Goldberger’s new life in Australia

IDAN Goldberger was meant to be celebrating his 21st birthday with his family in Tel Aviv. But a decision to postpone his trip home for a few days almost cost him his life. Just a few hours after asking his commander to alter his leave dates, he was shot in the jaw by a sniper.

Having lived to tell the tale, a few years down the track and now working as executive director and shaliach of United Israel Appeal (Victoria), he believes the Jewish State has benefitted from the gunshot.

“If I knew who he [the sniper] was, I would send him flowers for making Israel stronger. The injury dramatically changed the course of my life,” Goldberger told The AJN this week.

From facing rockets and sirens in Sderot with his wife and young son, he came across the opportunity to work for the UIA and made it his goal to ensure nobody has to “look into the sky and see 25 rockets explode”.

Goldberger and his family moved to Australia around six months ago so he could take up his new role with UIA.

“My son’s first question was ‘where is the safe room?’” he recalled. “It’s difficult to explain the whole world is not what you know.”

Despite the dramatic difference between life in Australia and Israel’s under-fire south, Goldberger said the transition was made easier by the warm welcome he has received.

“It’s a privilege to be here with this community – with the UIA, with the Melbourne Jewish community as a whole and also Australians, non-Jews – everyone is so nice.”

Goldberger dedicates each day to ensuring the Jewish State has a future.

“We [the UIA] try and make a connection between Israel and the rest of the world. We ask Israel ‘what do you need?’ – we don’t want to give Israel things she doesn’t need.

“We give the potential and the opportunity for our donors’ money to go to many different projects.”

After an extensive recovery period following the sniper attack, Goldberger was in a dark place, frustrated with his new reality. But he says the incident taught him an important lesson.

“If you asked me a few days after my injury, I would never have guessed I would be here,” he said. “It took me a while to understand that with enough persistence you can get the goals you set.”

And one of those goals is to encourage people to see the country he loves, the same way they see him.

“I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me. I don’t want Israel to be begging for money,” he said.

“I want an Israel where you can imagine the future.”

DANIEL SHANDLER