Michael Ankri, 17, came to Hadassah Neurim from Jerusalem in September 2016. He needed a lot of help with his schoolwork, but is now doing so well that he is studying environmental science and is on the path to a full degree. He credits the staff for their support, and for "helping me move forward.”

The village's beautiful setting by the Mediterranean is inspiring, and he enjoys “sports, surfing and drawing. I surf here and fell in love with it. I like painting and drawing and here I have the equipment I need. When I feel like I want to paint, and I have an idea, I just paint.”

And socially, it seems that he and his parents made the right decision to send him to us. He says of the village, “Wonderful. I have many friends and can get along here. It's Fun.”

While here at Neurim, Michael discovered an amazing talent for drawing. As you can see, his paintings are beautiful. He contributed to the mural they painted in his Almagor group's living area. He is practical, however. Painting is “a hobby and you can't rely on this to make a living. I'd love to sell my paintings but I don't think it would be a safe profession."

Michael wants to serve the country in the army. "Service is important to me and afterwards I want to get a degree but I still don't know what I want to study.”