Etia Dan
Founder & Director of Menifa
Etia started her professional journey as a teacher, earning first and second degrees in education and history. She became a lecturer in pedagogy at a teacher training college, where she trained educators and administrators in education consulting and managing partnerships with voluntary organizations.
At the same time, she advised and supported teachers, children and teens who were struggling with complex challenges. She took courses and qualified as an Open Dialog Mediator (a technique in family therapy for crisis management), learned Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) with “Keshet”, and Family Therapy at Ono Academic College.
She founded Menifa in 2004 out of her frustration with the lack of effective frameworks, introducing a new philosophy of listening to young people and developing solutions to empower them to change their lives for the better.
What is most important to you?
“It is important to remain creative and not to get worn out. To retain your humanity in the face of all the challenges, and to believe in the possibility of substantive change in the treatment of disadvantaged populations, particularly when working to rehabilitate young people.”
What have you learned from Menifa?
“To listen, and then to fight for young people who are stuck in crisis situations. I have learned to focus on the solutions rather than the problems, and also that there is no alternative to family and community structures, which enable people to flourish. They form the real support system and the foundations that allow every person to grow and succeed.”
What are you most proud of at Menifa?
I am proud to see that over the years, our programs have made a real difference to Israeli society. Our “graduates” return to full functioning in their community, and they become role models for their society. I am proud that they have taken responsibility for their lives, and learned to overcome their challenges rather than being limited by them.”
