Home for Life for Adults with Autism in Jerusalem
Beit Aviv Renovation

JNF Pacific Region has partnered with ALUT – The Israeli Society for Autistic Children, to renovate “Aviv House” – one of the first lifetime living facilities established by ALUT. ALUT has built and operates 18 “Homes for Life” in Israel, residences for individuals with Autism who require supported living, that allow the residents to become integrated into the community to the greatest degree possible and provide for lifetime care in a family-type setting.

Aviv House (Beit Aviv), ALUT’s third Home for Life, was established in 1992 in Jerusalem. The 14 residents of Aviv House have been living there since its inception. Their ages currently range from 35 to 49, and they all require assistance in almost all aspects of everyday life.

Autistic individuals tend to display the effects of aging much earlier in life, in their mid 40’s, due to the inherent effects of the syndrome, the lifelong medication, and the continued dependency on assistance. Aviv House offers the residents’ families hope for their child’s life in its entirety.

When purchased, Aviv House was an approximately 30-year-old cottage in the heart of Jerusalem. The central location made it perfect for ALUT’s vision, that people with Autism should integrate into the community. But the structure, now well over half a century old, is showing its age and has reached the point of risk. The walls are crumbling, and the sewage lines are regularly clogged. The water pipes are so old they burst, leading to structural water damage. A recent leak was discovered because of an unusually nasty cough a resident developed.

The structure is not wheelchair accessible although the residents are aging, and at least one already uses a wheelchair. Because the door frames are too narrow to accommodate his chair, the resident is carried back and forth as necessary.

We ask our longtime friends and supporters to help us renovate Aviv House and make it safe for its residents. With your support, we can return Aviv House to its proper condition—fixing wall damage, electric wiring, water pipes, sewage system, door frames adjusted for accessibility and painting.

For further details and to make your donation, please contact the JNF office:
604-257-5155 | van@jnf.ca

Jewish National Fund of Vancouver

950 West 41st Avenue
Suite 301
Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 2N7
Email: van@jnf.ca
Telephone: 604.257.5155

Michael Sachs
Executive Director
Tel: 604.257.5155
Email: michael.sachs@jnf.ca