Tal Gurevich, Front of House Volunteer

I moved to Willesden at the end of 2022 and joined the Willesden House of Life as a volunteer during the Big Help Out in 2023. It has been a fantastic way of getting to know more about the deep Jewish history on my doorstep, meet other volunteers and start to grow roots in the local community.

I was born in Jerusalem to immigrants from the former Soviet Union and spent my early childhood in Beit Shemesh, Israel, before moving with my family to Surrey in the early 2000s. Although I diligently learnt British English at school as my 3rd language after Russian and Hebrew, the American English accent I accidently picked up from watching too many American TV shows still lingers…

After graduating with my BA in PPE from Warwick University in 2012, I spent a couple of years in London before moving to the United States to work for a healthcare consulting and turnaround company. The stateside adventure took me all over the country, including Miami, New Haven, where I completed a Master of Public Health at Yale University, and Nashville. After drinking my fair share of Cuban coffee in Florida and failing to develop a love for country music in Tennessee, I returned to London in 2022. My community welcomed me back with open arms, and in many ways, it feels like I never left.

I currently work as a manager in the NHS and enjoy tour guiding around the UK when I can. When I’m not spending time visiting my family that’s scattered abroad, including Australia, Israel and Canada, I will most likely be found either reading or outdoors, hiking or on another adventure. Some of my favourite hikes include trekking to Kilimanjaro, the Tour du Mont Blanc, the Jesus Trail in Israel and our very own, mesmerising Jurassic Coast walk.

I’m very much looking forward to continuing to volunteer, learning more about the local history and people, and continuing to grow my roots here.