Interviews with Olim

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

A. I was born in Ireland, and grew up in Kildare, which is a county bordering Dublin (close but very different 😊). I did live in Dublin for a few years, but mostly I was living in the countryside – far from the nearest town. There are no sidewalks or streetlights where I grew up, and I discovered that this is difficult for many Israelis to comprehend. 😊

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

A. I guess I was about 20. Overall, it went well. It was not on purpose. I didn’t drive back then, and my mother was bringing me to work. There was some conversation and at one point, there was a reference to “Will and Grace”. I do not remember the exact details, but however I answered a question, it was revealing.

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

A. In college, I was involved in various ways with the LGBT Society. However, once I finished college, I was not so involved on the organizational side of things. I did attend Pride every year and went to the gay bars and clubs, and I still attend events when I am there.

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

A. In my first years after making Aliyah, I was focused on arranging myself in things like Ulpans, and completing the bureaucrazy. During this time, I came across the LGBT English-Speakers group, and this was a very good thing! I attended the Qulpan and enjoyed the coffee meet-ups. Later on, I made contact with the Bear community, which is mostly based around Tel Aviv. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has limited socializing in the last years. I am beginning to really get back into things 😊 I am sure looking forward to future coffee mornings!

Q. How long since you made Aliyah?

A. I made Aliyah in February 2017.

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

A. I moved here “alone” but I have an Israeli partner. I moved in with him and our cat 😊

Q. Why did you make Aliyah?

A. Oh, I wish this was a simple answer, although I realize that it’s probably never a simple answer for anyone. In a vast simplification, I first visited Israel in 2010, and feel very drawn to being here, and kept wanting to go back. I visited once or twice a year until I finally made Aliyah. I am still happy that I finally made Aliyah.

Q. How is it going so far?

A. In general, I am getting on very well. Pandemic aside, I have developed a nice circle of friends and I have a nice home with my partner and cat. And I get to enjoy my hobbies, which often involve computers and gaming.

Q. What do you do in terms of work?

A. I work in Biomedical science as a Grant Consultant. This involves a combination of Project Management, scientific editing and analysis (in addition to needing highly developed time management skills! Haha). In this job, I get to see some incredibly interesting cutting-edge research. It makes my excited about the kind of medical advancements that are on the horizon.

Q. How is your Ivrit?

A. באופן כללי, יש לי רמה די טובה של עברית. [Overall, I have a pretty good level of Hebrew] 😉

I passed my Ulpans and Hebrew courses quite well. The biggest difficulty for me is bridging the gap between the ability to read and write, to speech. My work is very international, so I have to focus on being exposed to Hebrew language. It’s good that there are many good Israeli TV shows. Most recently, I am enjoying season 3 of קופה ראשית (Kupa Rashit).

Q. What has been your biggest challenge so far?

A. This would have to be the pandemic. I mean, I navigated all of the bureaucrazy with the help of my partner, and even found a job I like pretty quickly. I had a lot of support during that time (and I am so grateful!). I felt I had found my feet pretty quickly! So for everything to essentially stop like it did, it was a challenge. But we are all almost through it 😊

Q. How do you perceive the Israeli LGBT community?

A. I have always found friendly open LGBT spaces in Israel. LGBT English-Speakers was the first group I got in contact with and from the first moment it was a well-organized group and everyone was welcoming. The same has been true at every point so far!

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

A. Socially, there are many similarities between Ireland and Israel in terms of LGBT. I can draw some parallels. Both Dublin and Tel Aviv tend to be the focus of the LGBT communities in each country, yet there are many thriving communities in each of the other cities, with Open Houses, and each city hosting their own Pride events (although in Ireland, it’s more likely towns than cities.)

When it comes to legal issues, it’s clear there are some differences, although both countries do some things better, and both countries have aspects that could be improved. One of the most obvious points that could be made is that Ireland has legalized Gay Marriage. On the other hand, the Irish laws around adoption and surrogacy, which is something that has been challenged for decades at this point, have a long way to go. But I am no expert in legal issues, these are some points that come to mind. I will say, you win some, and you lose some, but you don’t stop trying to make things better!

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

A. It is a good question. I am very happy in my life. I know that at first, it can be daunting to get used to everything in a new country. I think I would have made contact with LGBT communities earlier. I was almost a year in the country before I began to, and I am glad I did!