Ipswich-Rowley Rotary is delighted to welcome Iris Yoeli to the Rotary family, where we achieve more together than we can alone.
Compassionate and intelligent with a rich life experience, Iris is a retired teacher of Hebrew at the University of Hawaii and as an assistant professor at the Defense Languages Institute in Monterey, California. She also taught Arab students at an Israeli college and in other locations.
Volunteering always has been a passion. Iris has “many nice memories of volunteering in a small Arab town teaching kids in an elementary school. The experience and rough reality proved to be enriching.” She also “enjoyed cooking for lonely male and female soldiers, especially their Sabbath dinners, and joining in their lovely conversations.”
When not working, Iris enjoys hiking, martial arts, Pilates, gardening, and reading. “I had great experiences hiking in Peru, Vietnam, Italy, Part of the Camino, the Israeli National Trail, and many more places.” Currently focusing on martial arts, she hopes to be tested for a black belt in September. Iris lives in Ipswich and is the proud mother of three lovely boys and, so far, one granddaughter.
Her sponsor/mentor is Membership Chair Deborah Mahoney.