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........

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