The Petach Tikva branch, with 42 children, covers the whole central region and is in Eliya's own custom-built center on a site provided by the local municipality.

The Be'er Sheva branch, with 36 children, covers the south of the country and is currently in rental premises. Eliya has now been granted a site by the Be'er Sheva municipality, and will be building its own center for completion by September 2008.

The Jerusalem branch, with 20 children, covers Israel's capital and surrounding areas, and moved to larger renovated rental premises on 1 September 2006.

The three centers operate six days a week from 07:30 - 16:00, for eleven months a year.

In 2002, Eliya opened a Hydrotherapy and Resource Center at the Petach Tikva branch. The hydrotherapy pool serves not only Eliya's children, but also groups from 6 special education kindergartens throughout Petach Tikva. In the afternoons, 65 additional children with varying special needs receive individual hydrotherapy.

At Eliya, staffing costs are very high because blind children are dependent on learning through speech and touch. This necessitates a very large professional staff - nearly on a one-to-one basis. However, administrative costs are kept to an absolute minimum, and the Executive Director works on a full-time basis with no salary. In July 2005 he received the President's Award for Volunteerism in recognition of his work at Eliya.

Eliya, a not-for-profit charitable organization, is approved and supervised by the Ministry of Welfare, which also provides financial support. Even so, in the year 2006 the sum of $700,000, out of an operating budget of nearly $1,900,000, needs to be raised in the private sector.

Eliya is recognized for tax purposes for donations made in Israel, the U.S.A and England (for further details please contact Eliya).

You can find out more about Eliya in English on our FRIENDS OF ELIYA USA site: www.eliyausa.org

In Israel, please contact:
Mr. Michael Segal, Executive Director, Michael@eliya.org.il

In the USA, please contact:
Mr. Maury Friedman, Chairman - Friends of ELIYA-USA, maury@eliyausa.org
Mr. Jerry Krautman, Executive Director - Friends of ELIYA-USA, JKrautman@eliyausa.org