About the project
The Ben-Yehuda School for Special Education serves 60 mentally retarded children ages 7-18. The school is divided into elementary, middle and high school levels. Its curriculum includes academic studies, life skills, social skills and arts therapy. The Jerusalem Foundation began its support of the school in 1990, when it created a library and music therapy room, including the purchase of instruments that enabled students to form a small orchestra. It later supported an animal therapy program and extracurricular enrichment activities in music, carpentry, theater and photography. In 2006, the Foundation began a $1 million renovation project to adapt the 50-year-old facility to meet the special needs of the school’s student body. Work will include installation of an elevator, and renovations throughout the building and at its playground. The school was rededicated as the Simon Rothschild Ben-Yehuda School for Special Education.
