Chaverim,

 

I am writing this after one of those months that reminds me exactly why we do this work.

 

This has not been a simple summer in Israel, and the uncertainty around what is coming - whether groups will arrive, what the situation will look like week to week - is something we navigate every day. And yet, our team has shown up with creativity and commitment, finding ways to make every volunteer day count, deepen existing programs, and launch new ones. When groups are here, we want every moment to matter. That spirit is all over this update.

 

 

At the end of June, our 2025-26 fellows closed out nine months of living and volunteering in Lod, Rishon LeZion, and Haifa with final ceremonies, a closing seminar at Kibbutz Hanaton, and one last farewell picnic in Tel Aviv. Watching this cohort - laughing, hugging, already making plans to see each other again - I was reminded of what this program is really about. 

 

In the Fellowship we talk a lot about how goodbyes and beginnings are really the same muscle. You cannot truly welcome what is next without honoring what came before. This cohort dedicated themselves to every community, every hard conversation, and every early morning, and it has been a privilege to walk this journey with them. (Scroll down to read Galya's testimonial and Ceci's blog - they say it far better than I can.)

 

And then, barely a week later, we opened our first Zoom with the incoming 2026-27 cohort - from Australia, Hungary, Belgium, the UK, Mexico, Brazil, the US, and Canada - and there it was again: that spark.

 

Looking ahead, the next couple of months feel full of possibility. In August, the entire Camp Ramah summer program will be doing service days at several locations across the country (read more about this below). Our Olim Shalav program is gearing up for its next cohorts, and for the first time we will be running simultaneously in both Haifa and Tel Aviv - doubling our reach and bringing this model to a whole new community of immigrants eager to put down roots through service. And of course, our 2026-27 fellows arrive in September, ready to dive in.

 

I am continuously amazed by our team of dedicated mensches and by this community of supporters, and I do not take it for granted for one second.

 

Thank you, and wishing you a wonderful and peaceful summer, 

This month we ran a four-day intensive teen service module in Jerusalem with Camp Ramah that we are incredibly excited about. The teens did not just volunteer, they designed their own volunteering experience: exploring what motivates them, planning the activities, buying supplies, and running English fair stations at local schools. And it does not end there. 

 

In the beginning of August, the entire Camp Ramah summer program will be running service days at several locations across the country, led by the campers who participated in the special “service learning intensive track” in July. This is service learning at its best, and we are excited about what this model could grow into.

 

Our fellows wrapped up their nine-month journey with closing ceremonies in Rishon LeZion, Haifa, and Lod, final City Learning Days, and a closing seminar at Kibbutz Hanaton. The year ended the way it began: in community, with open hearts and hard questions. We are so proud of this cohort and cannot wait to see where they go next.

 

Want to hear it in their own words? Read Ceci's latest blog post and Galya's testimonial about her Fellowship year below.

 

Earlier this month we held our first meeting with the incoming 2026-27 Fellowship cohort, and the energy on that call was electric. They are coming from Australia, Hungary, Belgium, the UK, Mexico, Brazil, the US, and Canada - an impressive, thoughtful group who will arrive in Israel in September ready to dive in. We still have a couple of spots open for this year's group - know someone who should be part of the cohort? Send them our way.

Our hubs have been running at full speed this summer. We don't always know what the coming weeks will bring, but when groups are here, we make it count. Volunteers have sorted clothing at a second-hand shop in Lod, worked the land at Ruca's Farm and Leah's Garden, and connected with Spanish-speaking Olim in Haifa. One volunteer, who landed at 4:00am the morning of her service day, told us she was sure she would be too exhausted to work, but the meaning of the day gave her all the energy she needed.

 

One of the things we have been exploring this summer is what happens when volunteers serve alongside people from their own country of origin - and the sparks that come with that connection. 

 

One of the most moving examples: a day in Haifa's Hadar neighborhood, at a community center for elderly Russian speakers. Taglit volunteers from Russia worked all day to finish painting five classrooms, then sat down for a mifgash (encounter) with the center's members that turned genuinely emotional, ending in hugs and kisses at the door. And in true form, one of the ladies pulled a bottle of brandy and small glasses out of her bag so her group could toast their new friends with a proper l'chaim. The volunteers flew home that night carrying something no itinerary can promise.

 

In addition to our new English IRL program that we told you about in last month's newsletter, our spoken English programming is spreading fast. This summer alone, volunteers ran English fairs at schools in Lod, Kiryat Haim, and Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the Eshkol region, and in Haifa, Boston BBYO teens, in partnership with CJP, led a fair at the city's bilingual elementary school. 

 

The formula is simple: native English speakers, Israeli kids, games and conversation, and a lot of joy. A favorite moment from Haifa: during ABC yoga, the kids spontaneously started forming the letters together with friends instead of on their own. Learning English, it turns out, is a team sport.

 

The day at Nir Yitzhak, with volunteers from the Houston Jewish community, was especially moving. Students whose community is still rebuilding after October 7th led a scavenger hunt for their American guests, and the day ended with the community sharing its story of resilience and recovery.

 

And thanks to a new relationship that Yahel's Southern Volunteering Hub Manager Ravit has built with the Eshkol Regional Council - we are now expanding our English programming into new communities in the south, not far from the Gaza border. More on this in the months ahead.

Our Olim Shalav cohort in Haifa kicked off its community mapping project, with ideas already turning heads, and toured local community spaces to see what is possible. Meanwhile, program alumni returned to Olei, the Latin American NGO in the Hadar neighborhood, to remake the space by and for the Olim community. This is exactly what the program is about: new immigrants not just integrating into Israeli society, but shaping it.

And some exciting news: we are expanding! The next Olim Shalav session will include two cohorts, one in Haifa and one in Tel Aviv, bringing the Olim Shalav model to a whole new community of immigrants.

 

This month our Jerusalem Hub hosted an "open volunteer day”, supporting the asylum seeker community downtown, with Yahel alumni making up much of the volunteer group. It is a model we are excited to build on, and a hint of the role our growing alumni community can play in Yahel's next chapter.

 

Every English fair, every fellowship seminar, and every volunteer day you read about here exists because of supporters like you. If Yahel's work speaks to you, please consider making a gift this summer, and feel free to share this newsletter with friends who might want to be part of it.

 

Thank you for reading this month's newsletter! We’d love for you to stay connected - whether by making a gift to support Yahel’s work or by following us on Instagram and Facebook to hear more stories from the field. Together, we can keep building bridges between international volunteers and Israeli communities, fostering connection, learning, and meaningful service.