ELITES Program | About Us

Yigal Kahana, ELITES Program Director, with Wagow, a very appreciated teacher and member of the staff.

"ELITES" stands for "English Language and Identity Tutoring for Ethiopian-Israeli Students." The Program works with Ethiopian-Israeli students in Kiryat Malachi, Lod, Ulpanat Dolev, and Bat Yam, Israel.

At Bat Yam and Dolev the students are generally

between 12-16, while in Lod and Kiryat Malachi they are all either 16 or 17. The Program assists disadvantaged youngsters in the most depressed parts of the country, using a modified direct method to give the students experience using, and familiarity with, the English language.

[Just hover the cursor over these images for a description.]

Yigal Kahana, ELITES Program Director, with Kedma, a very appreciated teacher and member of the staff

One of the greatest obstacles hindering the advancement and integration of Ethiopian-Israelis is a lack of English language skills. The primary goal of ELITES is, depending on the students' levels, to teach them English. At the same time the students learn English, they also learn as much as possible about Ethiopian-Jewish history, world Jewish history and their influence on world civilization, civil society, and democratic theory.

The overall approach is to motivate the students as much as possible, not only with ideas about how to achieve their personal goals, but also with some tangible benefits and symbols of success. In the process, we give them a vision of how to achieve their longer-term goals of attending university and building a solid career.

In Appreciation