English B’Yachad: Building Ties, Improving Opportunities
Wartime exhaustion, stress and uncertainty have recently dominated conversations. But life goes on, as does my special window and connection to Israeli life through Isha and Batel.
Diaspora Jews have generously responded to Israel’s post-October 7 trauma with financial support and on-the-ground volunteering. But some long for a different, tangible and very personal way to support Israelis from afar.
English B’Yachad (English Together) gives North American volunteers the chance to significantly impact the lives of young adults largely from Israel’s Ethiopian community. This opportunity has recently been expanded to include Israeli soldiers transitioning to civilian life.
As the flagship program of Skilled Volunteers for Israel (SVFI), a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, English B’Yachad has worked with over 600 volunteers and 1,037 students since 2020. Its primary goal has been to enable young adults from Israel’s less advantaged communities to effectively compete for higher level professional positions where fluent English is expected.
Mentors and students learn from each other and become ambassadors for their communities. More intangibly, deep and enduring ties are built between Diaspora Jews and Israelis.
“Learners enter not as students to be corrected, but as participants in dialogue. They are matched with conversation partners who are carefully selected to do more than ‘talk’– they listen deeply, guide gently, and help language emerge naturally through real exchange” says SVFI Board Member Marsha Gerechter Abramovich.
Mentors (also known as conversation partners and tutors) bring their professional backgrounds in business, law, marketing, healthcare, education and more to the endeavor. When possible, mentors and students are paired by backgrounds and career aspirations.
This very special type of philanthropy requires three things: love for Israel, English speaking skills, and a desire to make a difference. Mentors, most often retired professionals, make a 10-week commitment of 1-2 hours a week; this often becomes a years-long relationship transcending English.
Israel’s Jewish Ethiopian community Beta Israel (House of Israel) was officially recognized under Israel’s Law of Return in 1975. The community now numbers over 177,000.
Integration into Israeli life hasn’t always been easy. There are school and workplace hurdles, discrimination and a higher poverty rate. Nevertheless, Beta Israel members have excelled in Israeli politics, military, academia and the arts.
English B’Yachad students, generally in their 20s and 30s, are emerging leaders. They’re all ambitious and want to succeed professionally, while improving their own lives and those of their families and communities. My two students fit this mold.
Isha lives in Askelon with her husband and two small children. She was an officer in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), has a BA in industrial engineering and management from Ben-Gurion University, and worked for HP and Deloitte before having children.
Batel also served in the IDF. She completed her third year of law school in mid-June while balancing studies with part-time work as a Zumba® instructor. Mere days before school’s end, her plans were upended: she had been called to serve in the miluim (IDF reserves). Hearing this news, my heart sank but, knowing Israel’s post-October 7 reality, we both understood the need to pivot.
All English B’Yachad tutoring is done one-on-one, generally via Zoom. Substantive training is provided but there is no set curriculum. Mentors and students jointly decide what works.
Despite cultural and age differences, mentors and students have a lot in common. I began tutoring Isha in June of 2024. She longed to re-enter the workplace and needed to prepare for this big transition.
During our year together, Batel has focused on completing school, finding the “right” internship, supporting herself and determining life goals.
Sound familiar?
My conversations with Isha and Batel informally incorporate grammar, new vocabulary and concepts. Using my experience in big law firms and big companies, I’ve helped with resumes and interview skills. But softer topics like tyrannical bosses, work-life balance, potty training, cultural similarities and differences often fill the time.
Marsha tells me that this “mentorship level” is English B’Yachad’s “secret sauce … it shifts the experience from ‘practicing English’ to knowing someone is invested in the student’s progress. It is this ingredient that changes persistence and confidence in measurable ways.”
The seed for English B’Yachad was planted when sixteen-year-old Marla Gamaron (SVFI’s Executive Director) visited Israel with her family in 1972. She told herself “I’m supposed to be here … I’m home.”
After retiring from a 30-year career in workforce development, Marla created SVFI to provide on-the-ground Israel volunteer experiences for North Americans.
This model worked well until COVID hit. Undeterred, Marla launched a pilot program involving ESL (English as a Second Language) professionals – some of whom were Ethiopian women.
The pilot’s feedback formed the framework for English B’Yachad: students would be young adults who want to practice English with a conversation partner; English skills provide confidence in “high stakes” work situations like interviews and speeches; and Hebrew speaking tutors, ESL professionals and rigid curriculums aren’t necessary.
Armed with these insights, Marla approached Tech Career, an Israeli non-profit providing high-tech training to the Ethiopian community. Within 30 minutes of posting the program, 50 people signed up.
English B’Yachad currently has around 350 active mentors and students. Interestingly, in today’s polarized Jewish world, about a third of the mentors come from North America’s Reform movement.
In addition to long-standing partners Tech Career and Empowering Ethiopian Women, English B’Yachad is now receiving students from Ono Academic College and Keren Hanan Aynor.
Expanding its reach, English B’Yachad has begun working with partner organizations like ReStart Global to support Israeli soldiers transitioning to civilian life where English proficiency will open doors.
I couldn’t be prouder of Isha and Batel.
Isha has spread her wings. We meet infrequently now that she has accepted a second corporate position with more responsibilities.
Batel recently told me about “flowing” conversations she has in English with American Marines who work out at her gym. She has truly become an ambassador for Israel and her community.
English B’Yachad and its mentors are also ambassadors – Diaspora Jews who love Israel, impact lives and strengthen Israeli society, in discrete but significant ways.
