Tom Cohen, a law and economics graduate from the Hebrew University, began his professional journey in Israel’s public sector. He worked at the Ministry of Finance as a student, interned at the Ministry of Justice, and later pursued a career at the Israel Competition Authority in Jerusalem. About a year ago, he moved to London to pursue an MBA at the London Business School (LBS), and since then, he has been living in the British capital with his partner, also a Hebrew University graduate, who works for an Israeli company in London.
The move to London presented Tom with an opportunity to gain new knowledge and explore additional directions. “The studies last up to two years, and we have the option to use our visas to gain and deepen business experience in a place like London,” he explains. Tom views his studies as a unique chance to experience the global business world in an environment where the multicultural atmosphere and professional opportunities are highly diverse.
Tom describes the differences between academic studies in Israel and the MBA program in London: “My academic experience at the Hebrew University was intellectual and challenging, whereas in London, the studies are more practical and hands-on. The first few months at LBS were intense, filled with social events, lectures, and numerous meetings. Being slightly older than the average student and in a relationship, I find it harder to connect with the youthful and celebratory atmosphere of some of the students,” he shares.
When the war broke out on October 7th, Tom felt the dissonance intensely. Far from home, he and his fellow Israeli students struggled to maintain their academic routine, and the feelings of loneliness in the foreign reality of London were challenging and complex. “Since that day, it has been harder to integrate and socialise as before, and thoughts about what is happening in Israel have become an inseparable part of my daily life. It was difficult for me to cope with the feeling of loneliness and the expectation that the surrounding environment would understand and empathise more, but the topic was rarely directly addressed, and it was uncommon for people to genuinely know how to ask simply and empathetically how I was feeling. At the beginning of the war, I received support from people who were not necessarily my closest friends, but whose character allowed them to show more sensitivity. I realised that some people just didn’t know how to approach or talk about it, and sometimes it took them time before they dared to ask how I was.”
In addition to the emotional difficulty, the Israeli students at LBS also faced complex events on campus, one of the most challenging of which occurred when a student posted an Instagram image of Israel on fire with the Israeli flag and a swastika. “We reported the incident to the school administration, which suspended the student until the end of the semester. The incident highlighted for us, the students, the need to act and influence the school and manage the atmosphere in a balanced and respectful manner. Fortunately, the faculty at the school was very supportive, and we did not encounter problematic incidents like those seen at other educational institutions.”
The support of the faculty and Israeli lecturers at the school provided Tom and his friends with an anchor during the challenging period. However, tensions on campus persisted, including when the Middle East Club invited the Palestinian ambassador to the UK to give a lecture. Following this, the Israeli students realised they needed to voice additional perspectives and invited journalist and social activist Yoseph Haddad to speak to the students and present a different perspective on the reality in Israel. They also organised a meeting with survivors of the massacre that was open to all students, but primarily aimed at Israeli students as an opportunity for them to connect more with the reality back home.
After the events of October 7th and the world’s reactions, there was a sense of distance from the surrounding environment, which heightened feelings of paranoia and discomfort. These feelings eased over time, especially when the semester ended, and social connections became more based on close-knit people. Despite not planning to do so, the students found themselves engaging in advocacy: “I learned to divide interactions with people into different levels of openness: from those who fully support Israel to those with hatred that I won’t be able to change. I focused on people open to conversation and didn’t waste energy on those who were not interested in dialogue. The responses were mostly positive, and people learned new things about Israel and the complex reality there. Open dialogue had a positive impact, and the tone towards Israel became more moderate, even if it didn’t change entirely. Following the events, ordinary conversations about the lives we come from turn into advocacy conversations, even though none of us in the MBA program intended to be diplomats. The Israeli ethos, the sense of duty to represent the country, which is part of our identity, and to speak on its behalf, strengthens, especially in times of crisis, creating a sense of commitment, even if it wasn’t planned.”
Throughout the year, Tom had many thoughts about the possibility of returning to Israel and finding a way to help, even though he was not called up for reserve duty, but ultimately decided to stay in the UK and complete his studies. Another challenge was finding a summer internship, particularly when he had to consider whether to remove military service details from his resume, fearing it might harm his chances of being accepted. However, fortunately, “despite the concerns, I managed to secure an internship without removing details from my resume.” Today, Tom is interning at a startup in the circular economy sector, which he discovered through the Israeli network and alumni events at the school. His stay in London offers him unique opportunities to meet people from different cultures and learn how to operate in an international environment, despite the challenges and difficulties of maintaining his Israeli identity in the complex reality of London. “The experience in London, alongside the difficulties, is very enjoyable and offers me unique opportunities,” he concludes, “and I want to make the most of the global opportunities available here. With all the challenges the past year has presented, I still feel that this is an opportunity not to be missed.”