Year of Impact with Masa Israel Journey
Dalia and Rebecca were two of many participants on the Masa Israel Teaching Fellows (MITF) programme last year. MITF is an opportunity to travel, gain international work experience, and expand your network. MITF is for those 21-35 with a Bachelor’s degree looking for nonconventional work experience to enhance their CV and make a difference in the lives of Israeli youth. In addition to their work in schools, Fellows take weekly trips exploring the country and get nuanced and unique perspectives on Israeli society. The 10-month fellowship is an opportunity to gain personal and professional development for all career paths.
Rebecca from London taught in a school in Bat Yam, and Dalia from Manchester taught in a school in Ramla for five months and in Tel Aviv for another five months. Both Rebecca and Dalia look back on their year spent in Israel with much gratitude for their experience.
Having spent their year in different cities, they both share touching memories of their time teaching in their respective schools. The bonds they created with teachers and students are immeasurable. Dalia recalls her moments of saying goodbye to her students and shares, “one of my least favourite moments was also one of my favourites – saying goodbye. I could see how appreciative all my students were in both cities when I said goodbye, and it made all the difficult moments even more worth it. Having my name chanted by every single child in the school gave me goosebumps and made it even harder to leave. Rebecca shares, “I built relationships with students and became closer to them than I could have imagined. I was able to see their progress and growth.”
Both Rebecca and Dalia appreciated the opportunity to explore Israel and deepen their connection to Israel and their Jewish identity.
Spending their year in Israel wasn’t only about the impact they were making on Israeli society and these students’ lives but also about the impact Israel and their programme had on them. Both felt as though they were living like locals, making friendships with shopkeepers and neighbours alike. Dalia, smilingly, reflects on the fun she and her friends had on Purim, dancing in Shuk HaCarmel and watching the air show on Gordon Beach during Yom HaAtzmaut. Rebecca describes how much she travelled and explored Israel’s secret spots, especially the Negev, which became her favourite place.
They created lifelong bonds with their flatmates, fellow MITF participants, teachers, and students, all of who they are still in touch with. They already have plans to revisit Israel over Channukah!
Following her programme, Dalia began a new job with the NHS as a trainee educational, mental health practitioner. Having seen the limited resources and funding for mental health in Israeli schools, Dalia hopes one day to return as a psychologist to help solve this crisis. Rebecca is starting a Master’s in Sustainable Development at UCL and plans to work with women in developing countries. Having worked in a different country with diverse cultures and different languages has given her valuable skills to move forward and confidence to achieve.
Dalia says that, “from camping trips with friends to hikes and trips to visiting friends in different cities, exploration days on Sundays, it was a busy, non-stop year, and if I could do it again, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Rebecca adds, “MITF was the perfect building block for my professional career while having the time of my life after university.”
Rebecca and Dalia are now both Masa Ambassadors! They are giving their time back to Masa over the next ten months to work together and help promote Masa to the UK Jewish community and share about the impact of Masa and the incredible experiences it has to offer.
For more information on MITF and other Masa Israel Journey programmes please email masa@ujia.org
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