The Ofek project, part of the Alei Siach network, provides a full support system for couples with disabilities who are capable of independent living and are interested in getting married. The Ofek project provides full guidance for these couples, beginning with the early stages of preparation before marriage. This guidance includes training and direction before marriage and a full support system including emotional support, functional support and financial support after marriage.
Couples in the Ofek project lead independent lives in the community with the support of a professional staff who accompany them in all areas: in their marital relationship, in housekeeping, in keeping halacha, in keeping track of their diet and health and with everything else connected with everyday running of the household. Likewise, at Alei Siach provide financial guidance as suited to each couple.
Setting up this project required years of research, intense knowledge of the field, a careful analysis of the possibilities and capabilities of adults with disabilities and direction by professionals.
Today, we have more than twenty couples in this project.
The couples are of varying aspects of function and belong to many different sects eg. Litvish, Mizrachi, Chasidish and Dati-Leumi. These special apartments of Alei Siach are scattered around the country in many cities – Yerushalayim, Petach Tikva, Bnei Brak, Ashdod and more.
Each couple has their individual and specific needs but all of them are delighted to be able to live like everyone else around them.
Twelve years ago, Alei Siach received an unusual request. Rav Drukman and his wife wanted their daughter Shulamit to get married to Reuven ben Ezra – both of them individuals with high functioning Down’s syndrome.
When they got down to practical details, they realized that for a home like this to be viable, they would need a full support system so they set out to look for one. Rav Drukman turned to Rav Perkal saying: without Alei Siach, I can’t dream of marriage for her.
Rav Perkal received the request, and, never having refused a cry for help, in addition to being forward-thinking about anything to do with people with disabilities, he consulted with Gedolim and with their approval, gave the green light to the project. After a long consultation with the Welfare Ministry, Alei Siach broke new ground and founded Ofek, a full support system for married couples with disabilities.
At that first chupa, as Reuven’s emotional voice was heard saying “You are sanctified to me according to the laws of Moshe and Yisrael”, there was not a dry eye in the hall. It was almost like an opening ceremony for a real change in the way people viewed adults with disabilities.
Since then, we have repeated the process again and again and each time, we accompany these special couples with deep emotion and a prayer on our lips: Let them be happy and allow us to be true helpers to them.
But the path is not always smooth.
And when we see them looking at each other with such pure love, we know we’ve done the right thing.
Because they deserve this opportunity.
“It isn’t good for man to be alone” We are here to do everything possible to allow every individual to utilize their abilities, to realize their magic dreams, and found their own homes.
Each member of the couple who have just married, are real householders with everything that entails. We, as their support team, are here to help and to accompany them with anything they might need.
We see it as our highest priority to develop independence and a normal lifestyle for all our couples.
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We have a yearly enrichment program which provides a solution for our couples. This program includes: social meetings once a month, joint melave malka meals, a Shabbos getaway in the winter, a fun trip after Pesach, excursions to hotels/ flights abroad in vacation and activities around the year.
Our Couples Club includes monthly meetings and various enrichment activities. Each month a different couple take responsibility to host the other couples and prepare a luxurious meal and a fun activity for their friends.
The couples in our program look forward to these meetings and really enjoy them. As part of this program we also make smaller melave malka meals for those couples who prefer a smaller social setting.
Like every other married couple, couples with disabilities love social life and trips with their friends. We have built a rich and varied program which helps each couple find their place, build up new social connections, enrich their social life and feel like everyone around them,
Many parents of disabled
children reach a turning point in
their lives where they spend
restless nights wondering
“Is my child ready for marriage?
How would we go about it?”
The Lotan project was set up for this very purpose – to provide the framework and support necessary for complex marriages to succeed.
Services provided:
When a child grows up and reaches the point where they want to get married, in many cases questions and doubts arise about where they stand in the process and if they are eligible for marriage.
We have set up a shidduch process with a deep understanding of this complicated and sensitive stage in life, which with G-d’s help will bring many couples to the chupa.
We organize a meeting where we get to know each individual thoroughly, discuss what they want and need and thereby are able to find compatibility between people.
You are welcome to get in touch with our shadchanim at the Imanu center.
more details: Mrs. Hodaya Kreif 052-7600911
Set up a meeting with our marriage counselors – for both individuals together and for each one separately;Come and see our training apartment for training towards independent housekeeping.
Get in touch with your local social worker and start the process of out of home placement.
Alei Siach is a non-profit organization which was set up to provide a solution for disabled adults in the charedi-dati communities. Today Alei Siach has branches around the country and provides a warm, all-inclusive, supportive and professional environment where hundreds of individuals can develop and become integrated into the wider community
Alei Siach carries
the International Standard
association stamp of Iso.
ISO 9001-2015
