The Israel Asper Community Action Centre – Migdal HaEmek, Israel

In May 2005, The Asper Foundation and Jewish National Fund of Canada funded the establishment of The Israel Asper Community Action Centre in Migdal HaEmek, Israel. The centre is named to honour the memory of Dr. Israel Asper, z”l, Founder of The Asper Foundation, who passed away on October 7, 2003. It is run hand-in-hand with the Municipal Youth Department and the Migdal HaEmek Community Centre as part of a comprehensive city-wide plan to help the City’s youth create better futures.

While each of the four community action centres was established with the same vision – to provide supplementary educational programs geared towards disadvantaged youth to help ensure they achieve their optimal level of education through combining technology-oriented education with instruction on leadership skills, heritage and Zionism – each community has had tremendous input in defining how these goals would be achieved. Through neighborhood meetings with parents and teens, together with the Municipality and Community Centre, the programs have been honed to meet local needs.

The Community Action Centre in Migdal HaEmek is purposefully located in what is considered the most challenging section of the city. It serves as the City’s centre for teen leadership, providing a wide variety of leadership development programming, volunteerism, Zionist and scouting activities, academic assistance as well as preparation for the Israel Defense Forces.