ImpactIsrael

Yemin Orde Youth Village was founded in 1953 by the British Friends of Youth Aliyah. “Yemin Orde” literally means “in the memory of Orde.” The Village was named for British Major General Orde Charles Wingate, an ardent supporter of the Zionist cause and influential force in the formation of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Today, Yemin Orde Youth Village is home to more than 400 children from around the world. The Village welcomes children from Ethiopia, France, former Soviet Union, Brazil and more. The children at Yemin Orde have all suffered trauma: from isolation and neglect to abandonment and extreme poverty. At Yemin Orde, they find a home, a family and a future. Graduates remain connected to the Village long after graduation. They receive scholarships and financial assistance for higher education or emergencies and return to the Village for short stays or to mentor younger students. The promise that "Yemin Orde will always be there for you" is important to every child and graduate of the Village. In 2006, at the request of Israel's Ministry of Education, Yemin Orde Educational Initiatives was launched to expand the Village's educational methodology, called the Village Way, to other youth villages and public high schools throughout Israel. YOEI provides teacher training, workshops, resources and interventions for educators in partner communities in order to empower them to help and teach the at-risk youth population in their schools. Since 2006, YOEI has touched the lives of 5,800 students and 1,200 educators in Israel. Today, YOEI has 26 educational community partners in Israel, with the goal of reaching 50 villages and schools by 2020. YOEI and the Village Way are changing the very nature of education in Israel.