MADE IN IMPACT! – Newsletter #2, Q2 2023, Israel

The second quarter of 2023, was particularly IMPACT!-full. There were extensive and diverse activities for thousands of our wonderful recipients and graduates, in addition to our handling of thousands of new scholarship applicants, who wish to join the IMPACT! family in the next academic year.

Here's a glimpse of what happened with us over the past three months:

Just like every year, we visited 40 academic institutions to hold the annual on-campus meeting with our recipients, attended by the educational institutions’ presidents, deans, and senior management. It was wonderful to meet the students again and keep them up to date, ensuring that the institution administration appreciates them and their military service for the State of Israel, as we gave them a big IMPACT! hug. Yes, combat soldiers need hugs too!

For the first time, on the Israeli Holocaust Memorial Day, IMPACT! hosted a powerful meeting with Carmela Ben Yehuda, a brave and wonderful 95-year-old Holocaust survivor, who shared her inspiring and moving testimonial. She told us about her difficult journey to survive and immigrate to Israel, where she established her home and family and even met her brother again after years of separation. This is the beginning of a new tradition at IMPACT!

As part of FIDF's national mission to Israel, IMPACT! donors and their recipients celebrated Israel's 75th Independence Day together in Jerusalem and enjoyed an unforgettable evening

Preparation Workshop for Job Interviews in English:
Asher Gabriel, an IMPACT! graduate who runs his own English teaching business, voluntarily gave a special workshop for IMPACT! recipients and graduates of the program. IT WAS AMAZING!

CV Writing Using AI:
Our Director of Careers, Sofi Shomer, held a professional and interesting workshop which included detailed explanations on how to properly write a resume, and use various AI tools to upgrade it and the job application process.

Public Speaking Workshop

Ohad Kushmaro, Chairman of the Israel Coaching Association and an expert in communication styles taught our graduates how to capture their audience and be fully present on stage.
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Capital Markets - Do It Yourself!
IMPACT! graduate Zohar Zuk, an expert and senior lecturer in the capital market and the world of finance, voluntarily gave a professional lecture and shared fascinating information on funds, bonds, stocks, and global trading.

IMPACT! is Rising Up!
A first-of-its-kind workshop in which the CEO of RiseUp, Mr. Yuval Smet, gave the program's graduates tips and tools for proper financial conduct and even surprised them with a unique gift.

From the Shin Bet to Writing Prose:
In a unique lecture, a former ISA member, Tamir Mandovsky, shared his harrowing journey, experiencing the scenes of terror attacks, and how it led him to the world of prose writing.

A Great Meal with a Generous Donor
The compassionate donors, Melanie Bronfman and her husband Matthew, hosted their recipients for a festive and delicious meal ahead of Shavuot at their home in Tel Aviv.

Dinner in Chicago
Daniel Rosner, our amazing graduate, was invited to be a guest at the annual FIDF event in Chicago and represent the IMPACT! program. Daniel's donors, the Shear Family, who were honorees at the event, shared with the audience that Daniel's scholarship was actually donated from the monetary gifts their son, Ori, received for his Bar Mitzvah. Everyone was very moved by this touching story – especially Daniel.

Giving Respect – Returning Love!

That's what our 250 IMPACT! recipients do! Many chose to volunteer this year in United Hatzalah's Give Respect project. At an appreciation evening held by the organization for our volunteers, hosted by the founder and president of the organization, Mr. Eli Be’er, we were once again impressed and inspired by the caring and wonderful young Israeli leadership.

So far this year, our scholarship recipients have completed
400,000 volunteer hours.
Respect!

The highly respected and talented actor Yaakov Zada-Daniel (Fauda), an IMPACT! graduate, is currently starring in the new TV series "Aleph", which tells the story of former convicted Israeli president, Moshe Katzav.
It is impossible to ignore the buzz this series is creating in Israel.