President of Israel Shimon Peres, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and ELEM NGO President Nava Barak kick start the annual donor drive for youth at risk lighting the Flag Of Hope on the walls of the Old City. For the first time in Jerusalem, The Flag Hope, composed of thousands of small lamps, will light up the walls of the Old City near the Jaffa Gate. Each of the tiny lamps is lit when a donor sends a cellular SMS message to the number 5400, donating 10 NIS for the activities and projects conducted by ELEM for the benefit of youth at risk.

"ELEM was founded in 1982 by a group of American and Israeli professionals and lay volunteers to help Israel’s population of at-risk youth become productive citizens. Through the years, ELEM has grown and now operates programs in 40 towns nationwide, with a variety of innovative and relevant programs targeted toward different population groups. ELEM reaches out to all populations of troubled, “invisible” youth, including Arabs, Ultra Orthodox, young sex offenders, and immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia. Youth of all ages and from all backgrounds seek and receive help from ELEM. These youth need help integrating into existing frameworks and, sometimes, simply getting through their teen years. To them ELEM offers preventative care and support via counseling centers, shelters, rehabilitation services, online chat and forums, residential and day treatment, vocational training, mentoring, and other social services. ELEM employs 250 counseling and treatment professionals and almost 2,000 volunteers (both adult and youth). Last year, ELEM met with tens of thousands of adolescents, and provided continuous treatment to approximately 12,000 of them." (ELEM Internet site).