" and fall for a staff and a place like the Ben Shemen youth village.