Interviews with Olim

Q. Where were you born and where did you grow up?

A. I was born in Evanston, IL. I grew up in Chicago, before moving to the Upper-West Side of NYC, and now I live in Israel! 🙂

Q. At what age did you come out? And how did it go? 

A. I began to “come out” at 16 to my family, before ultimately coming out to the world at 17. My initial reason for coming out was not to “come out”, but rather to “fix” myself through a bogus program called JONAH (now defunct). My family was always supportive of what I wanted to do, and when I realized JONAH was never going to work, I came to terms with my sexuality, before ultimately coming out.

Q. Were you involved at all in the LGBT community back home? 

A. Yes. I was part of a youth group called JQY (Jewish Queer Youth), which was a great support system for me, when I was initially “coming out”.

Q. What is your involvement (if any) in the LGBT community in Israel? 

A. I recently started attending some of the English-Speaking LGBT Olim programs, here in Israel.

Q. How long since you made Aliyah? 

A. 3 years and counting! 🙂

Q. Did you move here on your own or with family/friends/significant other? 

A. I made Aliyah on my own. However, my parents will be making Aliyah in the next couple of months – God willing!

Q. Why did you make Aliyah? 

A. It wasn’t one specific reason or experience that made me come to the decision of making Aliyah. I used to visit Israel 2-3 times per year since I was a kid, though I never imagined myself moving here. However, after going through different life experiences, which made me re-evaluate my priorities and what I want in life, it ultimately led me to realize that I wanted to live in Israel. So, after 3 years of a lot of care and thought, I decided to make Aliyah – and I couldn’t be happier! 🙂 

Q. How is it going so far? 

A. Even with all the craziness that comes along with this country, I can’t imagine myself living anywhere else! 

Q. What do you do in terms of work?

A. I’m a full-time Professional Makeup Artist and I work part-time as a Market Research Coordinator and Social Media Manager for a U.S-based healthcare company.

Q. How is your Ivrit?

A. My understanding is great, but my speaking is just okay. 

Q. What has been your biggest challenge so far? 

A. My Mother being diagnosed with breast cancer, while living more than 5,000 miles away.

Q. How do you perceive the Israeli LGBT community? 

A. I think LGBT communities across the world share a lot of the same pain, problems and struggles.

Q. How is being LGBT in Israel different from back home?

A. I can’t speak on a community as a whole, but from what I’ve experienced, it’s not that different – except for more Jews and a lot more Hebrew-speakers!

Q. If you were making aliyah now, would you do anything differently?

A. Nope. I’m a firm believer in “everything happens for a reason” and “when the time is right…”. I feel that my decision to make Aliyah was very organic and just felt right. After 3 years of being here, I’m proud for building myself a life here and building my career here – I can’t imagine living anywhere else! 🙂