I Left School Administration to Lead Seniors

For 35 years, Eti Nudelman managed a school in Tel Aviv. She developed educational methods to reach students' hearts, learned to identify their needs, and also integrated children with special needs into regular classes. After years of intense and fulfilling management, Eti decided to retire early. At 57, she found herself with a lot of free time. "I didn't want to develop a second career," she emphasizes, "but I knew I wanted to do something meaningful with my life. A good friend suggested connecting with Yad Sarah to volunteer and offer them my management experience. After meeting with the right people, I was surprised with the offer to manage Yad Sarah's logistics center in Rishon LeZion. It took me over a week to consider the idea. It was hard for me to accept that I was about to take on such a large-scale project, and even more so the drastic change – instead of managing young students, I would begin managing seniors, because most department heads under my management are older, some already over 80."

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No Money, Great Satisfaction

Eti's work is completely volunteer-based, without any compensation. "I get very excited when I say this," she notes, "because during the years I managed the school, I used to think that the education system had the people with the greatest dedication. Of course, I don't underestimate any educational figure, but as I get to know Yad Sarah's departments, I discover many people doing other things with no less dedication. It's especially touching to see the senior people at Yad Sarah who are on the management team, doing it wholeheartedly and without any compensation. Every time I observe them and their work, I tell myself: 'Wow, the world is good.'"

Alongside great satisfaction, is there also difficulty in your new endeavor?

"Certainly. First of all, it demands a lot from me – I go to work four days a week and have to conduct quite a few meetings with numerous department managers and also with external parties. There is a great deal of responsibility here. My main concern is that I'll drown in the sea of management again, which is something I didn't want and don't want. When I retired from school administration, I knew I wasn't heading toward a second career. Also, I don't want to be a manager. I've been in the role long enough, and it was enough for me. That's also why my management at Yad Sarah is very participatory. There is no hierarchy but a lot of teamwork.

"But the biggest challenge is adjusting to the extreme gap between managing classes of children and managing divisions headed by older people who have their own pace and sometimes a sense of rigidity. It's very difficult to move them from familiar things; everything needs to be done wisely and thoughtfully. It took me time to understand this and adapt myself to the work style."

As you mentioned – this is volunteering. What gives you the strength to invest so much without any compensation?

"It's the strong desire burning within me to do something meaningful. Additionally, Hashem blessed me with financial options that allow me to be in a place of volunteering and do things without financial reward, but it's important for me to emphasize that there's another kind of reward – great satisfaction and an immense experience of giving. It is a great privilege. I am happy that I have been granted the opportunity to take advantage of it."

What would you say to others who are starting a new endeavor these days?

"I recommend that you come with a willingness to learn and with great humility. Understand that you are entering a world of new people you haven't met before, now with new concepts and different management. Don't come with the intention to make changes initially; instead, in the first stage, mainly listen and get to know those around you, and above all, remember – you are not alone, there is a Creator of the world, and He is the one who led you here and manages everything."