The parents of the Otzar Yerushalayim students, who were invited to observe their children in action, were completely awed by what they saw. “How did you do this?” they kept asking the staff members. “I never could have believed that my son could reach such a level. Thanks to you, our hearts are brimming with nachas and joy!” The parents’ belief in their children’s potential was raised quite a few notches through the course of the event. The students, on their part, were overjoyed to host their families and took pride in carrying out their respective duties.

The Purim Carnival was the novel initiative of several staff members including occupational therapists and speech pathologists who decided to open new vistas in the habilitation process. They thought – and their predictions were right on the mark – that organizing a Purim Carnival for the community children would be a great way to enhance the students’ life skills and social conduct.