Zion Orphanage
The world's longest-running Jewish orphanage
The world's longest-running Jewish orphanage
Family Units
Building a true "home" for Zion boys.
About Zion Orphanage
Founded in 1899, Zion Orphanage is the world's oldest continuously running Jewish orphanage. We provide more than 200 orphaned, homeless and disadvantaged children and youth, ages 3-22, with the highest standards of a warm, stable environment – driven by our belief in the greatness of every human being.Click here to learn more
On our Jerusalem campus, Zion Orphanage has pioneered the successful "Mishpachtone" group family home. A young, energetic couple lives in an apartment with their own young children, along with twelve Zion boys, ages 7-14.
This intimate family setting – often the boys' first encounter with caring, responsible adults worthy of trust – has transformative impact on the boys' physical and emotional health. These surrogate parents role model the value of taking moral and social responsibility, while transmitting a strong Jewish value system.
The boys benefit from a predictable day-to-day routine, replete with Jewish family rituals and traditions around birthdays, holidays and vacations. This stable, secure, loving, trusting and respectful home heralds life's new beginning.
Each Mishpachtone includes a living room/dining room, kitchen, computer, reading corner and game center. There are four boys' bedrooms, plus a room for the “house parents.”
The Zion Orphanage is a registered seif 46 tax-deductible charity in Israel and a non-profit recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS under Section 501(c)(3). Donations are tax-deductible in the U.S., Canada, UK and Israel.