Crossroads Jerusalem on Righteous Crowd this Week!
Crossroads Jerusalem
Empowering Teens and Young Adults in Israel
The name of this week’s Torah portion, Vayikra, means “And God called out [to Moses].” A biblical interpretation (Midrash) of Vayikra predicts that Moses would become leader of the Israelites. In the Midrash, God says to Moses, “Since you tend the sheep of human beings with such overwhelming love--by your life, I swear you shall be the shepherd of My sheep, Israel.” In honor of Moses’ leadership caring for the people of Israel, we are supporting an organization that provides essential services for at-risk Anglo teens & young adults in Jerusalem, who are "falling between the cracks" of the traditional social welfare system.
Crossroads Jerusalem is totally operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crossroads is working around the clock remotely offering therapy, enrichment and a crisis hotline.
Read our interview below with Executive Director, Robbie Sassoon.
What is the mission of Crossroads Jerusalem?
Crossroads provides essential prevention and intervention programs for Anglo teens and young adults in Israel to reach their potential and thrive.
When and why was Crossroads Jerusalem founded?
Crossroads was founded in 2001 in order to provide therapeutic services to at-risk Anglo teens & young adults, who were ' falling between the cracks' of the traditional social welfare system largely due to language and cultural barriers. As a result, these young people were not being engaged by a professional support system that could effectively relate to them. Through weekly outreach on the streets of downtown Jerusalem, we establish a consistent and familiar presence, cultivate rapport and develop trustful relationships. We assess for unsafe and unhealthy behaviors, provide crisis intervention and make connections to our Drop-in Center's enrichment programs and therapeutic services. Today, we are the premiere organization for Anglo teens and young adults who do not have the benefit of support from the community.
What has surprised you about working with your organization?
The shift from the more typical ‘acting out’ behaviors commonly associated with teenage angst and rebellious behaviors to a more ‘acting inward’ or ‘ turning on oneself’ behaviors. For example, as reported in a recent survey by the Israel Mental Health Association, "nearly three-quarters (73%) of Israeli children age 13-18 report having experienced a mental health problem or crisis." This ominous trend appears to now be a world-wide phenomenon. In 2019, the Pew Research Center and World Health Organization reported equally unsettling findings. For example, Pew reported that 7 in 10 teens in the U.S. indicated that anxiety and depression is a major problem among peers while the WHO reported that the third leading cause of death in 15-19 year-old age group is suicide. In every aspect of our work at Crossroads, we are seeing the devastating toll that severe depression, acute anxiety, trauma from abusive relationships and suicidal thoughts are having on young people.
For a video of a Crossroad participant's story, click here.
To learn more about Crossroads Jerusalem, click here.