Student Ambassador Goldie Wolfson shares her journey of ‘Giving Back’ during a AFHU Leaders of Distinction event

Goldie Wolfson is studying in Israel for her PhD at Hebrew University. On March 3rd Goldie addressed the American Friends of the Hebrew University’s (AFHU) annual Leaders of Distinction event held at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. The event benefits Israel, funds scholarships at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and benefits the We Are One fund for students, faculty, and families affected by the war and its aftermath. The proceeds will also provide counseling services, tutoring and scholarship assistance for students returning to the University after military reserve service as well as financial relief for those who have lost their homes and belongings.

The evening’s Chairs were Elaine and Dr. Beno Michel of Palm Beach Gardens and Cleveland.

“Thousands of Hebrew University students have been called to active duty in Israel’s defense, so it is important that the AFHU community in Florida supports Israel’s foremost academic institution when the needs are so great”, said Dr. Beno Michel. “We are especially grateful for our honorees who exemplify the steadfast commitment to community, education, and the advancement of knowledge for the betterment of humanity”.

Goldie expressed her gratitude towards Hebrew University during her presentation

I was born in Boston, MA and come from a small family of 8 children. I moved to Israel in November 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, and one of the questions I almost always get when I meet people in Israel is “Why did you come here?” And, I can understand them. They want to know what made an American choose to leave the States, to leave a land of access and opportunities for Israel, a country that’s not always easy. I’m here to share my story and to tell you why it wasn’t a hard decision for me.

I grew up in a Modern Orthodox household and attended the Jewish coed day school, Maimonides. During my childhood my parents fell into huge debt caring for my grandmother and could not afford to pay tuition – especially for 8 children. But instead of making us leave, the school allowed me and my 7 siblings to go from K-12 on essentially full scholarships. Looking back now, I am so grateful to the people who made this possible and their support inspired me with an intense desire to give back. One way was to volunteer to play piano and sing at nursing homes while in elementary and high school. I can only wonder who I would be today if I had not been allowed to grow and learn in the nurturing and supportive Maimonides community that paved the way for my life.

After high school, I was fortunate to attend a women’s religious seminary in Israel called Tiferet. I spent a year learning, traveling Israel, and growing as a person. That year abroad was not cheap. I worked for over a year teaching private piano lessons to save up and I applied for scholarships. Again, I find myself looking back with gratitude at the people who made that year possible. I felt so “seen” by these people I had never met and thankful they cared enough about me to offer me help. Remembering the lessons I learned in my earlier years, I looked for ways to give back to the community, so I tutored a girl in math whose family used to count out pennies for her to go buy socks and underwear at the dollar store down the street.

Leaving Israel at the end of my year abroad was difficult. I had really connected to the land and culture and felt a strong sense of acceptance and belonging there. However, I knew there was no way I could financially afford to live on my own in Israel at the age of 18. Instead, I went to Yeshiva University, where I had been granted a very generous scholarship and studied biology. During these years I went over English texts for translation into braille to ensure the print would be correct for blind readers. Unfortunately, my parents hadn’t recovered from their debts of caring for my grandmother for 18 years and were financially depleted so in addition to my double curriculum and volunteering I also worked an average of 3 jobs at a time so that I could
help support my studies and my family.

During my junior year I heard about a MASA program called Onward Israel that had special funding for students from Boston. I was accepted into the program and received an amazing internship doing microbiology research at the Hebrew University Faculty of Dental Medicine in the lab of Professor Doron Steinberg. That summer was wonderful, the Hebrew University campus was in full bloom and very hot. I made 2 important decisions that summer – 1) I would switch my study track from pre dental to research. 2) wearing jeans in the summer in Israel is a bad idea. I had simply fallen in love with
academia and that summer I saw that while the journey of a scientist is long and can be filled with failures, it also has the potential to change the world.
After my graduation from Yeshiva University, I knew I wanted to go back to Israel, and I was thrilled to learn about the International Biomedical Oral Research Program being offered by the Hebrew University. Again, I faced tuition and living costs that were more than I could afford. However, the Hebrew University was able to cover my tuition as well as heavily subsidize my housing costs making this journey possible for me. Even though I had just arrived, I was fortunate enough to find the time to get involved with the community in Israel. I taught English to Asylum Seekers from North Africa and children
in East Jerusalem.

Since coming to The Hebrew University, I have completed my Master’s degree and am now doing a direct track PhD studying the bacteria, Streptococcus mutans, infamous for causing cavities among other oral health related diseases. In my studies I test natural compounds produced by the human body for anti-microbial effects. I was honored to publish a paper on my findings and speak at the International Association of Dental Research conference last year held in Bogotá, Colombia.  Most recently, I started volunteering with The Jewish Agency, organizing crisis management webinars featuring leading experts for Jewish communities around the world.

At the beginning of October, I was gearing up for a new academic year when the war began. I was at a total loss. The weight of the horrors was too much for anyone to process, and as an olah chadasha – a new immigrant – with no family in the country I was terrified. Although my Hebrew is pretty good, I found myself drowning in conversations with words I had never heard before. Words like “chatufim” and “Mechabalim” – hostages and terrorists. Words I wish I never had to learn. But by October 8th, I also learned words like “Chamal” and “Trumot” – volunteer center and contributions – and I understood the strength of Israel and its people. I saw Israelis going in droves to donate goods to soldiers. Suddenly every street corner had a pop-up donation center. Many of my classmates were called to army reserve service and all I wanted to do was get involved and help in some way. Surprisingly, being in
Israel in the face of war actually made me feel a sense of unity and strength. I did not want to leave Israel even though my family kept asking me to. I was inspired to act and mobilized a fundraising campaign on social media to support our brave soldiers on the front lines.  I managed to raise 30,000 shekels within 24 hours that I then used to personally go out and purchase necessary items for soldiers on bases all over the country. This money came from family and friends in the States, who wanted to make a meaningful contribution and help in a way that had a profound impact. Their generosity
represented not just financial support, but a beacon of hope and solidarity as a Jewish nation.

Another reason I stayed in Israel was that Hebrew University was very supportive. In the wake of these horrors, Hebrew U labs remained open and encouraged its students to continue their research. Regardless of whether we came to campus, they continued paying scholarship aid and I was grateful for this sense of normalcy. I also received several calls from the psychologists on campus offering me free services if I needed it. They called every student, Israeli and international, Arab and reserve soldier. Their support was invaluable during these uncertain and stressful times.

I still have a few more years of my PhD left and am blessed to truly love what I do. But I would be foolish to believe that I got here alone. In fact, every leg of my journey was made possible by generous people who saw me and believed in me. This is why I am so passionate about volunteering and finding ways to give back to the world. There are always people who need assistance, and despite my financial constraints I will always look for ways how I can help.

I want to say thank you again for including me in this special event and thank you to the Hebrew University for this opportunity to share my story with you. And lastly, I would like to thank my parents who I am so honored were able to join tonight. I owe all my success to you, my biggest supporters.