About ELEM
The 12,500 young people we serve annually face-to-face and online deal with tremendous challenges, such as domestic violence, substance abuse, neglect, bullying, homelessness and prostitution.
ELEM works with secular and religious Jews; Christian and Muslim Arabs, including Bedouins; immigrants, including those from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia; and the LGBT community, most of whom live on the streets and will not seek help from traditional social service groups. ELEM’s hundreds of professionals and thousands of volunteers don’t wait for referrals to treat these youth but seek them out on their turf — on the streets, in schools, on the Internet and at bars and nightclubs.
ELEM's Mission Statement
ELEM/Youth in Distress in Israel is Israel’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to treating and transforming the lives of youth in distress. ELEM serves as an address to youth in various conditions of risk, creating a non-judgmental relationship with them and assisting them in paving their way toward reintegration into the community.
Our Locations
ELEM offers over 50 programs in 42 cities that provide counseling, mentoring, vocational training and a safe space for Israeli youth to envision a positive future for themselves and become productive members of society.
