Esther, a recent SPACE alumna from the Branco Weiss School, made Aliyah with her family when she was only 6 years old. She remembers the fresh white dress she wore, and how her father hoisted her atop his shoulders as they strode out of the Ben Gurion gate and into Israel for the first time. She remembers the wild rush of elation she felt as her grandmother, who had left Ethiopia to make Aliyah a few years earlier, greeted her and her family with a warm embrace. Esther is 18 today, and her soft-spoken words carry an understated wisdom. She speaks fondly of her love of studying literature and says that, in her free time, she enjoys dancing and eating pizza. 

Esther joined ENP's SPACE Program when she was in seventh grade, and she has been an eager participant ever since. SPACE has helped Esther thrive, particularly in math, for when Esther joined SPACE, she had a 15% in math, by midyear she had a 45%, and at the end of the year she had earned an impressive score of 100%. It is difficult for Esther to study when she is alone or at home, so the SPACE Program gives Esther the personalized curriculum and one-on-one attention that she needs in order to succeed. Esther raves about her teachers, Amir and Rina, emphasizing the fact that “The teachers are nice and really want to help you.” Esther’s teachers speak proudly about how invested she is in volunteering with kids in the community and in encouraging others to join SPACE. Esther has big dreams for her future: she wants to join a combat unit in the army and go to university, possibly to study law, and SPACE has helped her to make these goals feasible.