Rachel arrived at Beit Ruth two years ago. Because both her parents are alcoholics, Rachel was raised by her grandmother who locked her up in the house in attempt to protect her. Rachel and her sister ran away from home and after attempting to commit suicide, Rachel was hospitalized. The doctors said that she reacted normally to an abnormal situation. When Rachel first arrived at the Beit Ruth Hostel she was reserved and suspicious. She could not smile. After a few months at the hostel, however, Rachel became a cheerful girl, an excellent student and a leader at the hostel. She completed her high school matriculation exam successfully and joined the IDF. She is now serving in the Israeli army in a combat unit, in a highly responsible position, and her commanders are extremely satisfied from her performance.
Reut's mother is a drug addict who was married in the past to an arab from the occupied territories. Reut also has two older brothers who are both being treated and confined in mental institutions, due to repetitive violent outbursts, diagnosed as dangerous to the public. Reut herself has been removed from her mother’s care at the age of six, residing in boarding homes until the age of 14. She has escaped from these homes on numerous occasions and found roaming the streets aimlessly, until eventually was accepted into Beit Ruth.
The first phase of her stay at Beit Ruth was extremely difficult. There were many rage tantrums accompanied by object throwing and crying outbursts. Reut slowly found her place at Beit Ruth and today functions extremely well, taking upon herself responsibilities around the house and enjoying the role of helping new girls absorb into the Beit Ruth home and environment.
Hagar suffered rendering incestuous attacks from both her grandfather and her uncle for many years, all occurring in the allegedly safety of her own home. When she finally gathered the courage and strength to file a complaint with the police, she found that she had to leave her home as she received no protection or backing from her family, just as she hadn’t received it throughout all the terror of her childhood.
Hagar came to live at Beit Ruth but continued to study at the same school as before her move. Today Hagar has graduated from a pre-military course and will be soon serving in the army, holding a worthwhile and interesting position.
Leah wandered in and out of foster care until the age of 6, suffering from severe abuse and neglect. She then was adopted by a warm and caring family who didn’t have the emotional resources to deal with the consequences of such imbedded neglect.
Leah’s complex emotional situation led her, on numerous accounts, to attempt suicide and consequently was admitted to a lengthy recovery at the Gehaa Mental hospital.
She eventually arrived at Beit Ruth, mentally stable. However, signs of anxiety and sadness were clearly stamped in every move she made. Following months of living in a safe and loving environment, Leah has learned to smile again and today radiates a confident and positive outlook. As she, herself, admits with a heart opening smile: “I am happy. I have never experienced this feeling before. I am not scared. I really want to enlist in the army. I also want to volunteer and help the weak and less fortunate…”
Ella came to Israel at the age of nine together with her mother and younger sister. As a single parent, her mother found it close to impossible to care for her daughters, neglecting them totally and leaving them to fend for themselves. Ella roamed the streets and was brought into the police station after been brutally victimized by a criminal gang. She was eventually sent to Beit Ruth and upon her arrival both her language and attitude spoke volumes of the experiences she encountered in the past. Suffering deep emotional distress, she was extremely protective of herself, taking cautious steps to keep away from the staff and the other girls at the hostel. Today, after living the past two years at Beit Ruth, Ella looks, talks and behaves in a responsible way, as the born leader she was meant to be. She is responsible for all the necessary shopping needed at the hostel and acts as a positive leader for the group. Her school accomplishments and high grades project her happy and confident persona. Sentences like: “You have taught me to appreciate the beauty of flowers. I have never really seen flowers until now”, or “You are the first family I ever really had” is proof enough that Ella is beginning to find her place in life.
Keren, age 15, was abandoned by her mother, a battered woman, when she was 3 years old. She was raised by her father together with her 2 brothers. Keren was far from an attentive student and frequently skipped school. She was fair game to any boy who called on her and ended up being gang raped violently while being intoxicated. A member of the gang photographed the whole incident and distributed the pictures among teenagers in the neighborhood.
When Keren arrived at Beit Ruth she refused to talk about her past. She did however join the study group at the hostel and participated in the classes given at Beit Ruth. The therapeutic staff members treat Keren attentively in order to help and restore her confidence in herself and her trust in those that surround her, so that she may learn to overcome her nightmare of the past and live a normal life. | 
