The 40 Barkai alumni from all over Israel return to Barkai once a month for a 7 hour intensive day of learning. The topic of this year's studies for the alumni is creating safe communities. The rabbis are learning are the prevention, identification, treatment and rehabilitation of abused and neglected childre. They are hearing lectures from psychologists, social workers, rabbis and some victims themselves. This is the first time in the State of Israel that Orthodox rabbis have been given an intensive course in this critical topic. The unique curriculum was designed and is being administered by the Haruv Institute. Haruv, based at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, is Israel's leading training and research center and one of the preeminent institutions worldwide in the field of child abuse and neglect. The Institute was established in 2007 to train professionals, paraprofessionals, researchers, parents and children.
