Habayit Shel Benji (Benji's House), which is being built by the Benji Hillman Foundation (BHF), will be the center for the welfare of lone combat soldiers during their army service and - perhaps even more importantly - after their army service.
The BHF intends to advance the welfare of the lone combat soldier by offering a number of solutions and programs to both the residents of Benji's House and to lone combat soldiers in general, so that these motivated and idealistic young men will have an easier time during their army service and a greater ability to remain in Israel afterward their discharge.
Residents of the house will be offered an extra period of time to remain in the house after their release from the army to help them make their next decisions in a timely way, yet without any pressure.
The programs and solutions that will be offered will also be to the general population of lone combat soldiers. These will include vocational, educational and general guidance on a 1:1 basis & through specialized group sessions.
To date, it has been established that the two main reasons for these soldiers' leaving are the inability for the soldier to decide on their future plans in Israel and any negative /unfamiliar treatment ** they might encounter in the army.
**The proposed solution for this treatment will be addressed by a “hot-line” which is currently being discussed with a potential donor.
The Released Soldiers’ Guidance Program:
The BHF will offer released soldiers guidance in three areas:
1. Vocational
2. Educational
3. General Assistance (Life in Israel after the army)
The BHF will work with a professional who will be contracted to produce a full logistic, educational and financial plan. The BHF may chose to offer this person the role of Project Coordinator in the future.
The professional will devise a structure of personal guidance counselors, advisors and instructors to implement a syllabus created to offer the soldiers guidance in the three areas.
Below are examples of some of the activities that will be offered :
1. Vocational
For those soldiers seeking immediate employment in Israel, workshops will be given by business people/professionals to introduce their particular fields of expertise.
The program will also invite business owners, or their representatives, to introduce themselves & their businesses to prospective employees. Another possible program will be employee’s rights in Israel.
The BHF will not act as a HR office, but rather as a meeting ground.
Guidance in CV writing, interview techniques and employee contracts will also be offered.
The guidance counselor’s role, here, will be to match the individual soldier to the suitable company or area of interest & encourage them to meet with relevant companies, go to interviews and commence working in companies.
2. Education
Many soldiers leaving the army do not have the necessary qualifications for higher education in Israel; therefore the introduction to the necessary schools who offer preparatory courses is essential.
Only the schools with the highest success rates & best financial rates will be invited to address the soldiers.
Lone Soldiers, who do not have the benefit of advice from family or contacts in Israel, need help in choosing their directions. To enable them to decide on a future career, top, successful professionals will be invited to give presentations in their own fields, to assist the soldiers.
Workshops will be held on the topic of preparation of university & college applications by administrators in the field .
The guidance counselor’s role in the case of education is to introduce the soldiers to all the possibilities open to them, and to the institutions that offer courses in their subjects of interest. They will also ensure that the soldiers are aware of all the stipends & scholarships that are available for their use.
3. General Assistance
It is important to ensure that following their release from the army soldiers will be helped to start their lives smoothly. A course will be offered on information and skills needed for dealing with life in Israel without the benefit and support of family. This will include a myriad of topics including: intermediate conversational Hebrew, renting an apartment, getting a driving license, governmental offices, banking, paying bills, health issues, language etc.
This “survival course” will be created and run, (under the guidance of the Project Coordinator), by a number of established immigrants who have come through the system and succeeded.
Soldiers will also be given directories of important phone numbers & addresses for their future use.
Conclusion
We hope to help a 300-400 soldiers the first year and reach up to 1000 by the third or fourth year of running this program. The cost of the Study Area in the House will be $300K.
In order to run this program we intend to find an individual/s or foundation/s who will underwrite the yearly cost of this program on an ongoing basis. The exact yearly costs, (based on numbers of soldiers using the program), will be provided by the professional once they have finished working on the financial plan. Based on similar programs in other areas we have ascertained that the initial cost will be between $100K-$120K per year.
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