Opinion

TRANSFORMING LIVES

Mentorship is a quiet revolution

In Short

Mentorship is not just guidance — it’s a declaration of belief in someone’s potential.

While attending Hebrew University, I was fortunate to meet and connect with Alice Shalvi, a professor, feminist and activist. To say Alice changed my life would be an understatement; she didn’t just mentor me but celebrated my strengths, challenged my weaknesses and held me to the standard of my potential. Alice showed me that mentorship isn’t about grand gestures — it’s about presence, belief and the quiet power of listening.

That lesson stayed with me. Mentorship holds transformative power, and not just for mentees but for mentors as well. For at-risk youth like the ones we serve at Advot, a mentor can bridge stagnation and growth, failure and success. 

Consider this: Youth who benefit from the support and guidance from adult mentors are 46% less likely to use illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking; 55% more likely to enroll in college; 78% more likely to volunteer in their communities; and 130% more likely to hold leadership positions as adults.

These are not just statistics; they are lives — and communities — irrevocably changed.

But what does effective mentorship look like? For me, the answer lies in the wisdom of Janusz Korczak, a Polish Jewish pediatrician and educator. In How to Love a Child, Korczak emphasizes respecting children’s dignity, understanding their unique perspectives and fostering growth through love and empathy. He believed in entering a child’s world with patience, valuing their experiences in the present rather than treating them solely as future adults. Alice Shalvi embodied this ethos, and it is infused into my philosophy of supporting at-risk youth. Effective mentorship begins with honoring individuality, building trust and empowering autonomy. 

W. was 14 and incarcerated when we first met. I celebrated her 15th birthday with her behind those walls. Over the past 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing her extraordinary transformation. I saw her graduate high school and navigate dead-end jobs until eventually securing a position at a local law firm. This spring, I’ll stand proudly by her side as she graduates from college — a moment that feels like both a culmination and a new beginning.

I’ve watched her style evolve, from countless hair colors to how she carries herself. Over the course of our conversations and explorations, I’ve observed her vocabulary expand, her confidence soar and her world grow. Mentoring W. has taught me that mentorship isn’t about doing everything for someone, but about connecting: building a village around someone who needs support; opening doors and bridging gaps. For W., that village included the tutor who helped her through high school, the store owner who provided her with a new wardrobe every season for six years and the donors who contributed to her scholarship fund. Many people came together to create something bigger than we could have achieved alone.

This collective effort has shown me the incredible power of mentorship, not as a solitary act, but as a shared commitment to someone’s future. Together, we’ve supported W. in realizing dreams she didn’t even know she had. The possibilities now seem limitless.

Mentoring her hasn’t just changed her life — it has also transformed mine. It deepened my understanding of poverty, food insecurity and what it means to walk alongside someone on their journey.

Recently, we launched Advot’s Re-Imagine Mentoring program, explicitly designed to support youth transitioning out of the lockup system in the Los Angeles area. The youth we serve have been marginalized, silenced and overlooked. As an organization dedicated to guiding them to grow into courageous and effective self-advocates, we must provide the dignity, understanding and empathy Korczak outlined. Many have been told they don’t matter, and our role is to prove otherwise — to pay attention, celebrate their potential and stay even when they stumble.

Sometimes mentorship involves addressing small but meaningful needs: providing a specific deodorant after release from a lock-up facility; helping navigate a job interview process; or something as seemingly trivial as showing up with red licorice instead of black. As my executive coach, mentor and friend Taylor Epstein says, “Change happens when you pay attention; by paying attention, you make change.” These seemingly mundane acts create the space for profound transformation.

This philosophy echoes the Jewish belief that “Whoever saves one life saves an entire world.” Mentorship embodies this truth. It’s not just guidance; it’s a declaration of belief in someone’s potential and a promise that they are not alone. Supporting one youth can ripple outward, impacting their immediate circle and their broader community.

At Advot, we often say we are the train station: Permanent and fixed in place, we guide youth to find the right train to board. If they miss it, we wait; we never stop believing in them or showing up. Mentorship isn’t about fixing people or giving answers. It’s about offering respect, support and presence as they find their way.

Pirkei Avot teaches, “Provide for yourself a teacher and acquire for yourself a friend.” This dual role of guide and companion captures the essence of mentorship. A mentor offers wisdom and support while fostering trust, encouraging self-discovery and empowering accountability.

According to MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, 1 in 3 young people grow up without a mentor. In today’s world, mentorship is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. It transforms lives, one conversation, one ride, one small act at a time. In doing so, it can change life trajectories — and, by extension, the world.

So, who will you mentor? What can you teach, share, or offer? Can you listen, take someone shopping, or simply be present? I invite you to step forward. 

Be the guide, the connector, the champion someone needs. 

We can create ripples that transform lives and futures through small acts of care.

The power to transform is within you. Will you use it?

Naomi Ackerman is the founder and executive director of Advot, a California-based nonprofit that uses theater to teach communication and relationship-building skills. Advot works with incarcerated and system-impacted youth, empowering them to find and use their voices to transform their lives. The organization’s Home Shalom program engages Jewish teens in exploring healthy relationships through a Jewish lens.