Gabrielle Soffer: Using her English for the good of others in Israel

Gabrielle Soffer, who has lived in Israel for just seven years, was recently honored with a certificate of appreciation on Teacher's Day at ORT Motzkin high school. Soffer arrived in Tel Aviv in 2019 with a background in visual arts and psychology from Hunter College and nine years of experience in real estate in New York.

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I didn’t think it was very serious, of course, at the time. You never think that when you meet somebody at a bar. But he actually ended up being a really standout guy who helped me with every facet of my life when I was so early into my experience here. I felt uncomfortable signing documents, like at the bank, without knowing Hebrew well. And he invested in my well-being from the start.

Her move to Israel was initially prompted by a desire to improve her Hebrew language skills through a residential ulpan at Tel Aviv University. It was there she met Asaf Cohen, who would become her husband and the father of their two young sons. Soffer credits him with being a supportive partner who helped her navigate the complexities of life in a new country, especially when dealing with practical matters like banking before her Hebrew was proficient.

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I often joke with my husband that we never would have gotten so serious so quickly if I hadn’t been living with three women from Europe and Latin America. It felt silly to be back in a dorm room at that point in my life. I wasn’t in my 20s anymore, and neither were they. It was very strange trying to adapt to that.

Soffer's journey to Israel was also influenced by her experiences as a Jewish student in New York. She recalls feeling marginalized and unsafe at Hunter College due to a strong anti-Israel sentiment on campus. These experiences, coupled with hearing antisemitic remarks, solidified her Jewish identity and made her feel increasingly alienated in the U.S. She found that her trips to Israel to visit relatives had always been positive, contrasting sharply with her growing unease in her home country.

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What I found at Hunter was a big anti-Israel base that would congregate every time there was the tiniest operation in Gaza. They would rally for Gaza and Palestinian rights and completely misinterpret Israel’s actions. They’d describe Israel’s regime in outrageous terms like ‘Nazi.’

After completing her degree and working in real estate, Soffer felt a pull towards a new path. Now, she teaches English, leveraging her own language skills to assist others in their integration into Israeli society, finding fulfillment in using her abilities for the benefit of her new community.

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At the time, I was in a relationship with an Israeli man. And it was a really big turning point for me. I felt threatened and scared to be a Jew in New York, having to mask my identity or be careful with it.