Enabling quality care at home for Israel's special-needs children

The challenges facing a family caring for a child with serious special-needs are never simple. Neurological disorders, severe illness and developmental problems in childhood change the lives of all concerned: the child, the parents, the siblings and - in some ways - the society around them. From experience we know that such families are rarely in a position to stand up to these challenges without sustained, targeted help.

THE MISSION of Keren Malki is to enable the families of special-needs children in Israel to choose home care. We are an Israel-based, non-political voluntary not-for-profit organization providing support and help without any regard for the religious or national background of the family. Keren Malki is focused on empowerment, allowing families from every segment of Israeli society to provide quality home-care for their special-needs child the way they believe it ought to be provided.

We empower those families in two ways: by long-term lending, free-of-charge, of home-care equipment; and by granting the funds needed so their child can receive the para-medical therapeutic care that benefits their child and that the families themselves select.

We start with the conviction that no one knows better than the family what's best for their child. No one can give loving care to that child better than the family. Experience and research show that home-care can be a very powerful part of helping a child with special needs.

Now in its eighth year, the Malki Foundation (Keren Malki is the official Hebrew name) was established as a unique living memorial to Malki Roth, a teenage girl who dedicated herself to caring for people with disabilities, among them her own severely disabled sister.

Today despite, or perhaps because of, an efficient, low-cost structure and our dedication to making the most out of donated funds, Keren Malki plays a unique role in providing its special brand of tangible, concrete support to more than a thousand families in Israel.

The number of families we help grows steadily. But we know we have barely scratched the surface of the need. Our ability to do what we do is directly related to the support we receive from friends all over the world. More >

Nine Years Frimet Roth spoke words of Torah at the graveside on the ninth anniversary of Malki's murder, 1st August 2010 [In Hebrew] More

The Arab Bank Ltd terror finance case Hundreds of victims of terror are suing Arab Bank PLC. in a New York court. Selected and updated articles here...

Save the date: 5th September 2010 in Melbourne - Starry Starry Night, a Magical Performance in Aid of Keren Malki with some of Australia's best and most intriguing magicians, comedians and illusionists. Details here.

יריד צדקה לזכר מלכי רוט ומיכל רזיאל הי"ד, רמות, ירושלים 21 יולי 2010

Come to the fair 21st July 2010 Every year, the graduating group at the Ramot (Jerusalem) branch of the Israeli youth organization EZRA arranges a charity bazaar in memory of Malki Roth and her friend Michal Raziel and in support of Keren Malki. It's always fun, and also in its own special way very moving. This year's event is being promoted by a video created by the young organizers to promote the event. More

Boker Tov, a radio show presented by Pamela Goldstein, has gone to air every Thursday morning for the past ten years at radio station CJAM 91.5FM in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Keren Malki's co-founder Arnold Roth was hosted on the program by presenter Pam Goldstein on 20th May 2010. He spoke of Keren Malki's work and the background that led to its creation. Click to hear the program.

A mother’s reflection on Remembrance Day Frimet Roth in the Memorial Day (Yom Hazikaron) edition of the Jerusalem Post, 19-Apr-10: "My daughter Malki was 14 years old when the war started in 2000. She kept a private journal of her activities, which unknown to me, included her thoughts about the turbulent news." More [And a French translation here]

Freeing Malki's Killers Arnold Roth is interviewed on CNN speaking about the impending deal by which Hamas will release an Israeli hostage in exchange for the freedom of hundreds of convicted terrorists and murderers. (This video was originally broadcast on 24-Dec-09). More

Israel's Bloody Choice John Lyons, Middle East correspondent for The Australian, Australia's national daily, interviews Arnold Roth. "We're going to release from prison people who not only have done the most hideous, barbaric things but are deeply committed to doing them again. I can't find a better example than the woman who engineered the massacre at the Sbarro restaurant." More

Shalom and Ronit head to the Huppa Frimet Roth's heart-warming article appears in the Jerusalem Post [26-Nov-09] "Nearly 2,000 years ago the Talmud recognized that finding a partner for a happy marriage is a miraculous feat. "To match couples together is as difficult as the splitting of the Red Sea," it tells us. For young adults with disabilities, even splitting a sea does not capture the difficulties they must overcome in order to marry. One determined couple tackled them bravely." More

Thank you again to Keren Malki's UK friends The London committee of Keren Malki organized a fun-filled, fund-raising evening that took place on 15th November 2009. Click on the poster below to get all the details of what turned out to be a fun night out in support of a great cause...

Our thanks to our Australian friends: Two successful August charity auction events, and several private appeal meetings: our friends in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, earned our sincere thanks for their support of Keren Malki's programs. Photos>

Malki's Song: There's a new version of the very moving and optimistic song composed by Malki Roth as a school project in the last year of her life. You can hear and download it from here.

The Right to Independent Living Frimet Roth's op-ed piece in the 17th March 2009 edition of the Jerusalem Post calls for a greater degree of support for the right of Israelis with special needs to live within the community rather than suffer the cruel kindness of institutionalization. "More than 600,000 Israeli citizens, over 10 percent of the population, have disabilities. They patiently await the arrival of full equality..." More

The United Nations hears about Keren Malki's work  An historic and unprecedented symposium on the global victims of terror was the setting for a speech at UN headquarters by Arnold Roth on 9th September 2008. More