No regrets for new Aussie olim
Despite the current war, many Australians have decided to make aliyah in the last 18 months.
Yoni Garfield
Age: 40
From: Melbourne
Made aliyah on: August 8, 2024, with wife Dafna and children Eitan (12), Ora (10), Benny (7) and Noam (7).
Currently living in: Ra’anana
The idea of living in Israel was ingrained from home from an early age, however the decision to make aliyah became more realistic, having studied in Israel for two years and when I got married.
Although things were comfortable in Australia, we knew long term that we wanted to move and bring up the kids in Israel, to surround ourselves with a strong Jewish lifestyle and values. In 2022 we started the aliyah process and arrived in Israel last August.
When the idea became an actuality, there were obviously mixed feelings. Naturally, the feelings of anxiety for the unknown were apparent, even more so, moving with children. But I was also excited for change and what would be in store for us when we arrived and started to integrate. The support from my wife, our family in Australia, plus already having siblings in Israel, made it easier.
The overall experience has been amazing, inspirational and positive, despite arriving during a difficult time in Israel. We were confronted with the stresses of the war, exposed to posters of the hostages everywhere, experienced sirens sounding in our area about 25 times and had to rush to the bomb shelter at crazy times of the day and night. Unfortunately, it became part of our new lives here, but there was no time that we regretted our decision. We were blessed that the kids quickly found close friends and have astonishingly started to already converse in Hebrew. The community in Ra’anana opened their doors to host us for Shabbat meals nearly every week since our arrival and our neighbours were there for us from day one. Currently, I’m taking on some small projects, while looking for long-term work in the hi-tech industry.
This year, in particular, is going to be a unique Yom Ha’atzmaut for us. Each year I would sing “leshana haba’a biyerushalayim” at the Yom Ha’atzmaut tekes in Melbourne. Now I can sing it, together with my family, with pride and joy for being part of Am Yisrael, in the Land of Israel.
This year we will be dancing, but also praying for peace and calm in Israel, with unity and keeping in mind, if all the hostages have not yet returned, that they should come home speedily.
Chana Chaiton
Age: 38
From: Sydney
Made aliyah on: December 31, 2024, with husband Eli and children Mia (14), Yoni (11), Davidi (8) and Noa (5).
Currently living in: Carmei Gat – a small village near Kiryat Gat
We wanted to make aliyah for many years – myself from the moment I first landed in Israel when 19. We lived in Israel for our first year of marriage, 17 years ago and we spoke about moving many times since. Towards the end of 2022, when our daughter became bat mitzvah, we decided it was time, because if not now, when?
Many of our friends told us we were so brave, but we just felt like it was the most natural thing for us to be doing. We made aliyah with an organisation called Israela, that I can’t recommend enough, that groups 10-15 families together with similar aged children, from all over the world. They help you make aliyah a success and ensure you are happy and thriving. Those amazing families have become our community and support system and we 100 per cent feel we’ve made the right decision for our family and future.
I like to say that making aliyah is like a treasure hunt, because you learn so much along the way and each time you think you understand something, your next hint is waiting there for your next adventure. I’m a personal trainer and Pilates instructor and I’ve started teaching small classes from my home in Carmei Gat. I’m loving meeting the women here and making them sweat and smile every day.
I would love to also get involved in the aliyah space and make it attainable and easier for others who choose to move to Israel.
Wow, just thinking about Yom Ha’atzmaut this year is making me emotional! It will be our first one as Israelis and all I’m thinking about is our hostages coming home and for our chayalim to be protected and safe.
Janis Michelle Stein
Age: 67
From: Sydney
Made aliyah on: December 4, 2024, with husband Calvin.
Currently living in: Givat Shmuel
We decided to make aliyah following our grandson Menachem’s bar mitzvah in Israel in February 2024. We came back to Australia from it feeling very empty without our children and grandchildren, who have lived in Israel for a decade. Although our extended family and friends of the kehillah were still in Sydney, it was time to be with our children and their children and time to call Israel home.
Initially we felt a bit overwhelmed with everything we had to do first – selling a business, a home and sorting our financial affairs. Keeping in mind that the end result would be living in Israel with our family, made these challenges more manageable.
We were very lucky to have a soft landing, with our children around to help and advise us and our daughter even secured a unit for us in the same building she lives in. We’ve been so welcomed and everyone is proud that we came home – we feel part of Israeli society already and it’s the best decision we’ve made. We’re meeting lots of new friends and joining moadons (social clubs) and we’ve recently been blessed with a new baby in the family.
We have never experienced Yom Ha’atzmaut in Israel before and we can’t wait to this year. What a dream come true it will be to finally be home for this magical country’s independence day.
Josh Feldman
Age: 25
From: Melbourne
Made aliyah on: January 13, 2025.
Currently living in: Jerusalem
It was seven years ago, when experiencing a gap year trip to Israel with Bnei Akiva, that I decided I wanted to make aliyah on the principle that Israel is home. It’s the centre of the Jewish world and where the Jewish future is being played out and I want to be a part of that. Nowhere else comes close.
The aliyah experience so far has been amazing and surprisingly stress free. I’d visited Israel a lot in the last three years, so it just feels very normal for me to be here and I have a feeling of relief that it’s finally happened. I’m at Ulpan Etzion in Jerusalem until this June and I started working for an Israeli journalist last month.
I’m looking forward to a full Yom Ha’atzmaut experience, as Jewish celebrations in Israel are on an entirely different level than in the Diaspora. For example, Purim in Jerusalem this year was essentially a four-day party, with thousands of people all partying together. I spent seven hours at street parties on the Sunday of Purim and that just doesn’t happen anywhere else. That will be the nice thing about Yom Ha’atzmaut too. In Melbourne, you have to go out of your way to celebrate it, but in Israel, you’re surrounded by it – and that’s why I love this place.
Making Aliyah a rising trend?
Telfed is an organisation that assists Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans on their aliyah journeys, once applications have been approved via the Jewish Agency’s Global Service Centre.
There has been an 18 per cent increase in the number of Australians and New Zealanders that have made aliyah through Telfed, from a total of 102 in 2023, to 120 in 2024. And the two biggest demographic growth sectors have been families with young children (rising from 22 per cent of the annual intake to 32.5 per cent) and single olim aged between 18-25 (up from 24 per cent of the annual intake to 32.5 per cent).
Telfed’s aliyah and klita adviser, Daniela Shapira, said, “We are seeing many young olim making aliyah from Australia – young singles, young couples and families with young children.
“The war did not discourage them from coming – quite the opposite. They all want to be a part of what is going on here in Israel – they are true Zionists.
“Australian olim have always come to Israel for the love of the country, [but] the growing antisemitism in Australia over the last year-and-a-half can very well have been a push factor for the increase in numbers.”
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