Efshar Association

 

EFSHAR

Association for the Development of Social Education in Israel

Background

The Efshar Association was founded in 1981 by friends and graduates of the School for Educational-Social Work Training of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
The main goal of Efshar is to strengthen the field of educational-social work in Israel.

What is Social Education and Who Does It?

Social Education Work (SEW) is concerned with the treatment and rehabilitation of individuals who have adjustment difficulties and special needs, both in residential schools and homes and in community based frameworks and programs. In their educational and rehabilitation efforts, SEW workers combine elements from the sphere of Education, social aspects and the behavioral sciences. They strive to empower their clients using combined interventions, using educational and treatment oriented methods. SEW workers constitute one component in a multidisciplinary team who works with the client.

These workers include:

  • Child and youth care workers, house parents and residential educators, caregivers – who are involved with educational and therapeutic interventions in rehabilitative institutions, and in open community based frameworks.
  • After-school enrichment centers' staff
  • Paraprofessionals
  • Educational and treatment staff in schools
  • Educational and treatment staff in youth departments in local communities
  • Educational and treatment staff in youth at risk departments of social services units 

The Aims of EFSHAR

  • To advance the professional and public standing of the social education work profession.
  • To initiate and operate practical projects in areas related to SEW.
  • To unite the organizations, institutions and individuals who are active in the SEW field in Israel, in order to develop the Israeli Branch of the International Association of Social Educators.

 Projects to Promote Educational-Social Work 

  • Conferences, In-house Training and "Roundtable Discussions"
Placing "burning" topics on the public agenda
  • Publications
 - Mifgash – Journal for Social Educational Work – A refereed journal that publishes research, theoretical and applied articles on the following subjects: children and youth at-risk , special needs populations, individual and family treatment,  and educational treatment in the community and in residential care facilities, multiculturalism, mediation and dialogue, social policy making, violence, stress, crisis and trauma, worker`s training, education for values and informal education. -Social Education work in practice serves to unify all of the above mentioned workers into an overall unified professional.
 
  - The Bulletin EFSHAR for the Social-Educational – shares information and raises challenges and issues from the field and promote exchanges of knowledge among practitioners.
 
- The Round Table Discussions booklets, placing social and welfare issues on the public agenda.
 
- The Projects Book (2005), edited by Hezi Aharoni (225 p.)
 
- Challenges for child and youth care: A German-Israeli dialogue (2009), edited by  Emmanuel Grupper, Josef Koch & Friedhelm Peters (288 p.)
  • Research
A policy study project initiated by EFSHAR Association in order to explore the current status of SEWS workers in Israel and makes proposals for advancing their professional standing
  • The Alcohol and Gambling Rehebilitarion & Treatment Unit
-  Operate a network of treatment centers for alcohol abusers and those addicted to gambling, that cares for 2,500 families
-  Responsible for the development of specific professional knowledge and practices
-  Operate training and guidance programs for teachers, program coordinators and social educators
-  Run special programs for alcohol abusers
-  Hospitalization of alcoholics, treatment for alcoholic homeless, "intensive care" for hard core alcoholics, group care  
-  activities for children of alcoholic parents, dissemination of information to immigrant youth etc.
-  Conducting of seminars and in-house-training
-  Operating the "Dorit Fund for the education of children to alcoholism parents" and ward scholarships to them
-  Initiating and funding of research projects 
-  Publications:
            Everything about Alcohol (bulletin)
            Professional literature: Alcohol and Driving; Alcohol and Medicine; Alcohol and Information; Alcohol and Violence;  
           The Treatment of Alcohol Victims; A Reader on Alcohol; a bibliographical booklet; and booklets following roundtable
            discussions 
  •  Children and youth at-risk

 Managing diverse projects for empowering children and youth at risk (in conjunction with ASHALIM association) 

The EFSHAR Board:

Mr. Shemuel Dagan - Chair
Dr. Hezi Aharoni
Mr. Eli Berman
Ms. Bella Eizenberg
Mr. ZecharIa Gamliel
Dr. Emmanuel Grupper
Mr. Yossi Greiner
Dr. Eitan Israeli
Pro. Shlomo Kaniel
Mr. Yakov Kassir
Mr. Amiram Klaus
Ms. Shoshana Langerman
Mr. Yoel Levi
Dr. Avi Ramot
Mr. itzhak Tzurieli, Lawyer, legal advisor
Dr. Hezi Yosef
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Executive Director: Mr. Binyamin Gedalyahu
Publications and conferences: Ms. Miriam Gilat
Alcohol and Gambling treatment unit: Mr. Nahum Michaeli. Director
Association Coordinator: Ms. Carmella Ben Ami 

EFSHAR

National Association for the development of Social Education in Israel
P.O.Box 53296 Jerusalem 91531, ISRAEL
Tel: +972-2-6728905/6; Fax: +972-2-6728904
E-Mail: efshar@barak-online.net
Web site: www.efshar.org.il 

AIEJI (The International Association of Social Educators)

            EFSHAR Association is the Israeli Branch of the International Association of Social Educators   
  • Goals of AIEJI
1. Encouraging the creation of social educator associations in countries in which there are no such organizations;
2. Organizing international congresses, colloquia, seminars of a general , inter-regional or regional nature;
3. Promoting international exchange of persons, ideas and contribute to the study of protection of persons nationally and internationally and to facilitate contacts for its members with educational experiences carried out around the world;
4. Promoting the development and utilization of knowledge through research, publication, exchange of documentation concerning social education, human welfare, and collaboration on practical and scientific publication in the field;
5. By working together with the United Nations and its specialized institutions as well as with other international or national organizations, whether inter-governmental, governmental or not;
6. Any other means as appropriate to the purpose and goals of this international association. 
  • Activities of AIEJI
-  The conducting of regional, national and international conferences;
-  The conducting of biennial international seminars (the seminar on "Multi-Cultural Societies and their alienating effect on 
    Adolescents: Risks and challenges for Social-Educators and Youth" was held in Jerusalem on October 1999).
-  A quadrennial World Congress;
-  The dissemination of information among members of the international association.
  • Membership in the Israeli Branch of AIEJI

All members of EFSHAR including, individuals, associations, professional units, residential homes, community based institutions, academic faculty members involved in the field of Social Education in its broader sense.

  • Address of the Israeli Branch of AIEJI
 Dr. Emmanuel Grupper, Chair person
C/o EFSHAR Association
P.O.Box 53296, Jerusalem 91531, Israel
Tel: +972-2-6728905/6; Fax: +972-2-6728904
E-Mail: emang@netvision.net.il