Chimes Israel

Imagine being a young child who cannot say, “I’m hungry,” “I’m scared,” or “Mommy.”

For many preschool children with disabilities at Chimes Israel’s Rehabilitative Early Childhood Centers, this is daily reality. But with assistive communication technology, children who cannot speak can finally express needs, emotions, and choices — sometimes for the very first time.

Read Yosef’s powerful story and see how something as simple as asking for “more” can change a child’s entire world.

A Little Boy, One Word, and a Whole New World For many children at Chimes Israel’s Holland Rehabilitative Early Childhood Center in Tel Aviv, the inability to speak means far more than silence. It means not being able to ask for food, express pain, ask for their mommy, or tell someone they are scared.

Today, together with the City of Ariel, we opened the new Randolph A. Hearst Sheltered Workshop building in Ariel. ❤️

This special workplace provides meaningful employment, daily structure, dignity, and community for people with disabilities, elderly individuals, and new immigrants in Israel.

We are deeply grateful to Victoria Hearst and the Hearst family for their longstanding partnership and generous support. Victoria Hearst, granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, has been involved with the center since its founding in 1993. Chimes Israel has been operating the programs there since 1998.

The workshop is a place of belonging, friendship, purpose, and pride. Participants develop skills and contribute through real manufacturing work. They experience the dignity that comes from being paid, productive, and valued members of society.

At a time when so many vulnerable people in Israel are facing isolation and uncertainty, this new facility represents inclusion, empowerment, and community in action.

Mazel tov to everyone who helped make this day possible! 🎉🇮🇱

❣️We had a special and exciting day at Chimes Israel / צ'יימס ישראל’s afterschool program! 🌍✨ As part of The Jewish Agency for Israel’s “Journey” project, volunteers from South America visited Chimes Israel’s Amal afterschool program for children with disabilities in Holon. 🤝

Together, they enjoyed a day full of fun and meaningful activities, including:
🍳 Cooking
⚽ Sports
🎨 Art

The children experienced an afternoon filled with joy, connection, laughter, and positive energy. ❤️

A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers for your time, warmth, kindness, and open hearts. Your presence made a real difference for the children and brought so many smiles to their faces! ✨

In Memory of Alan (Asher) Manheim

We at Chimes Israel mourn the passing of Alan Manheim, known here in Israel as Asher. He was a visionary leader whose influence helped shape the field of services for people with disabilities across the country.

Alan played a central role in building the professional foundation upon which so much of today’s work stands. He served for many years in Israel’s Ministry of Welfare, where he rose to a national supervisory role and helped guide policy, standards, and service development at the highest level. His deep knowledge, intellectual rigor, and unwavering commitment to improving care made him a force within the system.

Following his work in government, Alan founded Elwyn Israel in 1984, further advancing services and creating new frameworks for support. He consistently looked beyond existing models, challenging assumptions and pushing for better, more effective approaches.

Alan also played a pivotal role in establishing Chimes Israel. At a time when the Ministry of Welfare and the Tel Aviv municipality sought a provider to expand services for people with special needs, Alan identified The Chimes organization in Baltimore, US, and helped forge the connection that led to the founding of Chimes Israel in 1991. That partnership brought international expertise to Israel and introduced new professional standards that continue to shape the organization today.

Those who worked with Alan knew him as highly intelligent and unafraid to challenge others. He often approached discussions from a different angle, pushing people to think more deeply and examine their assumptions. This style, rooted in his strong background in Talmudic study, helped raise the level of professional thinking and decision-making around him.

Alan’s legacy lives on in the systems he helped build, the organizations he helped establish, and the countless professionals he influenced. Today, Chimes Israel serves more than 1,400 children and adults with disabilities across the country. The programs we operate, the standards we uphold, and the opportunities we create all reflect the foundation he helped lay.

Beyond his professional achievements, Alan’s life was marked by deep personal connections and a journey intertwined with the growth of the community around him. His story is part of the story of Chimes Israel itself—from its earliest days to its continued development and impact.

Alan lived a full life, marked by purpose, challenge, growth, and contribution. His impact will continue to be felt for generations through the lives of those who benefit from the services he helped bring into being.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Shayna, his children Atara and Yair, and to his entire family.

May his memory be a blessing.

The health products company, Haleon Israel, prepared generous Purim gift packages (mishloach manot, gifts of food, to spread joy and connection) for children with disabilities in our Neot Ilana after-school program in Rosh HaAyin. But they were unable to deliver them due to the war. Although the holiday has passed, Haleon chose to deliver the packages anyway. As you can see in the smiles of the children and their parents, the gifts brought real joy when it was deeply needed. Thank you, Haleon, for your thoughtfulness and care. 🌟

A huge thank you to Haleon for a truly heartfelt gesture 💙They prepared generous Purim gift packages (mishloach manot, holiday gifts of food, to spread joy and connection) for children in our Neot Ilana after-school program in Rosh HaAyin, but couldn't deliver them on-time, due to the war.

Although the holiday had passed, Haleon chose to deliver the packages anyway. You can see it in the smiles of the children and their parents. These gifts brought real joy when it was deeply needed. 🌟








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