Interviews with Olim

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

A. Murray: I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and I grew up there until age 19.

Harry: I was born in transit between Mexico and Canada, and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

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

A. Murray: I came out at 40 years of age while living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I had a wife and three children at the time. In addition to gay issues, I felt trapped in a miserable marriage. It was a very challenging time for myself, my children, and my ex-wife, along with my parents, but it was very liberating to claim my authentic self. I was determined for the sake of my mental and physical health to live an authentic existence intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Oh yes, and of course sexually.

Harry: I was always aware that I was different and have always been out. I had tremendous support from my parents and when I was 12 had a boyfriend that was invited to come along on our family holidays.

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

A. Murray: I came out during the HIV crisis in Canada and as such I became actively involved in a number of LGBT and HIV organizations in a number of different cities where I lived.

Harry: yes, when the LGBT community caught up to where I was at. 🙂 I’ve always been active in social justice issues, women’s rights issues, and finally when there was an LGBT community that was visible, very involved in that.

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

A. We have been active and supportive innovating  LGBT educational advocacy in the form of sponsoring a symposium on LGBT inclusion in the orthodox world of Jerusalem.  We enjoyed supporting the LGBT English-Speakers Group in Tel Aviv by opening our home for events.

Q. How long since you made Aliyah? 

A. For the past 10 years, we have been coming together to Israel on an annual basis and we made aliyah on May 6, 2021. 

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

A. We made Aliyah as a married couple and were fully accepted at all government institutions as a married couple.

Q. Why did you make Aliyah? 

A. When Corona finally hit here full blast, we felt this was the time to make Aliyah as we did not like the feeling of not being able to come here.

Murray: Further I was in a program of opera study with the number of professors from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem and did not want to hold up my studying.

Q. How is it going so far? 

A. So far for both of us it’s been a good experience. We have family and a number of friends here that we’ve known for quite a number of years. I would say for us it’s been what people call a “soft landing” so far.

Q. What do you do in terms of work?

A. We both arrived here as retired artists. Both our artistic endeavours are secondary careers. 

Harry: I had an extensive academic and professional background and legal background before I became an award winning glass blower.

Murray: I had a professional academic and corporate financial background in Banking and investing.

Q. How is your Ivrit?

A. Murray: Erevit, is that not a high mountain in Nepal? lol. Very basic after-school childhood religious education Hebrew. However I have picked up one or two words or phrases along the way.

Harry: My Hebrew is always considered excellent when I go to buy something, however when I go to return an item it seems I can’t be understood.

Q. What has been your biggest challenge so far? 

A. Harry: The service industry, or lack there of.

Murray: Apps and websites that cannot be translated to English.

Q. How do you perceive the Israeli LGBT community? 

A. We have not had very much interaction with the Hebrew-speaking LGBT community, only the LGBT English-Speaking Group, and a few longtime friends and gay family members here in Tel Aviv.

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

A. We really don’t see it as very big difference in our personal daily life. However, we are very aware that you cannot marry here, adopt a child here or have a surrogate child here and we are very much aware that there are places in Israel where it’s not safe to be openly gay or show any public display of affection.

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

A. If you’re using Nefesh B’Nefesh as part of your process be prepared for having to resend documents that may have become stale or expired, such as fingerprints. Get to know your Jewish Agency contact very well. There may be a time that you will need them to intervene on your behalf. It’s important to understand that Nefesh B’Nefesh is a private agency that does incredibly good work. But it is not in any position to give information pertaining to the Jewish Agency and the Government that are the ultimate groups to handle and make your decision on aliyah.