Lola Katz Honored At The ESRA ETP Scholarship Ceremony

Tonight, we have the honor and the joy of celebrating a woman whose name is spoken with admiration: Lola Katz.

Anyone who has ever sat in a session with Lola knows this: she doesn't simply teach English — she lives it, builds with it, and connects people through it. And she helped thousands of Israelis believe that they could do the same.

When I arrived at ESRA nearly nine years ago, ESRA's then-chairman, Baruch Tanaman, told me: "Sunny, you must meet Lola. She's the head of our English Tutoring Program and she's the best we have."

So I did.

Lola welcomed me with her sparkling eyes and her warm, compassionate smile. From just a few sessions, I realized that what she taught me was far more than English. She taught me to pay attention to what lies between and behind the words — to truly see and connect with people.

One lesson that stayed with me was about cultural sensitivity. Lola once shared a research vignette from Israel: children from different backgrounds were asked whether they would offer their seat to an elderly person on a bus. The Ashkenazi child offered his seat. The Moroccan child did not. The initial conclusion labeled one as "polite" and the other as "not." But that was wrong.

In Moroccan culture, offering a seat may suggest that the elder is no longer capable — and is therefore considered disrespectful.

Both children were thoughtful; they simply came from different cultural frameworks.

Lola reminded me — and reminds all of us — to look deeper, listen carefully, and approach each person with openness and curiosity.

Lola was also the one who introduced Zoom to ESRA — long before COVID. Because of her foresight, when the world suddenly shut down, ESRA was able to immediately pivot to online programming and continue serving students and communities across the country.

Lola is not only an exceptional educator — she is a visionary. She believed that volunteers, when given the right tools and guidance, could become a bridge between children and confidence.

And she was absolutely right.

She didn't just help create ESRA's English Tutoring Program — she shaped its DNA:

High professional standards

Warmth and emotional intelligence

Adaptability and creative thinking

Her belief was simple yet powerful: every child can succeed — if we believe in them first.

Lola didn't raise the bar.

Lola is the bar.

And today, even as the program serves thousands of students and non-native English teachers across Israel, her touch is still present — in the carefully trained volunteers, in the thoughtful lesson plans, and in the smile of every child who suddenly realizes, "Hey! I just spoke a whole sentence in English."

Lola, on behalf of ESRA, our students, and our volunteers — thank you for building not only a program, but a legacy.

A legacy of language, confidence, kindness, and human connection. With deep love and admiration — thank you.