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Jerusalem Center for Blind Children with Multiple Disabilities

InSightsKeren Or is lucky to have such dedicated young supporters as Ally Herrnson, 11, of New York City and

Jordana Putterman, 8, of Woodland Hills, CA. These two extraordinary young people were so inspired bythe mission of Keren Or and the children that we help, that Ally and Jordana had the same idea, thousandsof miles apart, to raise money for Keren Or by organizing bake sales.

We featured Jordana’s first gift to Keren Or and her letter in our October E-Newsletter, and she wrote anew letter to us after her bake sale that she organized with her brother:

Ally learned about Keren Or in one of her classes at Sutton Place Synagogue Hebrew School in NewYork City as part of a lesson on Judaism and social justice. She was so inspired by what she learned that sheorganized a bake sale during her winter vacation to benefit Keren Or.

Jordana and Ally each sent in their money which will help children their ages at Keren Or’s Center inJerusalem. We thank Jordana and Ally for their generosity and we hope this reminds all of our readers thatno matter your age, you can make a difference in the lives of the children at Keren Or.

Baking for Keren Or

SPRING 2011/5771

“Dear Keren Or,

In October, one Shabbat, my brother, Ariel, and I talked about howwe could raise even more money for our charities. We decided todo a bake sale. The next Sunday we spent the whole day bakingand the next day we delivered the cookies. This is the menu:snicker doodles and chocolate chip cookies for 50 cents, blondiesand brownies for $1. I hope I can continue to raise more moneyfor you, and I hope my donation helps the children at Keren Or.

From, Jordana Puterman”

Bnot Sherut at Keren Or

Bnot Sherut

Keren Or is lucky to host a number of Bnot Sherut, young Israeliwomen who spend a full year with us as part of their national civil service.They assist in our classrooms or live in our dormitory, working closelywith the residents. For a young person whose world can be limited because of blindness and other disabilities, the opportunity to spendtime with these Bnot Sherut is wonderful. It is extraordinary to see theseyoung women give such love, care and joy to our students. We thankthem for their continued service and for making the lives of the childrenand young adults at Keren Or that much brighter.

Jordana and Ariel Putterman prepare the batter for their cookie sale

Planning to travel to Israel this sum-mer? Visit the Keren Or Center in Jerusalemand see firsthand the state-of-the-art facili-ties, the amazing work of our staff, and thesmiles on the faces of our students.

We can only succeed in advancing programs for our students’ special needswith your involvement and support. Sowhen you return from your visit, we also

encourage you to share your experiences with your home communities, so that they too canunderstand the importance of caring for these children. If you areinterested, please call 212-279-4070or in Israel 073-240-0201 and wewould be more than happy toarrange a short tour of the facilities.

Not only can you find a Keren Or presence at our offices and on our website, but KerenOr now has a presence on a number of social media websites: Facebook Twitter Jumo

In our consistent efforts to remain current, Keren Or has created a presence on thepopular social networking and micro-blogging websites, as well as start-up Jumo, a socialnetwork which aims to connect people with nonprofits and charitable organizations. Logon to any of these websites, search for Keren Or, and stay connected in a new way. We postphotos, videos, updates about events, and opportunities to get involved. Join the conver-sation and “like” our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter and Jumo. Tell us how wecan better engage you, and share with your friends why you support Keren Or and our ef-forts to provide for the needs of Israel’s blind, multi-disabled youth.

You can also learn more about us on the websites of Charity Navigator and Guidestar,two premier charity evaluation organizations, and see our positive ratings at Great Non-profits. You can take part too; spread the word about the important work that Keren Ordoes to improve the lives of Israel’s blind multi-disabled youth by posting your own review.

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Keren Or Has Gone Social!

A number of Israeli soldiers took time away from their unit to volunteer at Keren Or’s day center for adults who are blind and multi-disabled, "Avukat Or." The center employs special intervention tech-niques, an adapted work space, constant stimulation, and a highstaff/adult ratio in order to best reach our program attendees. Like alladults, the participants need purpose and a sense of achievement intheir daily lives. Avukat Or offers a full, meaningful daily schedule withspecially adapted work opportunities, a wage system, opportunity forsocial contact, and various forms of therapy for their 24 participants.Moreover, the work done at Avukat Or is so reliable that about 14 retailers contract to use the services of Avukat Or.

Frequently, individuals from army units and youth groups volunteertheir time at Avukat Or. Recently, a group of soldiers from the militarypolice came to volunteer their time at Avukat Or. They brought snacksfor the students, and then spent several hours helping the participantswith their work of assembling party bags, and packing up the bags thathad been ordered by one of the retailers that works with Avukat Or. Even as the day grew late and it was time for the army unitto leave, the soldiers enjoyed their time so much that they refused to leave until all the work was completed.

Israeli Soldiers Volunteer at Avukat Or

Israeli soldiers assemble party bags with the students of Avukat Or

Visit the Center

A highlight for many students at Keren Or is celebrating Jew-ish holidays and taking field trips outside of the Center. At the be-ginning of spring they were able to do both! In celebration of TuB’Shevat, the Jewish New Year for Trees, the children and youngadults at Keren Or embarked on a field trip to one of the lushforests, operated by JNF, in Israel and planted sapling trees. Thisactivity, similar to the gardening program at the Center, is a terrificway for Keren Or students to learn through touch. Students areable to feel the moist, rich soil as they plant the young tree, andthen pack the soil back around the base of the sapling to ensureits stability and growth.

On the holiday of Tu B’Shevat there is also a custom to eat a va-riety of fruits and nuts that are grown in Israel. Upon returning to theCenter, the children and young adults of Keren Or had a Tu B’Shevat

party where they tasted some of the traditional foods eaten on Tu B’Shevat, such as figs, dates, and almonds.Holiday activities like these stimulate the children and engage them in Jewish holidays, customs, and

traditions. The smiles on their faces are proof of their enjoyment of these special celebrations.

Keren Or Young Leadership members came outfor a night under the stars for Light of the Future, anevening to celebrate rising leaders committed toKeren Or’s mission. Over 100 attendees gatheredat Hudson Terrace, with a breathtaking view of theHudson River on one side and the skyline of mid-town Manhattan on the other.

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Elana Dushey spoke movingly about her com-mitment to Keren Or and the involvement of her latefather, Albert Hornblass, who for so many years ded-icated his time to supporting the organization. Mem-bers of the Board of Directors mingled with thecrowd, attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, and be-fore the evening concluded winners of the silent auc-tion were announced, with prizes including tickets tothe New York Philharmonic, handmade jewelry, anda custom suit fitting. The evening raised nearly$5,000, promoted awareness of the need for supportfor Keren Or by people of all ages, and marked thecontinued growth of Keren Or Young Leadership.

Tu B’Shevat Celebrations

Light of the Future

Planting a tree for Tu B’Shevat

Charity Navigator has awarded Keren Or its highest rating of Four Stars. AtKeren Or Inc., 93 cents of every dollar goes directly to funding the blind andmulti-disabled children and young adults at the Keren Or Center in Jerusalem.Visit www.keren-or.org to learn more about Keren Or and to see the smiles ofour students that make all of our hard work worthwhile.

Jerusalem Center for Blind Children with Multiple Disabilities

350 Seventh Avenue, Suite 701, New York, NY 10001 (212) 279 4070 fax (212) 279 4043 www.keren-or.org

Jerusalem Center for Blind Children with Multiple Disabilities

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To Make a Donation, visit www.keren-or.org

Board of DirectorsEdward L. Steinberg, M.Sc., O.D., ChairmanJay Goldsmith, PresidentSteven Rothschild, Vice-PresidentEliot Lauer, SecretaryJack Gross, Treasurer

Rabbi Benjamin BlechSteven GrillBen LopataJeffrey ParkerSimeon SchreiberJacques SemmelmanHoward UsherLee WeinbachEster Wolf

Women’s DivisionMarilyn Lauer, Chair

Nicole ApplemanDebra ParkoffPresidium

Sherri HerringJudy LevineLinda RothschildRose SchreiberVice Presidents

Tamara Silberberg Director, Keren Or Center Jerusalem

In ThisBaking for Keren OrLight of the FutureTu B’Shevat CelebrationsIsraeli Soldiers Volunteer at Avukat Or