Connecting Miles of Smiles is an organization dedicated the wellbeing of the retired population. Connecting Miles of Smile's flagship program is called Israel Connect. In short, Israel Connect pairs retirees from around the world with struggling students in Israel to help them gain English proficiency. These partnerships also help to break down barriers between religious and political groups while opening doors to higher education.

Using video conference software, our volunteer seniors e-mentor, tutor, and build relationships with disadvantaged youth whose hopes rest on a university education. The vast majority of our students have graduated the program scoring over 90% on their English proficiency exam, an exam that represents 1/3 of the requirement for acceptance to a university.  We are especially proud of this accomplishment, as our efforts have resulted in the advancement of some of the most disadvantaged students way beyond expectations. Our volunteers gain from this experience as well.  For them, this is a wonderful weekly social interaction; Israel Connect helps our volunteers to contribute to society, support youth, and alleviate their own isolation.

In addition to tremendous academic and social gains, and due to the fact that we accept all regardless of political and religious affiliations, our program has fostered some unconventional conversations and friendships. It is a common occurrence for partnerships to form between otherwise unlikely allies. Through Israel Connect, we have seen relationships bloom between Muslims and settlers, right wing and left wing activists, religious and secular, women wearing the hijab and women calling from a beach in California or a flat in London. By doing so, we have broken down barriers and sparked important conversations in a much-contested region.