The Hof Carmel Regional Council inaugurated yesterday (Monday, 10/8/26) a new employment center for people with disabilities in the Nir Etzion cooperative settlement. The center was established in collaboration with the "Shkulo Tov" group, the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security, the Shalem Foundation, and the council, and will allow participants to integrate into meaningful work as part of community life and the local economy.
Investing millions in establishing an employment complex in the heart of a rural environment
As part of the project, approximately 2 million shekels were invested in preparing the new complex, after Nir Etzion members and friends approved its construction. The "Shekholo Tov" group won the tender to operate the center, and the investment was made by the Shalem Foundation, the National Insurance Funds, and the group itself.
The center, which bears the name "Nir Etzion Technical Center", will operate in the heart of a rural environment and will allow workers to integrate into a variety of jobs in the local economy, with professional guidance and tailored support. The project expresses the council's worldview, which sees the integration of people with disabilities in the community as an integral part of the well-being of society as a whole, and works to promote equal opportunities, participation and independence.
"True integration is created at the heart of life itself"
Deputy Mayor of the Council and Holder of the Social and Community Services Portfolio, Rafi Avni, said that "the new center is much more than a workplace, it is an expression of a value concept according to which every person deserves a real opportunity to be part of the community, to contribute, to develop and to feel like they belong. We believe that true integration is created not in separate frameworks, but at the heart of life itself."
Avni added that "the fact that the center is being established within Nir Etzion, with the full participation of the community and connected to the local economy, illustrates exactly the way in which we want to operate, based on partnership, inclusion and belief in the abilities of each and every one."
Response throughout the life cycle
Director of the Council's Social and Community Services Division, Dr. Dana Tzahar-RubinShe added that "the establishment of the center is another significant step in realizing the council's concept, which seeks to provide a continuum of services and assistance to people with disabilities, from birth and throughout the entire life cycle." According to her, the council is working to ensure that every person and family in Hof Carmel will find a professional, respectful environment that is tailored to their needs, and the new center expands the possibilities for integration into meaningful employment in the community.
Dr. Zachar-Rubin noted that "the fact that Nir Etzion members chose to support the project is a moving expression of mutual commitment and belief in an equal and inclusive society."
CEO of "Shkul Tov": "We will continue to expand our activities"
Ofer Cohen, CEO of the "Everything is Good" Group, said that "the group is proud to continue to expand, together with the Hof Carmel Regional Council and the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security, the continuum of services in the area, and to open another center that expresses the concept of creating equal opportunity within the community." Cohen emphasized that the Nir Etzion Tech's Center is part of the group's continued growth and development in the Hof Carmel Council and in general, and added: "We will continue to expand our activities, develop new services, and create real opportunities for more and more people to grow, develop, fulfill their potential, realize their abilities, and fulfill their dreams."
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