THE GESHER SCHOLARSHIP
Building Bridges in Israel
The Gesher Scholarship helps exceptional changemakers from around the world take part in Yahel’s 9-month Social Change Fellowship in Israel - especially those not eligible for traditional funding like Masa. Founded by a former fellow, it has already supported 15 participants from 8 countries, fueling a more inclusive and globally diverse movement for meaningful service and social impact in Israel.
What is the Scholarship?
The Gesher Scholarship provides critical financial support to exceptional Yahel Social Change Fellowship candidates who are not eligible for traditional funding sources like Masa. This scholarship covers a significant portion of the fellowship costs, enabling participants from diverse backgrounds—particularly non-Jewish applicants—to join our 9-month immersive service learning program in Israel.
By covering expenses including housing, language learning, professional training, and program activities, the scholarship removes financial barriers to participation, ensuring our fellowship remains accessible to outstanding candidates regardless of their background.
Why It's Important
Diversity is central to both Yahel's mission and the effectiveness of our programs. This scholarship ensures that the Yahel Fellowship reflects the diverse communities we serve in Israel. Over the past three years, this initiative has enabled 15 fellows from 8 different countries—including the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Turkey, India, Jamaica, Columbia and Guatemala —to participate in the program. These fellows bring unique perspectives that enrich both the fellowship experience and our partner communities.
Including participants from all backgrounds is vital to our work for several reasons:
It creates a more authentic learning environment that mirrors Israel's diverse society.
It brings varied skills and approaches to our community partners.
It demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity across religious and cultural backgrounds.
It builds broader global understanding to Israel's complex social fabric and political situation.
It allows non-Jewish participants to contribute meaningfully to Israeli communities.
Who Founded the Scholarship
This scholarship was established in 2021 by William Van den Broeck, a former Yahel Fellow who served in Lod, Israel from October 2020 to June 2021. Through his fellowship experience, William gained a deep appreciation for the program's transformative impact on both participants and communities. He witnessed firsthand how the fellowship fosters an "appreciation for nuance and complexity, an ability to hold multiple truths at once and a love for service work and intentional volunteering." Since completing the Yahel Social Change Fellowship, William has continued to embrace the Yahel’s spirit of service by volunteering with small nonprofit organizations across the developing world, participating in service trips to Rwanda and Burundi. He also seeks to bring nuance and multiple perspectives to conversations surrounding Israel, Jewish history and intentional volunteering.
Inspired by his personal experience, William created this scholarship to ensure other young people from around the world—regardless of background—could experience the fellowship's profound impact while serving populations in need. His vision has already enabled 15 diverse fellows to participate, creating lasting impact in Israeli communities while developing future leaders committed to thoughtful social change.
Through this scholarship, Yahel continues to build a global community of change-makers committed to strengthening Israeli society through inclusive, partnership-based service learning.
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