28.06.2010

Rosa Naveh, manager of the Parent-Child Center, was awarded the 2010 Spitzer Prize. The prize, donated by the late Jack and Charlotte Spitzer, is given biannually by the Charlotte B. and Jack J. Spitzer Department of Social Work at Ben Gurion University for professional excellence in the field of social welfare in the Negev.
Nine years ago, Rosa Naveh founded the Parent-Child Center, a unique project of the Ministry of Welfare, run by the welfare department of the municipality of Sderot and the Gvanim Association. Rosa was born in Germany and grew up in the US, and her personal story as a daughter of immigrants and holocaust survivors influenced her work and the direction of her professional path. Rosa believes that each individual is a person with capabilities, and some individuals due to their life circumstances are not afforded the opportunity to achieve their full potential; her purpose as a caregiver is to guide and to help these individuals. This vision led her to further the needs of the Parent-Child Center’s population and to build a supportive community within the Parent-Child Center that contributes to the greater community of Sderot and its surrounding area.
The awards committee announced, “This prize is awarded in honor of entrepreneurship and innovation in the establishment and management of the Parent-Child Center in Sderot for developing unique ways of intervention in social work for a population of families and children at risk. This unique program was initiated, in partnership with the families in the community, with community institutions, and in nearby communities. Contributing to the development, guidance, and training of social workers and students, the Parent-Child Center fits the needs of families living in Sderot, and simultaneously, employs flexibility and creativity in facing the security situation that erodes and damages individual, family, and community resources.”
During the ceremony, Rosa spoke about what the Center means to her, “the Parent-Child Center is a place that touches families with warmth and sincerity. A place to experience a feeling of comfort.” At the end, she excitedly thanked her parents, her children, who sometimes remind her how hard it is to be a parent and who give her perspective in her work with families, and her dedicated staff who join her in her efforts. 

The Spitzer Prize article from the Ben Gurion University website