Boaz Herman – CEO
Message from the Executive Director
Dear Friends,
Beit MICHA, founded in 1953 by Dr. Ezra Korine, has been a pioneer in Israel for the treatment of deaf and hard of hearing pre-school children. It is the first stop for parents who are dismayed to discover – often in the hospital when their newborn is only a few days old – that their child suffers from hearing loss.
I believe that MICHA’s success stems from the fact that we are committed to tangible results. The message of optimism, the desire for excellence, the enormous investment and the most advanced therapeutic methods – all of these are fundamental principles of our work. The fact that hundreds of children and their parents have joined MICHA’s ranks in the last decade, not only shows their appreciation and trust, but also reflects the great challenges that await us.
During the last 60 years, MICHA Center has developed a therapeutic model and professional infrastructure for early diagnosis; up-to-date audiological therapy and unique strategies to facilitate the integration of children with hearing loss in the public school system and hearing society. In recent years, there have been enormous technological changes which necessitated the upgrading of our educational and therapeutic methods; purchase of state-of-the-art equipment; training of professional staff and development of unique projects. Furthermore, our work-place environment was also upgraded, with emphasis on the special needs of our children and their parents, whom we regard as partners in our work with the children.
The original acronym “MICHA” in Hebrew signified “Educators of Deaf and Dumb Children”. Today, we can proudly say that, thanks to our achievements, the word “dumb” has completely disappeared from the Israeli lexicon. We are proud of the fact that over the last decade, 85% of our graduates have been integrated into the public school system. The significance of this fact is that, on a personal level, they are then able to achieve almost any desired goal and choose any future academic field and career, just like their hearing peers. This revolution came about thanks to MICHA’s high quality care, excellent professional staff, loyal donors and dedicated Executive Board – all of whom help to fulfill the dreams of thousands of children and parents. We are blessed to be partners in making these dreams become a reality!
On Beit MICHA’s 60th anniversary, we are committed to realizing Dr. Ezra Korine’s vision and will continue our efforts for the advancement of thousands of children with hearing loss and their integration into Israeli society.
Boaz Herman
Executive Director