Hillel
Since its founding in 1991, Hillel has helped thousands of young adults who have left ultra-Orthodox communities (known as yotzim) to integrate into secular Israeli society. Upon leaving, yotzim are ostracized by their families, often facing social isolation and acute financial distress while struggling with huge gaps in education, preparedness for employment and lack of even basic knowledge of secular social norms. As the only organization in Israel to offer comprehensive services for this population, Hillel provides highly individualized support, beginning with housing assistance, counselling and community building, followed by long-term support with a focus on helping individuals set goals for their lives and giving them the tools to fulfil them. Hillel served roughly 1,800 people, aged 18 to 51, in 2019. It operates centres in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Safed, with plans to expand to the south of Israel over the coming years in order to reach more vulnerable people outside the country’s urban centres.