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

A. I was born and grew up in Melbourne and only made Aliya last year at the age of 30.

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

A. At the time, I felt like a late bloomer, however in retrospect, I came out at the right time in my life. I was 18 when I told my parents, they were the first people I told. They were relatively good about it (although I don’t think they were that surprised). My experience was fortunate as I found a lot of love and great acceptance with my family and friends. 

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

A. Well, for those from Melbourne, you will know there’s about a dozen Jewish GLBT groups in Melbourne: most of which I have had some participation in. I was also an active volunteer for the local gay centre, where I learnt a lot about the many facets of our community. Volunteering was a fantastic way to learn more about our community’s diversity, community opportunities and some of the unique issues our community faces. 

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

A. Currently, I live on Kibbutz Ketura (in the south of Israel), so there is very little LGBT life happening. With that said, I did help organise a local gay night at the kibbutz pub for pride month and there is a small group who have organised a weekly gay night in Eilat. Other than that, I join the English-Speakers Group events whenever I am in Tel Aviv.

Q. How long since you made Aliyah? 

A. I made Aliya in August 2017, however it feels like rather than making Aliya, I just moved to Kibbutz. Prior to making Aliya, I was lucky to be offered a job as a campus coordinator at the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies, based at Kibbutz Ketura. So straight from the airport, with all my bags and my puppy, we took a taxi down south, where I have been working and living since.

It has been an incredible experience and I am appreciative for the opportunity to be there, however in August I will be taking a new step in my Aliya journey as I move to Tel Aviv.

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

A. No, I moved here with my puppy (who’s recently turned 4). She’s a Golden Retriever cross Labrador who I’ve had since she was 6 weeks old. I feel very blessed to have her and very privileged to have had the opportunity to bring her on my Aliya journey. 

Q. Why did you make Aliyah? 

A. It has almost been a year since I moved here and I’m yet to craft the perfect response for my decision. As I once shared on Facebook when I left Australia, “I am very uncertain about where my Aliya journey will take me, however I know Israel is where I belong.” Prior to moving I had been to Israel many times and it was on my chai (18th) trip to Israel, that I finally made Aliya.

Q. How is it going so far?

A. Before arriving, I was lucky to have both a place to stay and a job to go to, so I had a relatively easy transition. My experience has also shown me that living near Eilat has a lot of advantages, such as having easy and fast access to services. On the other hand, living in the south has also been the greatest disadvantage as it is somewhat remote and distant from my family and friends.

Q. What do you do in terms of work?

A. Back in Melbourne, I was a commercial lawyer and I loved the work I was doing (leaving my job was one of the hardest sacrifices I made when I moved here). Since moving to Israel I have been working as a campus coordinator for the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies. Shortly, when I move to Tel Aviv in August, I will be searching for new opportunities.

Q. How is your Ivrit?

A. To my parents disappointment, despite 15 years of Jewish day school, I can hardly string a Hebrew sentence together. When I move to Tel Aviv in August, my focus will be on taking an Ulpan and working on my conversational Hebrew skills. If anyone is in Tel Aviv and wants to help me practice/learn Hebrew, please let me know. 

Q. How do you perceive the Israeli LGBT community? 

A. It’s difficult to say as my experience is very limited. In Eilat and the surrounding area, there is a very limited (or perhaps non-existent) LGBT presence. With that said, my perception is that it is a very active and diverse community, with each city offering different advantages and challenges to it’s members. I look forward to learning more about the community when I move to Tel Aviv. 

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

A. Australia, and Melbourne in particular, is a very socially liberal. Being gay is largely a non-issue and the quality of life for those in the LGBT community can be equal to others. With many more years ahead of me in Israel, I hope to feel the same way about life for LGBT members here as in Australia.

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

A. It’s too soon to know however I can say that my greatest challenge has also been my greatest blessing: bringing my puppy. I couldn’t imagine myself living here without her, however I realise now that, practically, things can be difficult trying to settle in, such as finding an apartment or transport without my own car. Also, not having solid Hebrew has proven to be a challenge.