Israel Connect links young Israelis with English-speaking tutors

Israel Connect hosted a Zoom event on Jan. 18 to discuss the benefits of its English-language development program, which aims to increase the economic mobility of the upcoming Israeli generation and strengthen ties between Israel and Jews in the Diaspora.

Founded in 2011, Israel Connect is a Canadian-based network of more than 1,000 volunteers who are each paired with an Israeli student for weekly English lessons. 

Israel Connect Director Sarah Gordon led the discussion of the program’s benefits. Speakers included Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Omer Yankelevitch, who is the first Haredi woman in her position.

“Israel Connect reinforces the idea that all of us in the Jewish world have something to contribute and teach the other; whether it is language experience, [or] a story of perspective, all of us from where we stand bring something of special value to the Jewish world, and together our diversity creates the beautiful mosaic of the Jewish people,” Yankelevitch said.

Among the other speakers were both mentors and participants in the program, including Israelis Misgav Melamed and Liya Goshen, and Canadian mentors Merle Haltrecht-Matte and Roger Harris.

Melamed said there is a global benefit for the program’s students: “English is always there, we need it at every phase in our life.”

Harris said Israel Connect’s tutors also reap a benefit from the program: “It is rewarding because my students are so appreciative and so motivated.”

The hour-long event emphasized Israel Connect’s belief that language is the basis for developing dialogue and relationships in a globalized world.

Howard Brown, a local mentor and executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel, described his experience with the program:

“I became a mentor for Israel Connect in the spring of 2018,” he said. “I had been a tutor for the Washington County Literacy Project, and when my Chinese student moved to Canada, I grabbed the opportunity to tutor an Israeli.

“I’m an active supporter of Israel and the Jewish people. I’ve lived in Israel three times for a month or more, as well as shorter visits, including two weeks in the Sar-El program, where volunteers work on IDF [Israel Defense Forces] bases. As executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for Israel, I often deal on the political side of pro-Israel activity, such as the adoption of the IHRA Working Definition of Judaism. What I like about Israel Connect is that, unlike most other programs, it offers a way to make a long-lasting personal and creative contribution to Israel’s well-being.

“Israeli governments may come and go, American and Mideast politics may change over time, but the satisfaction of a personal connection to a student endures.”

Brown continued, “In the fall of 2019, I was assigned to a Druze student. That’s been exciting because it offers me the chance to contribute to the very important integration of the Druze into Israeli society. We not only cover the assigned reading, but many of our conversations are cross-cultural.

“The Druze are an interesting people because they exist at the intersection of Arab, Jewish and Israeli cultures, as well as their own. My student and I also share computer programming experiences. And all the while, our chats are improving his conversational English.

“Israel Connect is one of those rare things in life – a win-win!”

Israel Connect describes the importance of its mission with the following statement on its website, www.israelconnect.today:  “Today in Israel, University entrance exams are nearly 1/4 weighted toward English language proficiency. Without strong English language skills, students simply cannot get accepted to Universities. We also know that, within Israel, access to English immersion experiences is strongly and positively correlated with higher socio-economic status. The better their English skills, the more successful and affluent a person is likely to be.” 

HANNAH ALTMAN (haltman@jewishallianceri.org) is the content producer for the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and writes for Jewish Rhode Island.