Hameshakem Employment for the Elderly and Individuals with Limited Working Capacity is operated under the auspices of the World Zionist Organization and the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs & Social Services.

Established in 1958, Hameshakem is currently Israel’s largest social business, employing some 2700 people with disabilities, of whom some 300 are senior citizens with disabilities. Hameshakem operates throughout Israel, from Kiryat Shmona in the north to Eilat in the south. The Ministry of Social Affairs provides professional oversight of rehabilitative processes which are carried out in collaboration with the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi).

Hameshakem specializes in providing a full employer-employee relationship when placing individuals with disabilities in the currently existing array of options, from employment-supportive manufacturers to jobs in the open market. Hameshakem’s specialization is based on employment rehabilitation.

Employment rehabilitation processes use the principle of mobility across the spectrum and therefore focus on rehabilitation that realizes each individual’s personal potential while consolidating that individual’s employment identity. That in turn enables the person to progress and integrate into the workplace. Social rehabilitation places emphasis on employment skills and interpersonal skills, as well as training and empowerment.