At the Haifa Association for Immigrants Absorption, there are 6 Russian-speaking projectors, a projector who speaks Spanish and Portuguese, and a French-speaking companion. Smadar Stoler is the head of all coordinators of the Integration Association and also the coordinator for English-speaking immigrants and immigrants from around the world. We asked Smadar to tell us about what the Haifa projectors do on a daily basis.– Our organization provides services to all immigrants living in Haifa, regardless of how long they have been in Israel. However, our projectors mainly serve immigrants who have been in Israel for less than three years. For those who immigrated many years ago, there are departments that also take care of them.
The activities of the projectors are multifaceted. It begins with promoting Haifa among potential immigrants through envoys who guide them outside of Israel. This includes video conferences and contacts with representatives of the Jewish Agency, the Friendship Fund, “Keren Leyedidut,” “Nefesh B’Nefesh,” and others. After that, immigrants choose a city for immigration and a place of residence. Together with them, a plan for moving to Israel/Haifa is prepared. Upon arrival, immigrants receive an invitation to the Ministry of Absorption office, where they are provided with a list of our projectors. We have many years of experience in receiving new immigrants and the process of initial absorption, connecting them with various departments, enrolling children in kindergartens and schools, and much more. This way, immigrants receive the necessary information.
After opening a bank account, registering with a health fund, finding a kindergarten or school for children, and renting an apartment (the Integration Association also has temporary housing apartments), it is necessary to start studying in an ulpan. We strongly recommend that immigrants acquire basic knowledge of Hebrew. Those who do not start learning Hebrew during their first year are unlikely to begin later, which significantly limits their integration. The next step is studying, retraining, or finding a job. As for employment, there are many vacancies in Haifa and the surrounding areas, and it is important for us to help immigrants be prepared.
A special topic is the rights of immigrants. Once a week, social workers provide consultations, where they can provide information, answer specific questions, and fill out necessary documents.
We also support lone soldier immigrants. For example, on Independence Day, we celebrated with 300 soldiers in the presence of the Minister of Absorption, the Mayor of Haifa, and our Chairman, Kirill Karetnik. We provide these soldiers with information about their rights throughout the year.
During the summer holidays, for more than ten years, we have organized a summer ulpan for families of new immigrants. This includes teaching children Hebrew, which covers terminology necessary for school preparation. Simultaneously, their parents attend a series of lectures and receive tools related to the specifics of school education in Israel.
We are connected with all ministries and departments that provide services to new immigrants, including universities and colleges. Several times a year, we conduct special tours of the Technion and the University of Haifa for those planning to continue their education. These tours include meetings with university staff, students, and faculty.
Every year, we conduct a “Bar/Bat Mitzvah” course and provide an opportunity for the children of immigrants to reach the age of Jewish maturity. This is a very interesting program that begins in the summer and concludes during Hanukkah with a beautiful ceremony involving parents.
Periodically, we hold “Information Days.” For example, on obtaining Israeli driver’s licenses, employment fairs, and unfortunately, a new direction has emerged – warning against fraudsters.
Of course, we have many events related to holidays, concerts, excursions, and much more. All of this is part of the daily work of the projectors.
