ByBARRY DAVIS

JUNE 20, 2026 10:39

Updated: JUNE 20, 2026 10:41

Recognizing Israel's numerous pressing challenges does not demand advanced degrees in anthropology, political science, or sociology. While external threats are evident, internal social concerns also call for swift action and focus.

Among these concerns stands the urgent issue of teenagers who, due to various circumstances, end up without family support or the emotional and physical security vital for navigating the path to adulthood amid life's uncertainties.

Shanti House ranks as a key organization addressing this need. Operating three locations nationwide in Tel Aviv, the Negev, and recently Jerusalem, the group has spent more than four decades assisting disadvantaged youth aged 14 to 21 with guidance, care, and reliable support networks.

Many arrive after escaping troubled homes marked by violence or severe risks. Addiction issues frequently arise as these individuals face rejection and exposure to harm or manipulation on society's fringes.

The organization began operations in 1984 when founder Mariuma Klein recognized the widespread nature of the crisis. This insight stemmed not from formal academic studies but from direct observation.

Klein possessed personal insight into the struggles of numerous young people striving to endure in an environment that often overlooked their needs or failed to offer practical remedies.

Now in her sixties, Klein has guided her initiative through ongoing logistical, funding, and emotional difficulties to sustain its mission. She offers more than simple kindness, drawing from her own experiences to connect with those who enter the facilities.

Having faced similar hardships, she understands the residents' backgrounds of injury, trauma, and limited faith in adults who may have ignored or mistreated them.

In her 2015 book The Shanti House Way, with a 2024 update, Klein recounts approaching the close of her army service before age 20 while in a relationship with a partner 25 years her senior.

They resided in his prior cafe space when she proposed opening it to others seeking a shared Shabbat meal and connection with fellow individuals around a communal table.

Israel boasts achievements in technology, arts, and national endurance, yet economic gaps persist and expand, hindering many from securing housing or managing rising rental costs.

The youth served by Klein and her team lack any true home environment until they reach a Shanti House site, whether by choice or through welfare referrals.

Shanti House earns acknowledgment from peer organizations

Shanti House now serves as a recognized referral point for other centers, including government ones, when cases exceed their capacity. Klein received the Israel Prize in 2022 for her extended contributions and lit a torch at the 2000 Independence Day event, among other honors.

This recognition contrasts sharply with her earlier personal struggles that parallel the situations bringing teens to her door seeking to stabilize their lives and often preserve them.

Klein endured repeated difficulties and grasps the emotional barriers her residents must overcome to avoid cycles of harm, exploitation, and dependency.

Meeting the energetic 61-year-old founder makes it difficult to envision her prior street life after fleeing an unstable family and encountering risky influences.

Klein draws on her past for personal resilience and shares details with at-risk youth to encourage their own progress against challenges.

She openly discusses her history, including her father's departure and severe mistreatment from her mother as an only child, while expressing understanding toward them now.

Additional elements include sexual abuse at age five and assault at 17, along with periods living on Boston streets and relying on discarded food.

Born in New York, Klein moved to Israel at age two with her family and later returned temporarily to the United States with her mother before attending boarding school back in Israel.

At 20 she learned of her pregnancy too late for other options and gave birth to daughter Shanti, now 40. Klein is a mother of two and grandmother to a young granddaughter.

This family role supports her grounded approach as she aids youth let down by those meant to offer protection and preparation for independent living.

She stresses that recovery involves gradual effort, comparing it to slow-cooked cholent that requires patience over time.

This understanding dates to the 1980s, emphasizing the creation of secure spaces for trauma survivors to build trust and connect with others facing similar issues.

The centers aid post-trauma recovery by showing residents they are not isolated and belong to a supportive group of peers who continue forward despite past hardships.

Building trust remains central to the process.

Residents learn to rely on trained staff including psychologists and addiction specialists offering varied therapies. A secure setting proves essential for overcoming trauma effects and forming connections, she explains.

The center helps youth find motivation and direction

Recovery also involves identifying future goals, echoing ideas from Viktor Frankl, the Austrian neurologist and Holocaust survivor known for works on finding purpose amid adversity.

Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning details how purpose aided survival in camps like Dachau and Auschwitz, a concept Klein embraces as inspirational.

This principle guides Shanti House efforts, such as supporting one resident pursuing marine-related studies in geology who advances step by step in his recovery.

Resources go toward fulfilling ambitions to enhance self-value and direct energies productively.

For a young woman interested in psychology or therapy fields, grants enable continued education after military service.

High school completion often precedes such steps, though some face greater obstacles.

Two residents prepare for army service. One, abandoned by his mother at five and affected by his father's cult involvement in Tiberias, endured extensive abuse before arriving about 18 months ago at age 16 or 17.

Amram finished high school studies and plans to train as a combat soldier at Havat Hashomer, an outcome he once deemed impossible.

Levi Amram represents hope for those facing hardship. The 18-year-old discussed his experiences at the Tel Aviv location.

His assured demeanor contrasts with the difficulties described, earning Klein's admiration.

Witnessing transformation from despair to renewed purpose in such youth proves deeply moving for her.

Youth from ultra-Orthodox backgrounds often need extra preparation in subjects like history, geography, and math not covered in their prior education to pursue matriculation and careers.

Residents pursue peaceful approaches and personal growth for recovery

Amram presents a strong example during conversation in the colorful Tel Aviv center courtyard.

After nearly two years there, he describes leaving a haredi household marked by physical and sexual violence.

Escape became necessary.

Initial placements in other facilities exposed him to further substance risks including alcohol and drugs.