Interviews with Olim

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

A. I was born and raised in London, England.

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

A. I came out when I was 23. I had come out to most of my friends slowly for the few months before I came out to my family, which was actually at Chanukah 2 years ago. Once I was out to family I moved from being default in-the-closet, with some friends knowing, to basically out of the closet. It went decently. We had some heavy conversations in the months after coming out, but on the whole everyone in my family accepted me. 

Q. Were you involved at all in the LGBT community in your previous country? 

A. No. I only really realised I was gay and came out once I was living in Israel. 

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

A. I’m quite involved here. I run a monthly group for English speakers via Bat Kol, a organisation for LBT religious (or ex-religious) women. I also run a writing workshop once a month at the Jerusalem Open House, and occasionally make different events or meet-ups for lesbian women in Jerusalem/Jerusalem area. I’m very interested in and excited by building community.

Q. How long since you made Aliyah? 

A. I made aliya 5 years ago. 

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

A. I moved here alone but two of my siblings were here already and I knew another one wanted to make aliya soon after me, so I definitely came knowing I had family close by. 

Q. Why did you make Aliyah? 

A. I was in Israel for a year of midrasha [religious school], and while I was here I really liked the culture, the directness and the authenticity. Also I liked that here Judaism is the dominant culture, in the sense that one doesn’t have to be particularly engaged, bothered or religiously observant, in order to be Jewish here. It’s just in the background, and then you can move on to other things. 

Q. How is it going so far? 

A. Really well. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. 

Q. What do you do in terms of work?

A. I recently became licensed as a nurse, and am now working in a ward for complex geriatric nursing care. I am also studying for a Masters in Public Health.  

Q. How is your Ivrit?

A. Very good. I did sherut leumi [national service] intentionally not in Jerusalem so that I would be thrown into living with Israelis and diving into the deep end for learning Hebrew. I did come with a strong basis though, before I arrived I could have a stumbling conversation and I watched copious YouTube videos in Hebrew with subtitles to try learn as much as possible before I arrived.  

Q. What has been your biggest challenge so far? 

A. Probably learning to be more assertive and learning to go with the flow/being more spontaneous. 

Q. How do you perceive the Israeli LGBT community? 

A. I think I have a biased image of the LGBT community here because most of what I’m familiar with is in the religious LGBT scene (even though I’m no longer religious). But at least in that space, it feels like there’s a lot more drive, depth, and purpose to LGBT activism than in a wider secular context. I think also there’s more focus on family in Israel than in LGBT communities abroad, but this could just be how it seems from the internet/the acquaintances I have abroad.

Q. How is being LGBT in Israel different to your where you lived previously?

A. I wasn’t out when I was in London. Now when I go back to visit I usually go to Gay’s The Word (the oldest LGBT bookshop in the UK) and buy a silly amount of books. It’s a amazing shop. 

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

A. If I can engage in alternative histories then I’d say I would go to the army instead of doing sherut leumi. I don’t regret doing sherut leumi, it’s just somewhat incongruous to me now. Other than that, my aliya went pretty smoothly. Obviously I had my ups and downs and frustrations with bureaucracy but overall it was fine, I wouldn’t change anything. Before Aliyah my sister made me a very helpful folder of lots of sheets of info, but also goofy pages to lighten up during the first phase of aliya when you’re just sorting out so many official things in a short space of time, and that helped a lot.