Masa illuminates the wide range of Jewish experiences and the depth of Israeli society.
I leaped into the unknown, and I fell in love — not with a person, but with an entire country and culture. And after only a few months living here, I’ve found my dream job as well.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. Before I discovered my career calling in the great nation of Israel, I was a materials engineer in Canada. My daily life was nothing to complain about. As I grew up in Vancouver, I was close to my family and worked at a large engineering company. I had always wanted to be an engineer, but I soon realized that the particular path I was on never fulfilled me in the way I dreamed as a child.
Filled with a desire to discover true career fulfillment, I decided to take one of the biggest and best risks of my life: to leave my comfort zone and my small town for the vibrant, bustling city of Tel Aviv. Amid the constantly fluctuating pandemic, this monumental decision was packed with uncertainty. My career ambitions propelled me forward, as did my passion for Israel.
Israel leads the globe in the number of unicorns—privately held companies that reach a value of $1 billion—and offers an inspiring landscape for engineers like me. The country thrives on collaboration and praises entrepreneurs in the STEM sector, making it the perfect place to explore my professional prospects and focus my ambitions.
My decision to live and work in Israel was also motivated by my love for its unique culture. I grew up as a day school kid and an active member of the Vancouver Jewish community. I still have fond memories from my first trip to Israel shortly after my bar mitzvah. My strong family upbringing and deep ties to the Jewish state made it clear that Israel was the right place to expand my professional experience on an international level.
My leap of faith was all thanks to Masa, an organization founded by the Jewish Agency and the government of Israel. The Masa Career Fellow program allowed me the confidence to immerse myself in another culture and advance my career at a company that changed lives. It also provided the perfect framework for me to chase my aspirations and hone my skills in a field I’ve grown to love.
My move across the world was not just a physical change. I also switched departments in the workplace, going from an engineering position to a job in a laboratory.
Today, I am part of the regulations and product development team at Sonovia, an Israeli startup company that develops innovative masks and other textile products to combat COVID-19. In addition to satisfying my career interests, I am comforted by the thought that my work makes a difference.
Sonovia’s novel antibacterial face masks made a difference in keeping people around the world safe from COVID-19. At the height of the pandemic, its antiviral masks proved to be more than 99% effective in neutralizing the coronavirus. And at the peak of the pandemic, I joined this innovative company.
Innovation is at the forefront of Israel’s bustling startup industry. In working at Sonovia, I got to experience firsthand the values—like outside-the-box thinking, dynamism, and teamwork—that have helped guide my desire to be more flexible and open in my professional life.
Ben Katz: “Interning at Sonovia has been an amazing opportunity to build on my engineering skills and learn about Israel’s startup scene, all while working on products that help save lives.” (Photo: Supplied)
Before I came to Israel, I was craving new experiences to push my boundaries in the workplace. Now—about halfway through the program—I find myself learning something new every day. I can boast knowledge across different departments, from direct work in the lab to help with product development to regulatory issues. That’s not all—I also earn a salary through Masa’s Fast Track Pro program due to my prior engineering experience, so I know what it’s like to live, work, and earn in Israel. If it weren’t for Masa and my courage to explore the unknown, I’d still be working at a big corporation without as much drive or growth in my career. Thanks to the international internship program, I had the freedom to explore the startup culture of a country known to be the unicorn capital of the world.
Interning at Sonovia has been an amazing opportunity to build on my engineering skills and learn about Israel’s startup scene, all while working on products that help save lives.
I might not get the chance to work in regulation and product development in Canada with no experience, but I got my foot in the door as an intern in Israel. I found my lifelong career and professional passion in a city bursting with culture.
Masa has also illuminated the wide range of Jewish experiences and the depth of Israeli society. I would have never pictured myself living with people from all over the world, each taking our first steps into our lifelong career journeys in the Jewish state. I sense that the connections I’ve already made will remain strong long after the program ends.
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we must be nimble. The world is not a static place. We must learn to change with the times as our world continuously evolves.