Julian, his wife Paula, and their son and daughter made aliyah from Argentina in January. They had also lived in California for a time but always felt a strong connection to Israel as a Jewish family seeking to share their culture, faith, and values with their neighbors. As anti-Semitism in Buenos Aires rises and the Jewish population declines, they began to feel like outsiders.
Julian said, “A friend recommended that we contact them (The Fellowship). I received immediate answers to so many questions that we had. We were a little worried because our son needed to be in Israel in late January to start his program at the kibbutz. However, everything went super-fast and smoothly, even easier than we thought.”
The family settled in the city of Karmiel in northern Israel. 12-year-old Leslie has been attending school, and 21-year-old Nicholas is working on a kibbutz while preparing to enlist in the IDF. Once Julian and Paula finish learning Hebrew, they plan to find work in their respective fields—agricultural engineering and graphic design. Julian chose Karmiel because of its strong connection to nature. But just a month after they arrived, the war with Iran broke out.
“The hardest part is sometimes the lack of sleep. At least two or three times a day, we need to go down to the shelter because of missile alerts. We knew that this was a possibility, and I think we are doing well, considering the circumstances. It helps that we are not alone in this, so we feel that we are part of a community,” said Julian.
Julian and Paula have continued learning the language remotely and joined a conversation club twice a week, where olim practice Hebrew together. Even amid the fear and uncertainty of war, Julian believes it has strengthened the resolve of his new community. He recalls that before the war began, the absorption center had a list of 1,500 volunteers. It has now doubled.
“You see so many people doing everything for others. People text me every day to ask me if we are doing OK and if we need something. We feel that they have truly made us their priority,” said Julian, “They get nothing in return, aside from the feeling of helping a stranger. The situation is not fun, but it makes me proud to be a part of these people.”
