The Jewish National Fund of Canada (jnf.ca), an organization that has cared for the land of Israel for more than 120 years, is to honour Gina and Pastor Rudy Fidel at the 2023 Negev Dinner. They would be thrilled to have you there to celebrate with them.

When: Thursday May 11
Where: RBC Convention Centre
Special Guest: The Right Honourable Stephen Harper

The dinner raises funds each year for a special project in Israel. This year, the Hadar School for Special Needs has been selected. Gina and Rudy will be honoured to have their names forever connected to this special initiative.

If you have any questions or would like to purchase tickets, tables or to make a donation, you can reach out to David Greaves, Executive Director, at david.greaves@jnf.ca or directly on his mobile at (204) 228-9080.

Hadar School for Special Needs

The Hadar School was established in 2000 to provide education and care for children with special needs in the Gaza area. The school welcomes children with autism and other complex physical, emotional, intellectual and cognitive disabilities. Students learn core subjects and receive specialized therapies (speech, physio, occupational and music/art therapy). Hadar’s vision is that every child realizes their right to education in a way that suits their unique abilities and potential.

But it’s not just the students whose lives are improved. Services that provide professional and experienced care for children with special needs have an exponential effect on community well-being. It alleviates the burden on parents as primary caregivers, meaning they can maintain a regular income, support other family members’ needs, and take time to rest and restore.

The Hadar School operates 5 days a week, including through emergency times and lockdowns. It currently serves 38 students with school, 3 meals a day and before- and after-school care. This is crucial to The waitlist for Hadar is long and continues to grow. There is an obvious urgent need to increase the school’s capacity as well as amenities to provide much-needed services.

The Hadar School Expansion

The new school complex will accommodate 80 students. 10 classrooms will each have a smartboard, computers and tablets, relaxation area, and bathroom. Every 2 classrooms will share a small rocket- proof outdoor yard. The school will also expand its common areas with a larger greenhouse and garden, multi-sensory room, life skills apartment for older students, VR room for sensory therapy, science and robotics room, library and bicycle track that runs around the school.

Location

Hadar School is in Sderot, 2km from the Gaza border. Children in Sderot regularly experience rocket attacks and security threats. More than 80% of Sderot’s children suffer from PTSD.