From Florida to Israel: Ava Dahan finds purpose teaching English amid conflict

Ava Dahan is teaching English in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel, and she is enjoying every second: "It’s amazing teaching here. These kids have been so affected by everything that happened. The community from Nir Oz is here too, and we’re so close to them." But she did not think this was where she would be a year ago. 

Ava was raised in New Jersey and is very involved with the local Jewish and Israeli communities. After high school, she started studying at Florida Southern College and very quickly became involved in student life there: she served as the Vice President of her sorority, managing all events and mental health matters, like the sorority’s counselor.

In addition, she was also president of the Hillel campus. "After October 7th, I started speaking up for Israel. I wasn’t against Gaza or anti-Palestinian, I was only showing solidarity with Israel. I sent out positive messages, promoted conversations about peace, and asked in our group chats for prayers for my family in Israel."

"After the fall break in November," she recounted, "they called me to a meeting with the committee—like a disciplinary panel, which used to be my role. They asked me how I was feeling and how my family was doing. I cried in front of them and shared stories about friends who were killed. I have family in Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Be’er Sheva, who were directly impacted by rockets. Israel means a lot to me, and it’s a heavy weight I carry with me".

Ava did not see what was coming: "There is an older mentor in the sorority who isn’t a student. She told me that for the sake of peace in the sorority and for the other girls, I could no longer serve in my position because I am Israeli and Jewish."

"She said," said Ava, "she didn’t want me to represent their sorority as an Israeli and a Jew because they didn’t want other people to see that a jew represents them. They asked why I hadn’t been attending events lately, and I told them it was because some girls were sharing hateful posts against Jews."

After confronting them about feeling comfortable being around people who were openly saying they wanted to harm her family, they laughed, telling her she was being "stupid." "They said I was leaving the sorority, and that was it," Ava recalled and added: "There’s supposed to be a whole process to remove someone, but they didn’t follow any of it. They just took me out on the spot. I already felt like I didn’t belong there, but that wasn’t how things should have been done. They even signed papers on my behalf without my consent".

Ava tried to resist and fight what seemed like a decision made for all the wrong reasons: "I reached out to the administration, but they didn’t care. Hillel tried to support me, but it wasn’t enough. The girls made up stories about me, saying I lied and claimed I did things I hadn’t done."

Even when her mother came to confront them, Ava was shocked to realize that they had maintained their lies. "My mom knows me," she said, "and she told them their stories weren’t true. They had a whole plan to push me out because I was Jewish—I was the only Jewish member, and that was one of the reasons I came to Israel now."

In September, Eva started teaching English as part of the Masa Israel Teaching Fellows program in Kiryat Gat in southern Israel. MITF is a 10-month program that brings native English speakers to Israel to teach English while building genuine connections, fostering hope and resilience, and enacting positive change for Israeli youth and kids during these challenging times.

The program is an initiative by Masa Israel Journey with the Israeli Ministry of Education and brings to Israel close to 200 fellows each year from the United States, England, Australia, South Africa, Canada and more. All the fellows speak English as a first language, have college degrees, and some have teaching certification. They are integrated into schools all across the country.

"I’d felt for a while that I wanted to be in an environment where I belong, but that’s not how it is in America," said Ava, "I didn’t realize it fully until college because, at home, everyone around me is Jewish and Israeli. After October 7th, I didn’t feel like I belonged there anymore. People didn’t care, and they didn’t even try to understand. I felt unimportant to anyone—even people I thought were my friends".

"I was in Israel last summer, met amazing people, and felt I could truly be myself around them. I felt loved and understood, and that I could grow as a person. I knew I wanted to give something back to Israel, in both direct and indirect ways. Israel has given me so much. This country and my Jewish heritage have shaped who I am."

The fellows at MITF develop strong connections with the children they teach, the school staff, and the community around them. Ava added: "The kids I teach talk about what’s going on. They tell me their dads are soldiers, and it’s incredible to be there for them—not just to teach English but to simply be there and listen. I feel they haven’t received the attention they deserve. The focus is on soldiers and adults, and no one talks about the impact on children. As someone from the outside, I hope to be that listening ear for them".