Gvahim: Two decades of helping olim build their careers

For many olim, making aliyah is only the first step. The harder question often comes later: how do I find a job and build a career in Israel? For two decades, Gvahim, a nonprofit organization supporting olim of working age, has been helping answer that question - one CV, interview, and workshop at a time.

This year, Gvahim marks 20 years since its founding, with a major celebration planned for June, alongside 10 years of partnership with the Jerusalem Municipality. Partnerships like these, Denise, Gvahim’s community and events manager, notes, have been key to the organization’s success.

Gvahim’s pre-aliyah program helps olim candidates across the globe, prepare for aliyah. The program offers multilingual workshops and personalized consultations covering education, finance, health, housing, and - most importantly -career development. Participants gain practical tools for adapting to living in Israel and plan their next steps.

At the core of Gvahim’s work is its career program, which combines group workshops, one-on-one consultations, mentorship, job search support,  and long-term networking opportunities. Participants learn to tailor and fine-tune their CVs, prepare for interviews, develop presentation skills, understand contracts and salaries, and navigate professional relationships in Israel. Specialized HR sessions also give olim direct insights from recruiters and hiring managers.

Each participant receives personalized guidance from career consultants, who help them to set realistic goals and translate their previous experience into the Israeli context. This is a crucial step for olim who often struggle to restart their careers or translate their skills abroad, particularly those with limited English or Hebrew.

After completing the training and consultations, participants gain lifelong access to Gvahim’s internal networking platform, which connects them with volunteer mentors and a closed job board featuring openings suitable for olim.

The organization also arranges company visits to tech giants like Microsoft and Salesforce, as well as non-tech employers, giving olim their first in-person exposure to Israeli workplaces and an opportunity to connect with olim working in those companies.  A modest one-time membership fee, typically between NIS 200 and 400, grants permanent access to the network, allowing olim to return for guidance when changing jobs or re-entering the workforce.

Gvahim hosts major networking events throughout the year, along with smaller panels and workshops nationwide. December’s Jerusalem event highlighted the organization’s warm and interactive approach. 

The evening opened with mingling sessions and one-to-one HR-mentor tables, followed by interactive games at roundtables designed to spark conversation. At dinner-style tables, participants pitched themselves, shared career goals, and answered lighthearted questions about life in Israel.

A final panel brought together HR leaders from organizations ranging from Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Joint to Jerusalem-based tech companies. 

Denise, a Gvahim alumna, knows the program firsthand. An alumna herself, she joined the program 13 years ago, commuting weekly to Tel Aviv while studying in ulpan and living in Jerusalem. 

“Gvahim was a game changer for me, I had an excellent HR consultant, enjoyed the workshops where I met olim from all over the world, my first professional network, and found my first job thanks to the program. I learned how to repackage my skills for the Israeli market, network, set goals, and navigate the Israeli professional landscape.”

While primarily serving olim of working age, Gvahim evaluates all applicants individually, including older candidates and those without a degree. 

Four years ago, the organization also introduced online programs for non-degree holders, including the multilingual Kickstart program in English, Spanish, French, and Russian. 

With a placement success rate of around 88%, Gvahim continues to evolve while keeping its mission clear: to reach more olim, empower them to build meaningful careers, and ensure that no one navigates Israel’s professional landscape alone.