Work plays an extremely important part in the curative process at Beit Elisha. Work, by its very nature, has the power to transform persons with developmental disabilities from passive recipients of services to active contributing members of the community. Much thought is invested in adapting work processes to the abilities of our members, making the workplace a rehablitating environment. Kamah ensures the work is meaningful, and the products are marketable and of high quality.
The Paper Workshop
Waldorf schools use a spacial type of notebooks made of recycled paper. The Beit Elisha Paper Workshop is the sole manufacturer of these notebooks in Israel, and provides 35,000 notebooks a year to 18 Waldof schools throughout the country. The workshop also manufactures other recycled paper products, such as calendars, greeting cards and more.
The paper workshop provides work for those members who find challenge in mass production and meeting deadlines, people with mechanical skills who like to work with machines, and those with artistic talents.
The Weaving Workshop
The Weaving Workshop produces handmade items such as scarves, blankets, tablecloths, pillowcases, carpets, placemats and more. Products are all handmade on traditional looms from natural materials.
The workshop provides work for those who need a quiet working environment, those who have a sense of aesthetics and fine motor skills. The repetitive work of weaving develops patience, concentration and motor skills. Workers enjoy the balance, flow and calm of this traditional craft, and the satisfaction of completing a high-quality, useful product.
The Handicrafts Workshop
The Handicrafts Workshop produces high quality items from clay, felt and wood.
We place a great emphasis on matching the work to each member's abilities and preferences. The workshop staff is constantly designing new products that can mobilize members' ability to work independently. The workshop is an arena for self-expression for members with artistic talent, creative thinking and the ability to work independently.
Organic Agriculture
The organic plots of Beit Elisha are spread throughout the kibbutz. The organic produce serves the Kamah kitchens and feeds the children of the Tuvia Community, the members of Beit Elisha and the diners at the Kamah Gallery and Café.
The members working in the organic plots experience the cycle of the seasons as they prepare the soil, sow, plant, weed and harvest. The work in the organic fields is suitable for people for whom the connection with nature is vital, particularly those who have depressive tendencies or suffer from mental stress.
Therapeutic Horseback Riding Stables
Kamah's stables are a unique space providing therapeutic horseback riding sessions for members of the Kamah communities, residents of other rehabilitative communities on Harduf, and patients from the kibbutz and nearby area.
For members of Beit Elisha it is also a wonderful workplace where they care for the horses, clean stalls, perform maintenance tasks on riding equipment and accompany riders during lessons. Work in the stables is suitable for members who benefit from physical labor in an open setting. Some of the workers are members with complex behavioral problems, who benefit a great deal from working with animals.
Central Kitchen and Bakery
The Kamah central kitchen serves the Beit Elisha and Tuvia communities and the on-site Gallery and Café.
The Kamah Association takes great care in maintaining good nutrition for all members: most of the ingredients used in the kitchen are organic, with meals planned around the crops of seasonal vegetables from Beit Elisha's organic plots. Our bakery produces all of the bread supply for the Beit Elisha and Tuvia communities as well as pastries, cookies and granola sold at the on-site Café.
Members working in the kitchen and bakery receive professional training in various culinary skills. The work is suited for members of varying abilities who can perform intensive physical work and operate on a tight schedule.
Gallery and Café
Kamah's Gallery and Café is a lively space that attracts many kibbutz members and visitors who come to buy bread and pastries or sit for coffee or a light meal. The Members of Beit Elisha who work in the Gallery and Café enjoy the interaction with costumers and the dynamic work.
Laundry
The workshop provides laundry services to all the residents of Beit Elisha in Harduf and to the teens of the Tuvia Community. It is a small workshop that provides employment for a limited number of members who benefit from a more private environment. The members' work in the laundry is very independent: they are fully responsible for washing, drying, folding, ironing and distributing the cloths. The workers receive satisfaction from knowing they provide a valuable service.
Herb Processing Workshop
This workshop operates alongside the organic plots and produces a variety of care products from the medicinal herbs that are grown there. This workshop demands a more professional and gentle work and is suitable for those who need a quiet work environment, and possess high-motor skills and precision.
