Over 500 Volunteers Zoom To Great Lengths To Help Israeli Children

In 2012, a former university classmate approached Sarah Gordon, an active member of the Jewish community in Ottawa. Having landed a job in a poor neighborhood in Israel, Gordon’s friend struggled with some very challenging students. Gordon paired two of the most difficult students in this class with English language mentors in Ottawa, holding hour-long virtual sessions weekly. Soon, Gordon’s friend mentioned this idea to another English teacher friend, who mentioned it to another friend, and it caught on. 

Within months, the informal network of volunteers and students quickly transformed into an official non-profit organization and Israel Connect was born. Many students sought mentors in this area, since Israeli university entrance exams largely target English language proficiency. Competency in English language skills is a must for these students, to eventually achieve financial self-sufficiency. Currently in its seventh year of operation, Israel Connect has over 500 North American volunteer mentors. 

When coronavirus swept the world, and schools struggled with setting up their online learning, Israel Connect realized that they needed to take the urgency of their mission to a whole new level. 

“As experts with at-home learning, we are in a position to help a lot during the pandemic, and we wanted to step up to the challenge,” Gordon said. A huge influx of students whose academic plans disappeared overnight came looking to the organization for assistance. Currently with Israeli schools experiencing uncertainty regarding reopening plans, hundreds of students are on a waiting list – despite the organization having ramped up operations almost overnight, and servicing hundreds of additional students.