#Meet_The_Oleh Rebecca Fox

Immigrated from Colchester, CT, USA Aliyah date: October 2018 Currently living in Tel-Aviv Works at @Ulpan_La-Inyan as the Olim course coordinator

Making Aliyah can be a difficult transition, and it's our support system that gives us strength. Find out what made Rebecca's Aliyah journey unique below!

In the year 2013, I was in my second year of university, and a friend convinced me to travel to Israel on a birthright trip. I couldn’t fathom what Israel was like until I arrived and explored the desert, the lush north, and the amazing cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. When I finished college I worked for a bit, and then I knew I had to come back to Israel, so I joined a MASA program where I was placed in the port city of Ashdod and taught English to sweet Israeli children. Once a week I went to the moshav Nir Galim to teach private lessons.

It quickly became clear to me that I had fallen deeply in love with Israel. The culture, the food, the music, the people, the weather. I had to face facts--I was going to stay and make Aliyah.

One of the parents of the kids on the moshav knew that I was going to be making Aliyah offered me to live with them for the first couple of months. For an American, this is not a normal offer. To take in someone, almost a stranger, to live with you while they settle into a new country? But, they insisted so I decided- why not take the leap of faith?

Looking back, this was the best thing that happened to me. Living with a family helped me adapt to the Israeli culture. From banking to my kupat holim (health insurance), it was such a blessing to have someone walking me through the process. And I got five younger Israeli ‘siblings’ out of the deal, as well as a lifetime invitation for holidays and Shabbat. It was truly the biggest blessing of my Aliyah.

"...It’s not a fairy tale, as much as I sometimes feel it is. People will yell at us, people will push us in line. The bus driver will drive by, the cashier will ignore you. We cannot always convey how we feel, we don’t always get what we ordered. Confusion. Balagan. People will wonder why we are here.

But for every person like that, there is another who will take your hand, give you a hot meal, translate your questions and give you answers. They will want to know your story. “You’re here alone?! God bless you!” “Come have Shabbat with my family!” “Do you have somewhere to stay for Pesach?” You. Have. To. Seek. Them. Out. People will offer help but sometimes you have to ask for it too! It is part of the culture that people expect you to be transparent. [From Becca's Facebook post, April 15, 2019]

One of my passions in life is writing. So when I was offered a part-time job here at iKonnect I jumped at the opportunity.