The Jerusalem Neighborhoods League

Sports, Education & socialization

The project seeks to establish teams mostly in disadvantaged neighborhoods, where poor children would not otherwise be able to participate in existing - and expensive - frameworks

The Neighborhood League operates football teams in different neighborhoods and schools throughout Jerusalem, including teams from neighborhoods and Refugee camps in East Jerusalem

Each team of kids activities include 2 practices per week, led by a certified coach, hired by the project

The practices take place at the schools or community centers soccer field

At least once a week the team’s tutors works with the team at the school. The tutors are university student and project volunteers, and they help team members with homework and other scholastic activities. They also lead different social - educational activities, ranging from:

Human dignity, getting to know different neighborhoods in the city, team-building, imparting values of respect and caring for one another, to providing tools for normal emotional development. The tutors follow a set curriculum and draws from a pool of activities for the program, which is supervised by advanced-degree students and lecturers from the Hebrew University School of Education

Once a month all 180 children in the same League (boys or girls), from 12 different neighborhoods, participate in a league-wide tournament. The tournament is held on a large grass field that is divided into 3 soccer pitches

Each month a new tournament winner is crowned. The tournaments are refereed by a number of volunteers. An emphasis is placed on fair and non-violent play, and the referees and coaches make sure that players exchange handshakes before and after each game

Co- Operation with Israeli National Team

Co- Operation with FC Barcelona (spain)

The management of the League is composed mainly of volunteers with a strong desire to help disadvantaged children with their everyday challenges, and to contribute to their development.

Their dedication comes from an understanding that children are the future generation of Jerusalem. Majority of the volunteers are students from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who view this as an opportunity to contribute to the environment in which they live, through the sport they love – Soccer. Among the volunteers, men and women, there are several of Arab students

This is the third year the “Neighborhoods League” Project is running

In the first year, about 100 boys participated, in 7 teams

Today, 360 boys and girls participate in two separated leagues, 12 teams each, total 24 teams in the project

•Half of the kids participate in the project are girls•Half of the kids in the project come from Arab neighborhoods•About 80 kids are from Ethiopian immigrant families •About 30 kids are from two deaf and hard of hearing centers

•More than 30 people volunteer in the project on different jobs•7 volunteers are girls •There are 6 Arab volunteers•9 volunteers are interns from The hebrew University of Jerusalem Business management school

.school@katamon c.o il

+ 972-507222784 (Liran)

השכונות ליגת

www.katamon.co.il/schunot/

To contact us:

Best regards

Liran Gerassi, project manager