Golan – from Jerusalem to Leuven

By Ann E --- Golan, former IJC Administrator and a well-known figure in our community, was born into a secular family in Jerusalem in 1982. His grandparents came originally from Kurdish Iraq, which was populated by Kurds and Jews in part of Northern Iraq. (Kurdish Jews lived as closed, ethnic communities until they were expelled in the 1940s and 1950s). Golan’s family still reside in Israel.

He studied maths at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Participating in student tutoring projects, he discovered his love of working in education with young people. He then became a maths teacher and educator, working with high school students and adult education programs.

His talent for maths won him a scholarship to study in Toronto where he stayed for two years and majored in chemistry and maths. He then returned to Israel and became what he always wanted to be – a maths teacher and educator, working with high school students and adult education programs.

He later on took part in a program at the Catholic University of Leuven specializing in educational leadership. His original intention was to stay in Belgium temporarily. Three years later, he is still here. Meeting his partner and joining IJC helped him to change his mind.

When asked why after two years he gave up his highly successful position as IJC Administrator, he says he felt it was time to focus on his career development even though working with IJC was “very fulfilling”. He was therefore more than happy to hand over the reigns to Hila, a relatively recent arrival looking for a start in Belgium in a Liberal Jewish context. His former job may have been rather time and energy consuming, but he is still determined to remain involved in IJC in some capacity. For instance, he has some very interesting excursions and other programs in mind, some concentrating on long-time members such as the recent successful Legacy Lunch. He feels that not connecting to older people is a great loss for the young and hence his determination to focus on senior IJC members. Another project close to his heart is his involvement in interfaith events.

We are very much looking forward to Golan’s continued efforts to play his part in enhancing the life of our Community.