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It's in all of us

My Israel Story – ‘Israel is in my blood’

Despite leaving Israel as a young child, Etty Ayalon's connection to her homeland would only continue to strengthen.

By Etty Ayalon June 22, 2023, 12:20 pm Edit
  • Etty (centre) treks the Burma Road in the Jerusalem Hills.
    Etty (centre) treks the Burma Road in the Jerusalem Hills.
  • At the Dead Sea.
    At the Dead Sea.
  • Etty lived in Israel for 16 years after returning to serve in the IDF.
    Etty lived in Israel for 16 years after returning to serve in the IDF.

I WAS born in Israel and moved to Sydney when I was three years old. My father always reminds me that when I was a little girl, I would sing out from our window to passers-by in the street, “I am from Israel!” Growing up in a very patriotic home, after my HSC I went to Israel to join the IDF as I felt it was part of my duty like all other Israelis.

At first, even though I had visited Israel growing up, it was an absolute culture shock, as being a tourist and living there are two different things. I learnt very quickly that if I didn’t “use my elbows” to push myself forward, I would get left behind. I will never forget my first experience of catching a bus from the Tel-Aviv tachanah merkazit – the central bus station on a Sunday morning when all the soldiers return to their army bases. Even though I was first in line, everyone crammed into the bus at the same time, and I literally had to use my elbows to push my way through to get on.

That said, with a large and very warm family in Israel, I acclimatised well and absolutely fell in love with the country and its people. I lived there for 16 years before returning to Australia in my early 30s.

Israel is in my blood. As the land of our forefathers, I believe it’s in all of us. The land is rich in history and culture and every time I visit, I feel and envision what it was like to have lived there in ancient times. Whether it be walking through the Cardo in Jerusalem, the ancient olive groves in the mountains of the Galilee, or in the Negev desert; my soul recognises the deep connection and resonance of knowing this place from lifetimes ago, wandering in the desert and receiving the commandments at Mount Sinai.

I used to be a Tel Aviv-based flight attendant, and to this day every time I land in the country, my eyes well up with tears of emotion. When the aircraft door opens to the Israeli air, I soak up and breathe in all the energy of the land. From spirituality to tragedy and everything in between. It’s a country where everyone knows someone who was a victim of terror. I served in the Military Police Force and our unit’s social worker was stabbed to death on the way to our base from her home in Jerusalem. Unfortunately, this is a reality that Israelis live with and why they have a “seize the day” attitude.

My mother’s parents were Holocaust survivors, and my father’s parents were from Morocco. I grew up on their stories of heroism fighting in the Haganah, hiding ammunition in their home and guarding their front doors with rifles to protect their families in the early days of the country. 75 years on, Israel is a light unto nations with the brilliance it harbours and the innovations it shares with the world.

Working at JNF Australia, my portfolio includes project managing tours to Israel. Even though I lived in Israel for years, in organising these trips, I get to experience Israel in an entirely different capacity, witnessing the fruition of JNF projects and the impact they have on the lives of people on the ground.

My highlight was the 2017 centenary of the Australian Light Horse Battle of Beersheba, where JNF inaugurated and opened, together with Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu, Malcolm Turnbull and New Zealand Governor-General Dame Patricia Reddy, an Anzac memorial centre on the site of the Commonwealth war graves in Beersheba. Only when I began working at JNF, custodian of the Anzac sites in Israel, did I learn of the strong connection and relationship between Australia and Israel that began in WWI.

As an Australian-Israeli, this joint history speaks volumes to me. I am blessed to be in a position that continues to nurture my relationship with Israel on a direct daily basis. I have a feeling that one day the land of my ancestors will call me back home.

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