AI and resilience: how Israelis uprooted by war are rebuilding careers and livelihoods - ynetnews

After more than 750 days on reserve duty, Dan (pseudonym), 36, a married father of one from a kibbutz in northern Israel, found himself in need of work when the career path he thought was set evaporated in an instant.

Before the war, he had spent several years as a car mechanic after studying automotive engineering. “I was pretty locked in on that direction,” he said.

Between his military reserve duty and the sudden closure of his garage due to the war, he faced an unexpected turning point that forced him to reconsider his career. “I was kind of in the air, not knowing what was happening to me or what I wanted to do,” he said.

Dan’s experience is shared by thousands of Israelis in the wake of the war. With reservists called up for duty, people displaced for months, and businesses closing temporarily or permanently, many are struggling to reenter the workforce at a time of deep uncertainty.

Employment has become a critical part of recovery, not only providing income, but also restoring a sense of identity and stability and affirming that people can move forward. At the same time, rapid changes in the labor market, including the swift rise of artificial intelligence, are reshaping how people find and sustain work.

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the global humanitarian organization whose mission includes supporting Israel’s most vulnerable, has years of experience helping Israelis, including notably Haredi men, Arab women, and individuals employed below their skill level, to enter the workforce, stay employed, and advance in stable, quality jobs.

That mission has taken on new urgency and expanded to support workforce recovery and economic resilience for those affected by the war, such as wounded Israelis, people coping with trauma, reservists and their families, and others whose working lives have been upended.

Against this backdrop, Dan was offered a place in the Eitan program, designed to help Israelis who struggle to find stable work or stay in jobs over time or whose careers have been interrupted by the war. This program is part of a national employment initiative developed by JDC in partnership with the Israeli Employment Service, the National Insurance Institute, and the Ministry of Labor. The program provides job seekers with comprehensive career guidance, coaching, and digital tools.

Dan was initially skeptical about using one of the program’s newer tools, an artificial intelligence-powered career resource called Claire. Driven by Claro Mentor's platform, the tool introduces a digital layer of personalized support to the program. It empowers participants to clarify their goals, prepare for job opportunities, build action plans, and stay focused between coaching sessions.

With encouragement from Eitan’s career coach and fellow program participants, Dan decided to give it a chance. “Suddenly, I saw that it was something ‘wow,’ an amazing tool that can take you up several notches,” he said.

As Dan worked through Claire’s AI-powered process, he entered details about his experience, strengths, and ambitions. The platform then took him through a series of personalized steps to clarify his goals, ultimately translating those into tailored career pathways.

One option in particular stood out: transportation safety officer. “I realized I couldn’t really leave the automotive field, because that’s what I love... but going back to mechanics was no longer for me,” he said. “I felt I could get much more out of myself and play a part in the security of my country.”

He credits the Eitan program with helping him discover his next career path. “I would not have reached it on my own so quickly and so clearly,” Dan said, explaining that Eitan’s holistic approach to finding a job met him at the right moment.

Dan’s story illustrates the major changes taking place across Israel’s workforce.

As Israelis recover from the war, the labor market is entering a period of profound transformation. Advancements in AI, the rise of the gig economy, and changing expectations among younger workers are moving people away from fixed career paths toward a system defined by skills, flexibility, and constant adaptation.

For Lior Schillat, Director of TEVET, JDC Israel’s workforce development, Dan’s experience reflects how employment services must evolve to meet new realities. “The challenge,” he said, “is to harness technology now, helping Israelis adapt to a shifting labor market before disruption becomes crisis.”

In response, JDC is integrating human guidance from career coaches with AI-powered digital tools designed to address the distinct needs of different groups, enabling participants to stay focused, take greater ownership of their careers, and land good jobs.

Jobify, JDC’s AI-based job search and career planning platform, focuses on skills rather than job titles. Instead of assuming that someone who worked as a supermarket cashier should apply only for similar roles, the system identifies transferable skills that can open paths to fields such as sales, marketing, or customer relations.

The platform includes more than 85,000 job listings and has drawn 400,000 users, with 80,000 resumes submitted to employers each month. It is used by all 16 national job centers and more than 1,200 employment professionals, partnering with 400 of the country’s largest companies.

Since October 7, Jobify has introduced features that prioritize wounded IDF soldiers and reservists, linking them directly with employers. Simultaneously, in northern Israel, the platform is focused on building a comprehensive regional ecosystem that connects job seekers, local employers, employment centers, and policymakers. By enhancing connectivity and data accessibility, this initiative aims to streamline the northern labor market, thereby facilitating a rapid rehabilitation of the region.

An AI tool that advances JDC’s focus on strengthening small business development as a key driver of economic recovery in Israel is Bizdata. Designed to assist people starting their own business, the AI-powered platform functions as a digital adviser, helping users identify key issues before launching, including taxation, competition, staffing, market demand, and business planning. Bizdata was developed by JDC in partnership with the National Digital Directorate and the Small and Medium Business Agency at the Ministry of Economy.

Its aim is not to replace professional advice but to help entrepreneurs ask better questions early, before costly mistakes are made. The platform’s data also offers a broader view of Israel’s small business landscape, such as what types of businesses people are pursuing and the concerns they raise most often.

For Tamar Arava, a 48-year-old attorney in Haifa who, after 20 years practicing commercial law, decided to shift her career toward more meaningful work helping people navigate the legal aspects of end-of-life planning, Bizdata was transformative.

The platform helped Tamar refine her business model and professional positioning. She analyzed pricing, expenses, and how similar businesses operate. Bizdata enabled her to turn her insight, that visiting her clients at home could offer a more flexible, lower-cost alternative to a traditional office, into a concrete strategy.

It also guided her marketing approach, leading her to focus on offering courses and online videos that explain complex legal tools.

“By combining information from Bizdata with my knowledge of the field, I can move the business forward,” she said.