Falling in love with Israel, tech, each other | The Jewish AgencyFalling in love with Israel, technology, and each other

Falling in love with Israel, technology, and each other

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL

Falling in love with Israel, technology, and each other.
Johan and Estelle Goaz have a quintessential “start-up nation” love story.

Estelle and Johan are participants in Israel Tech Challenge. Founded by The Jewish Agency for Israel in partnership with the National Cyber Bureau of Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office, the program is an expert-driven Israel experience. It connects Jewish students and young professionals with tools to enrich or launch their careers in the computer science industry.
© Nir Kafri for The Jewish Agency for Israel

You learn in class, check out real cases in the field, and practice. And, if you are not an Israeli, but new immigrants like us, the program is affordable. You can get a scholarship through The Jewish Agency’s Masa Israel Journey.

The Jewish Agency's Israel Tech Challenge, in cooperation with Masa Israel Journey, allows talented professionals from Israel and abroad to develop their careers in technology while focusing on the most in-demand skills in global tech.

The two fell in love with high-tech around the same time they fell in love with each other. They both grew up in France, but it was Israel—and The Jewish Agency—that brought them together.

Israel Tech Challenge immerses highly talented students in the cutting-edge Israeli internet economy. This connection fosters their professional growth and advances a future link to Israeli high-tech innovations.

“When I came to Israel, I was in a state of ignorance, and nobody knew me or the engineering school I attended,” says Johan. But, according to him, The Jewish Agency and Israel Tech Challenge “was a great bridge between (his) school in France and the internet industry in Israel.The program is in contact with high-tech companies in Israel, like Intel and PayPal.”

Johan explains that Israel Tech Challenge has him up to speed on the differences between the Israeli and French employment markets. They are preparing him for job interviews and providing him with a big-picture perspective on the landscape of Israeli industry. The program itself is “very intensive,” he says.

“The work is very hard,” Estelle adds. “We both learn about trends in scientific data, and there are many courses. You learn in class, check out real cases in the field, and practice. And, if you are not an Israeli, but new immigrants like us, the program is affordable. You (can) get a scholarship through The Jewish Agency’s Masa Israel Journey.”

Full of optimism, Estelle reflects that “we live in a world of opportunities,” specifically citing the internship component of Israel Tech Challenge.
“We now know a lot of people in the area with backgrounds in high-tech industries. It’s good to know people in Israel because it builds relationships for us,” she continues. “We can make connections and build friendships.”

Israel Tech Challenge offers students multiple tracks to begin their work. Applicants must be between ages 18-30, and have earned a high school degree in order to participate.

ITC opens the door for talented professionals from Israel and abroad to develop their careers in technology, while focusing on the most in-demand skills in tech.

Photo Credit: © The Jewish Agency for Israel

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