JERUSALEM — A sport development organization is using soccer to help children in southern Israel with trauma from the summer’s massive rocket fire from Gaza on their communities.
As part of the initiative, Mifalot is planning to rebuild a soccer field damaged by rocket fire at Kibbutz Mefalsim, located approximately one mile from the Gaza border, to serve as the center for its educational programs through soccer.
The programs will use soccer as a tool to empower, educate and help children deal with post-traumatic stress disorder in the wake of the some 3,000 rockets that were fired on the area immediately before and during Israel’s 50-day operation in Gaza over the summer.
The organization launched a crowd funding campaign this week to raise funds for the soccer initiative. The campaign will close on Jan. 8.
Mifalot was founded 15 years ago by Sami Segol, Moti Orenstein and Moshe Teomim, then-owners of Hapoel Tel Aviv soccer team.
The group operates hundreds of social projects throughout 250 towns and villages across the country, focusing on children at risk and towns on Israel’s periphery. The organization has adjusted its programs in order to partner with communities and organizations in Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Rwanda, Haiti, Cameroon, Nigeria and Philippines.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
