Ashdod, a coastal city, with wide boulevards
and green parks, has grown by leaps and
bounds in the past decade to become
Israel's fifth largest city. The Beit Canada
Absorption Center is flanked on one side by
a tree-lined avenue bustling with shoppers,
and on the other, by a manicured municipal
park that leads to the sea.
Over 180 residents of diverse backgrounds live and study
together in the supportive atmosphere of the Center. Singles, families, professionals
and non-professionals from Latin America, North Africa, France, Russia, the Ukraine, and
Central Asian countries, mingle freely in the
lobby, the library, the courtyards or in the park.
Eleven Hebrew classes, a language lab, a library, and a computer room with
educational software for language study are all on-site to serve
the immigrants in their acquisition of Hebrew
skills. Taught by licensed Ministry of Education
instructors, classes are held five hours a day,
five days a week for a period of five months.
As a service to residents and immigrants in
the area, the Center offers special classes
for engineers with an emphasis on technical
terminology.
A mere 500 yards from the sea, Beit
Canada residents make the most of their proximity
in all seasons: bathing, picnicking,
strolling, bringing the children to play in the
sand, or just relaxing on lounge chairs and
enjoying the view. Moreover, Ashdod is a
metropolis with a wide range of cultural
and recreational offerings, from live music
and theater performances, museums and
galleries to sports clubs and competitions.
Top: A young family on the way to Ashdod. Bottom:
Three Beit Canada residents on a field trip.
The Absorption Center comprises 90 housing
units in a central building with classrooms,
a lounge, offices, and immigrant service facilities.
The one-room apartments all have a
kitchenette, a bathroom, and include
basic furniture - beds, table, chairs,
closet, desk and shelves. Public telephones
and a laundry room are available
to all Center residents.
Ashdod is divided into several residential quarters, each of
which has a full range of municipal and commercial
services including health clinics, schools and playgrounds,
shopping and government offices.
Beit Canada's on-site immigrant facilities
service the entire Ashdod area. They include
an Information Center, a Center for
Professional and Employment Counseling, and
an Institute for Jewish Studies.
The Information Center has staff on
hand, as well as representatives
from various immigrant organizations
to counsel immigrants on a myriad of subjects and
supply them with relevant publications. The
staff are readily available to help olim obtain
health insurance or an identity card, open a
bank account, or negotiate the unfamiliar technicalities
of a new country. In addition, they
will introduce immigrants to higher education
and retraining options, as well as assist with
registration and financial aid.
Olim join together in song.
Beit Canada's staff prides itself on involving
both the immigrant and non-immigrant
community of Ashdod in its many holiday
and cultural events, thereby
facilitating interaction and building
relationships. That so many of the
residents eventually choose to live
not only in Ashdod, but in the
neighborhood around Beit Canada,
is a testimony to their success.
In Hebrew class.
Top: A young family on the way to Ashdod. Bottom:
Three Beit Canada residents on a field trip.
A room for two.
Olim join together in song.