Jeremy Issacharoff and Mark Sofer were childhood friends in London. They both rose to be senior Israeli diplomats —- and both have now been promoted to the personal rank of ambassador, the top position in the diplomatic hierarchy.
Mr Issacharoff, 53 is the deputy chief of mission at the Israeli embassy in Washington DC and Mr Sofer, 53 (né Hochhauser), is the Israeli ambassador in New Delhi, India. They have been close friends since the age of ten, when they went to school together at Hasmonean, North London. British-born, they both went on to study at the London School of Economics before making aliyah and joining the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
In 2003, Mr Issacharoff was made ambassador to India, but he turned it down as his father was ill. He tells People: “Mark’s life and mine have followed similar paths. It’s been a real finger of coincidence. It feels great to get to such a pinnacle and it’s nice to get there with someone you know so well.”
Mr Sofer, the brother of United Synagogue president Simon Hochhauser, says: “To achieve the personal rank of ambassador is to reach a high point in my career. It’s always good to reach the top, and to share this with Jeremy is something special.”
Despite living miles apart, the two still speak regularly. Mr Sofer previously served as Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, while Mr Issacharoff is the former first deputy director-general for strategic affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem.
He lives in Washington with his wife, Laura Kam Issacharoff, and their three children. Mr Sofer relocated to Delhi with his wife, Sara. Their three daughters live in Israel.
