The Hebrew National Orphan Home

Some two dozen boys tell of growing up in the Hebrew National Orphan Home. Though punishment was often brutal and where a few boys were victims of sexual predators, residents had many religious, recreational, educational, cultural, and athletic opportunities. Most agree that the good far outweighed the bad.

Orphanage horror stories of the 19th and early 20th centuries brought on the modern welfare system that includes foster-care programs. Yet as effective as the foster-care programs throughout the nation have been in providing good care and safety for many hundreds of thousands of children, there are still far too many youngsters who have been ill-served by these programs. Many are shunted from place to place. The authors argue that well-run orphanages offer a better solution. Their essays tell the story of The Home that reared them and provides understanding of what life in an orphanage was like.

Preface
Prologue
Introduction: Our Asylum
Life in The Home
History and Personal Stories
Precipitating Factors and the Dark Side
Secular Education and Religious Orthodoxy
Humanitarian Giants
We Knew Them Well
As Others See It
Conclusion: The Need
Appendices
Bibliography
Index