At S. Horowitz & Co., we utilise our talent and resources to make a positive impact on the community. We inspire our teams to make a difference, and collaborate with clients who share the same commitment to social justice. Moreover, the firm as a whole considers its responsibilities to the community in a serious light, and helping the community constitutes an integral part of the firm’s policy and practice.
As part of what the firm feels to be its responsibility to advance Israeli society, the firm allocates resources towards social involvement and environmental responsibility. These are expressed in a series of initiatives and activities undertaken by the various members of the firm, including pro bono legal representation and consultation, educational activities and the provision of services to non-profit associations (amutot) and other social organisations.
“Shiur Acher” (A Different Lesson) is a non-profit association (amuta) that was founded in 2002 with the aim of developing meaningful civic involvement in the Israeli public school system. Shiur Acher works to expand opportunities for children throughout Israel and extends to hundreds of schools with thousands of volunteers providing original, high quality, supplemental education to students.
As part of its responsibilities to the community in general, and educational activities in particular, the firm actively cooperates with Shiur Acher, within the framework of which the firm’s partners, associate lawyers and articled clerks give weekly lessons to sixth grade students at “Gordon” Primary School, in Bat Yam. These weekly meetings with members of the firm allow the students the opportunity to get acquainted with individuals who can act as role models, and to become exposed to another facet of Israeli society, namely the legal fraternity. In this way the students are provided with incentive, motivation and a sense of inspiration that could perhaps guide them on a certain trajectory in their lives and even open up or broaden new horizons for them.
The emphasis when giving the lessons is to apply the various legal issues which are discussed to the daily lives of the students and the school’s way of life. In previous years, lessons have been given, inter alia, on the subject of the Israeli legal system, human rights— paying special attention to the rights of children, criminal law, the juvenile court, contract law, employment law and tort law. The highlight of the activities for both the students and mentors alike is a full day devoted to a tour of one of the courts and a visit by the students to our firm’s offices.
We have also provided a variety of pro bono legal services to the following organisations:
- EcoPeace Middle East (formerly Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME)), a unique organisation that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists, with the primary objective of the promotion of cooperative efforts to protect our shared environmental heritage
- Kids Kicking Cancer, which is devoted to helping children overcome cancer through martial arts and spiritual training
- The Starlight Children’s Foundation, whose programs and services are designed to improve the life and health of children and families around the world
- Ashoka, the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, with operations on every continent
- The Gesher Theatre, a bridge between Russian and Israeli cultures