Initiated by Peter & Eva Friedmann of Canada, in memory of Mr. Samuel Friedman a"h

When Toronto's Peter Friedmann decided he wanted to do something to help terror victims, he turned to Ezer Mizion to create a program tailored to the unique needs of families crippled by terror. The result: Ezer Mizion's Terror Orphan Program (TOP), a unique mentoring program designed to create stability in the lives of children and families traumatized by terror.

A child who has been directly affected by terror becomes, quite simply, a different child. The child - and the entire family - can never be the same again. TOP's goal is not to recreate the pre-terror situation, but to enable children and families victimized by terror to come to terms with the new realities, however painful, and learn to function independently again.

To accomplish this goal, TOP social workers pair each child with a mentor, and give the mentors specific goals for the individual children they work with. The mentoring system has met with resounding success. The help provided by the mentors is allowing the children to progress socially and academically, to confront their grief in a healthy manner, and to function as part of a normal family unit.

In addition to the one-on-one attention the children receive from their mentors, TOP also coordinates group activities, outings and retreats that allow entire families - along with their mentors - to have fun and heal together.

TOP Facts and Figures

TOP Stories

A TOP Child Speaks

War Causes Setback for Families of Terror Victims