It’s one thing to get to know someone on Zoom — to swap stories and practice English. It’s something else entirely to finally meet face to face.

That kind of connection is at the heart of English Overseas, a program launched in 2020 by the Wechsler Center for Modern Aging at UJA partner the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, and Jerusalem’s Department of Education. The program pairs older adult volunteers with Israeli high school students who need to practice their English-speaking skills in preparation for rigorous exams required for graduation.

Weekly conversations over Zoom or WhatsApp build confidence and cross-cultural understanding. Volunteers aren’t teachers; they’re warm, steady partners who help teens become comfortable speaking English. Since its start, the program has made 800 matches across 44 schools, spanning Jewish and Arab-Israeli communities.

In March 2023, a group of volunteers traveled to Israel to meet the teens they’d come to know so well online. The trip was filled with joy and connection — and organizers hoped it would become an annual tradition.

Then October 7 put everything on hold. But in November 2025, with the help of a $20,000 grant from UJA, 15 volunteers and staff members finally arrived, once again, in Israel.

"The grant was made as part of UJA’s recent investment of $25 million to meet the growing number of Jews looking to connect with one another, with community, and with Israel post October 7,” explained UJA’s Rachel Sarch. Of those funds, $1 million was earmarked for volunteer trips to Israel.

Local synagogues and community centers were among the other recipients of the volunteer trip grants. Participants on those trips helped repair homes, restore infrastructure, and clean public areas that had been damaged. Others worked with unemployed Israelis on skills needed to secure and retain employment and with a nonprofit that offers a dignified alternative to a soup kitchen.

Arrival…and Connection

The JCC volunteer contingent landed at Ben Gurion Airport not long after the last living hostages were released.

Wechsler Center director Susan Lechter said the timing couldn’t have been better. “It was an incredibly special time to bring this community to Israel. The itinerary included many opportunities for bonding and connection with students and their families.

“It was a moment we didn’t want to miss,” she added. “We could make it happen thanks to the generosity of UJA.”

Throughout the 10-day trip, participants engaged in activities and gatherings that strengthened relationships and deepened cultural understanding, making the experience memorable for everyone involved.

Focus on Coexistence

While the group’s itinerary was a varied one, one key focus was on coexistence, say Susan and Rabbi Brian Fink, the JCC’s lead English Overseas staff member. They visited the Druze village of Julis, Jerusalem’s Feel Beit cross-cultural center, and Moshav Netiv HaAsara, a community of peace activists besieged on October 7.

At Sur Baher School for Girls, one of two Arab-Israeli schools in East Jerusalem, the New York group joined students and faculty for dinner they cooked together and a special participatory program about the olive harvest. 

Volunteer Sandie Antar, a retired special ed teacher and current museum docent, was matched with Arab student Rama two years ago when she was a senior in high school. Now she’s in her second year at Hebrew University.

“I wanted to go on this trip because of Rama. We really became close friends. I wanted to meet her family, which was a big part of the reason I went.”

Sandie was not disappointed. “Meeting Rama was beyond what I hoped. We were like two people who loved each other all our lives.”

Participants also visited the Western Wall, the Nova site, and Hostage Square.

“Israel is a totally different country than it was before the war,” says Hagit Cohen, a program cofounder in Jerusalem. “There’s been nothing like this since the Holocaust. But now, we are finally able to breathe again. And for this program and these volunteers to support the country in such a way is so important.”