Moving to Israel as an immigrant

During my first month in Israel, I had the fortune or misfortune to have stayed in a hostel in East Jerusalem. I say unfortunately because I was not in the best possible environments to be culturally absorbed in. I was surrounded by travelers of all types: a Brazilian young woman of Japanese decent who was a trust fund baby, an Argentinian missionary couple who tried to proselytize me to their version of Christianity in Spanish, Arab shop keepers who gave me a hard time as I traveled through the narrow streets of the Old City, trying to figure me out (Is he a tourist or what?)

During my first month in Israel, I had the fortune or misfortune to have stayed in a hostel in East Jerusalem. I say unfortunately because I was not in the best possible environments to be culturally absorbed by. I was surrounded by travelers of all types: a Brazilian young woman of Japanese decent who was a trust fund baby, an Argentinian missionary couple who tried to proselytize me to their version of Christianity in Spanish, Arab shop keepers who gave me a hard time as I traveled through the narrow streets of the Old City, trying to figure me out (Is he a tourist or what?)

But during this time, I happened to have had the opportunity of meeting an older Jewish gentleman in his late 60′s, who was also an immigrant like me, except for the fact that he had been an immigrant for about 10 years. At first I dismissed him as some crack pot – with his quick gait and and hard-to-understand-Cockney, English accent. Gradually though, I began to see this man as a source of local knowledge and even insight into what was happening around me in my new country. He told me about the Israeli banking system and why it was hard using an Israeli ATM without being charged excessively, he told me about the Chabad House directly in back of the Kotel where you could get a Friday night, Shabbat meal and hear Kiddush, if for some unlikely reason no one had invited you to their house for Shabbat, but more importantly than that, he told me about his life.

Joshua (a pseudonym) was born in Great Britain, shortly after the war, in the East End of London to a poor Jewish family which was semi-observant. He came from a family of four children including his parents. Joshua said that he “didn’t look particularly Jewish,” so he did not experience any overt anti-semitism, but he says he knew plenty of other Jewish children who did.

Josh stated that he did not think much about his Jewish background at all throughout much of his life. It was only after an extended trip to the United States where his sister resided that he says he bagan to have experiences that eventually lead him into seeking a closer connection with his Jewish heritage. Just exctly what were these experiences, Josh would not elaborate, other than to say that he was “in dangerous situations” several times in the US, despite having what he describes as “having had a good time.”

He said that it was only after having returned to the United Kingdom that he says he realized just what “danger” he was in while being in the United States. He felt he had to begin giving thanks to G-d for having had ”protected” him throughout his sojourn abroad. At this point, he says he began attending an Orthodox synogogue in his neighborhood of Greater London.

In 1980, one of Josh’s sisters killed herself after her husband left her for another woman as well as the couple’s two children. Now, Josh’s nephew and niece had no one to care for them. It was at this point that Josh and his older brother assumed the parental role of their now disceased sister. They also obtained legal custody and raised their sister’s children as if they were their own. Josh said “it was hard,” having to raise his nephew and niece: it meant that Josh, in particular, needed to work a second job in addition to his primary one as a printer.

When Josh’s sister’s children reached adulthood, the terrific parenting job Josh and his older brother had done spoke for itself: Josh’s left his uncles’ home becoming an air traffic controler. Josh’s niece met an American lawyer in London and moved to New Jersey where the couple live in a lovely home and have two children of their own.

After his nephew and niece had left home, Josh said he was now in his late 50′s and wanted to give even more thanks to G-d for the fact he was able to have raise his sister’s children so successfully. It was at this point that Josh says he felt he wanted to do more for G-d and for himself. He then decided to do something that would change his life completely: he made the decision to immigrate to Israel.

During most of this past december, I was with Josh often. We had long talks where he talked about what he is doing now. He says he currently divides his time roughly between his brother’s home in the London area and the hostel we were both staying at in East Jerusalem. He says he likes staying in the hostel, as opposed to staying in his own private accomodations mainly because he is near the Western Wall where he can pray every day that he is in Jerusalem.

While being in Jerusalem, he has also become a sort of celebrity of sorts. He is friendly and knows many Rabbis and learned people in the area and is known for his singing talent which he says came late in life. He says he learned he had this talent one day while being asked to recite some payers while the Torah was being read at a local synagogue. Now he is simply known by others in the Jewish community as “the singer.” In fact, he is so renown for his singing ability, that even the Arab shopkeepers off of Jaffa Road in East Jerusalem when seeing him will shout out: “ta’shiru!,” which in Hebrew means “sing for us!” Josh says that this apparent talent is surprising for him, considering the fact that he says he was so shy speaking to others when he was a child.

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During my first month in Israel, I had the fortune or misfortune to have stayed in a hostel in East Jerusalem. I say unfortunately because I was not in the best possible environments to be culturally absorbed by. I was surrounded by travelers of all types: a Brazilian young woman of Japanese decent who was a trust fund baby, an Argentinian missionary couple who tried to proselytize me to their version of Christianity in Spanish, Arab shop keepers who gave me a hard time as I traveled through the narrow streets of the Old City, trying to figure me out (Is he a tourist or what?)

But during this time, I happened to have had the opportunity of meeting an older Jewish gentleman in his late 60′s, who was also an immigrant like me, except for the fact that he had been an immigrant for about 10 years. At first I dismissed him as some crack pot – with his quick gait and and hard-to-understand-Cockney, English accent. Gradually though, I began to see this man as a source of local knowledge and even insight into what was happening around me in my new country. He told me about the Israeli banking system and why it was hard using an Israeli ATM without being charged excessively, he told me about the Chabad House directly in back of the Kotel where you could get a Friday night, Shabbat meal and hear Kiddush, if for some unlikely reason no one had invited you to their house for Shabbat, but more importantly than that, he told me about his life.

Joshua (a pseudonym) was born in Great Britain, shortly after the war, in the East End of London to a poor Jewish family which was semi-observant. He came from a family of four children including his parents. Joshua said that he “didn’t look particularly Jewish,” so he did not experience any overt anti-semitism, but he says he knew plenty of other Jewish children who did.

Josh stated that he did not think much about his Jewish background at all throughout much of his life. It was only after an extended trip to the United States where his sister resided that he says he bagan to have experiences that eventually lead him into seeking a closer connection with his Jewish heritage. Just exctly what were these experiences, Josh would not elaborate, other than to say that he was “in dangerous situations” several times in the US, despite having what he describes as “having had a good time.”

He said that it was only after having returned to the United Kingdom that he says he realized just what “danger” he was in while being in the United States. He felt he had to begin giving thanks to G-d for having had ”protected” him throughout his sojourn abroad. At this point, he says he began attending an Orthodox synogogue in his neighborhood of Greater London.

In 1980, one of Josh’s sisters killed herself after her husband left her for another woman as well as the couple’s two children. Now, Josh’s nephew and niece had no one to care for them. It was at this point that Josh and his older brother assumed the parental role of their now disceased sister. They also obtained legal custody and raised their sister’s children as if they were their own. Josh said “it was hard,” having to raise his nephew and niece: it meant that Josh, in particular, needed to work a second job in addition to his primary one as a printer.

When Josh’s sister’s children reached adulthood, the terrific parenting job Josh and his older brother had done spoke for itself: Josh’s left his uncles’ home becoming an air traffic controler. Josh’s niece met an American lawyer in London and moved to New Jersey where the couple live in a lovely home and have two children of their own.

After his nephew and niece had left home, Josh said he was now in his late 50′s and wanted to give even more thanks to G-d for the fact he was able to have raise his sister’s children so successfully. It was at this point that Josh says he felt he wanted to do more for G-d and for himself. He then decided to do something that would change his life completely: he made the decision to immigrate to Israel.

During most of this past december, I was with Josh often. We had long talks where he talked about what he is doing now. He says he currently divides his time roughly between his brother’s home in the London area and the hostel we were both staying at in East Jerusalem. He says he likes staying in the hostel, as opposed to staying in his own private accomodations mainly because he is near the Western Wall where he can pray every day that he is in Jerusalem.

While being in Jerusalem, he has also become a sort of celebrity of sorts. He is friendly and knows many Rabbis and learned people in the area and is known for his singing talent which he says came late in life. He says he learned he had this talent one day while being asked to recite some payers while the Torah was being read at a local synagogue. Now he is simply known by others in the Jewish community as “the singer.” In fact, he is so renown for his singing ability, that even the Arab shopkeepers off of Jaffa Road in East Jerusalem when seeing him will shout out: “ta’shiru!,” which in Hebrew means “sing for us!” Josh says that this apparent talent is surprising for him, considering the fact that he says he was so shy speaking to others when he was a child.

During my first month in Israel, I had the fortune or misfortune to have stayed in a hostel in East Jerusalem. I say unfortunately because I was not in the best possible environments to be culturally absorbed by. I was surrounded by travelers of all types: a Brazilian young woman of Japanese decent who was a trust fund baby, an Argentinian missionary couple who tried to proselytize me to their version of Christianity in Spanish, Arab shop keepers who gave me a hard time as I traveled through the narrow streets of the Old City, trying to figure me out (Is he a tourist or what?)

But during this time, I happened to have had the opportunity of meeting an older Jewish gentleman in his late 60′s, who was also an immigrant like me, except for the fact that he had been an immigrant for about 10 years. At first I dismissed him as some crack pot – with his quick gait and and hard-to-understand-Cockney, English accent. Gradually though, I began to see this man as a source of local knowledge and even insight into what was happening around me in my new country. He told me about the Israeli banking system and why it was hard using an Israeli ATM without being charged excessively, he told me about the Chabad House directly in back of the Kotel where you could get a Friday night, Shabbat meal and hear Kiddush, if for some unlikely reason no one had invited you to their house for Shabbat, but more importantly than that, he told me about his life.

Joshua (a pseudonym) was born in Great Britain, shortly after the war, in the East End of London to a poor Jewish family which was semi-observant. He came from a family of four children including his parents. Joshua said that he “didn’t look particularly Jewish,” so he did not experience any overt anti-semitism, but he says he knew plenty of other Jewish children who did.

Josh stated that he did not think much about his Jewish background at all throughout much of his life. It was only after an extended trip to the United States where his sister resided that he says he bagan to have experiences that eventually lead him into seeking a closer connection with his Jewish heritage. Just exctly what were these experiences, Josh would not elaborate, other than to say that he was “in dangerous situations” several times in the US, despite having what he describes as “having had a good time.”

He said that it was only after having returned to the United Kingdom that he says he realized just what “danger” he was in while being in the United States. He felt he had to begin giving thanks to G-d for having had ”protected” him throughout his sojourn abroad. At this point, he says he began attending an Orthodox synogogue in his neighborhood of Greater London.

In 1980, one of Josh’s sisters killed herself after her husband left her for another woman as well as the couple’s two children. Now, Josh’s nephew and niece had no one to care for them. It was at this point that Josh and his older brother assumed the parental role of their now disceased sister. They also obtained legal custody and raised their sister’s children as if they were their own. Josh said “it was hard,” having to raise his nephew and niece: it meant that Josh, in particular, needed to work a second job in addition to his primary one as a printer.

When Josh’s sister’s children reached adulthood, the terrific parenting job Josh and his older brother had done spoke for itself: Josh’s left his uncles’ home becoming an air traffic controler. Josh’s niece met an American lawyer in London and moved to New Jersey where the couple live in a lovely home and have two children of their own.

After his nephew and niece had left home, Josh said he was now in his late 50′s and wanted to give even more thanks to G-d for the fact he was able to have raise his sister’s children so successfully. It was at this point that Josh says he felt he wanted to do more for G-d and for himself. He then decided to do something that would change his life completely: he made the decision to immigrate to Israel.

During most of this past december, I was with Josh often. We had long talks where he talked about what he is doing now. He says he currently divides his time roughly between his brother’s home in the London area and the hostel we were both staying at in East Jerusalem. He says he likes staying in the hostel, as opposed to staying in his own private accomodations mainly because he is near the Western Wall where he can pray every day that he is in Jerusalem.

While being in Jerusalem, he has also become a sort of celebrity of sorts. He is friendly and knows many Rabbis and learned people in the area and is known for his singing talent which he says came late in life. He says he learned he had this talent one day while being asked to recite some payers while the Torah was being read at a local synagogue. Now he is simply known by others in the Jewish community as “the singer.” In fact, he is so renown for his singing ability, that even the Arab shopkeepers off of Jaffa Road in East Jerusalem when seeing him will shout out: “ta’shiru!,” which in Hebrew means “sing for us!” Josh says that this apparent talent is surprising for him, considering the fact that he says he was so shy speaking to others when he was a child.

During my first month in Israel, I had the fortune or misfortune to have stayed in a hostel in East Jerusalem. I say unfortunately because I was not in the best possible environments to be culturally absorbed by. I was surrounded by travelers of all types: a Brazilian young woman of Japanese decent who was a trust fund baby, an Argentinian missionary couple who tried to proselytize me to their version of Christianity in Spanish, Arab shop keepers who gave me a hard time as I traveled through the narrow streets of the Old City, trying to figure me out (Is he a tourist or what?)

But during this time, I happened to have had the opportunity of meeting an older Jewish gentleman in his late 60′s, who was also an immigrant like me, except for the fact that he had been an immigrant for about 10 years. At first I dismissed him as some crack pot – with his quick gait and and hard-to-understand-Cockney, English accent. Gradually though, I began to see this man as a source of local knowledge and even insight into what was happening around me in my new country. He told me about the Israeli banking system and why it was hard using an Israeli ATM without being charged excessively, he told me about the Chabad House directly in back of the Kotel where you could get a Friday night, Shabbat meal and hear Kiddush, if for some unlikely reason no one had invited you to their house for Shabbat, but more importantly than that, he told me about his life.

Joshua (a pseudonym) was born in Great Britain, shortly after the war, in the East End of London to a poor Jewish family which was semi-observant. He came from a family of four children including his parents. Joshua said that he “didn’t look particularly Jewish,” so he did not experience any overt anti-semitism, but he says he knew plenty of other Jewish children who did.

Josh stated that he did not think much about his Jewish background at all throughout much of his life. It was only after an extended trip to the United States where his sister resided that he says he bagan to have experiences that eventually lead him into seeking a closer connection with his Jewish heritage. Just exctly what were these experiences, Josh would not elaborate, other than to say that he was “in dangerous situations” several times in the US, despite having what he describes as “having had a good time.”

He said that it was only after having returned to the United Kingdom that he says he realized just what “danger” he was in while being in the United States. He felt he had to begin giving thanks to G-d for having had ”protected” him throughout his sojourn abroad. At this point, he says he began attending an Orthodox synogogue in his neighborhood of Greater London.

In 1980, one of Josh’s sisters killed herself after her husband left her for another woman as well as the couple’s two children. Now, Josh’s nephew and niece had no one to care for them. It was at this point that Josh and his older brother assumed the parental role of their now disceased sister. They also obtained legal custody and raised their sister’s children as if they were their own. Josh said “it was hard,” having to raise his nephew and niece: it meant that Josh, in particular, needed to work a second job in addition to his primary one as a printer.

When Josh’s sister’s children reached adulthood, the terrific parenting job Josh and his older brother had done spoke for itself: Josh’s left his uncles’ home becoming an air traffic controler. Josh’s niece met an American lawyer in London and moved to New Jersey where the couple live in a lovely home and have two children of their own.

After his nephew and niece had left home, Josh said he was now in his late 50′s and wanted to give even more thanks to G-d for the fact he was able to have raise his sister’s children so successfully. It was at this point that Josh says he felt he wanted to do more for G-d and for himself. He then decided to do something that would change his life completely: he made the decision to immigrate to Israel.

During most of this past december, I was with Josh often. We had long talks where he talked about what he is doing now. He says he currently divides his time roughly between his brother’s home in the London area and the hostel we were both staying at in East Jerusalem. He says he likes staying in the hostel, as opposed to staying in his own private accomodations mainly because he is near the Western Wall where he can pray every day that he is in Jerusalem.

While being in Jerusalem, he has also become a sort of celebrity of sorts. He is friendly and knows many Rabbis and learned people in the area and is known for his singing talent which he says came late in life. He says he learned he had this talent one day while being asked to recite some payers while the Torah was being read at a local synagogue. Now he is simply known by others in the Jewish community as “the singer.” In fact, he is so renown for his singing ability, that even the Arab shopkeepers off of Jaffa Road in East Jerusalem when seeing him will shout out: “ta’shiru!,” which in Hebrew means “sing for us!” Josh says that this apparent talent is surprising for him, considering the fact that he says he was so shy speaking to others when he was a child.

During my first month in Israel, I had the fortune or misfortune to have stayed in a hostel in East Jerusalem. I say unfortunately because I was not in the best possible environments to be culturally absorbed by. I was surrounded by travelers of all types: a Brazilian young woman of Japanese decent who was a trust fund baby, an Argentinian missionary couple who tried to proselytize me to their version of Christianity in Spanish, Arab shop keepers who gave me a hard time as I traveled through the narrow streets of the Old City, trying to figure me out (Is he a tourist or what?)

But during this time, I happened to have had the opportunity of meeting an older Jewish gentleman in his late 60′s, who was also an immigrant like me, except for the fact that he had been an immigrant for about 10 years. At first I dismissed him as some crack pot – with his quick gait and and hard-to-understand-Cockney, English accent. Gradually though, I began to see this man as a source of local knowledge and even insight into what was happening around me in my new country. He told me about the Israeli banking system and why it was hard using an Israeli ATM without being charged excessively, he told me about the Chabad House directly in back of the Kotel where you could get a Friday night, Shabbat meal and hear Kiddush, if for some unlikely reason no one had invited you to their house for Shabbat, but more importantly than that, he told me about his life.

Joshua (a pseudonym) was born in Great Britain, shortly after the war, in the East End of London to a poor Jewish family which was semi-observant. He came from a family of four children including his parents. Joshua said that he “didn’t look particularly Jewish,” so he did not experience any overt anti-semitism, but he says he knew plenty of other Jewish children who did.

Josh stated that he did not think much about his Jewish background at all throughout much of his life. It was only after an extended trip to the United States where his sister resided that he says he bagan to have experiences that eventually lead him into seeking a closer connection with his Jewish heritage. Just exctly what were these experiences, Josh would not elaborate, other than to say that he was “in dangerous situations” several times in the US, despite having what he describes as “having had a good time.”

He said that it was only after having returned to the United Kingdom that he says he realized just what “danger” he was in while being in the United States. He felt he had to begin giving thanks to G-d for having had ”protected” him throughout his sojourn abroad. At this point, he says he began attending an Orthodox synogogue in his neighborhood of Greater London.

In 1980, one of Josh’s sisters killed herself after her husband left her for another woman as well as the couple’s two children. Now, Josh’s nephew and niece had no one to care for them. It was at this point that Josh and his older brother assumed the parental role of their now disceased sister. They also obtained legal custody and raised their sister’s children as if they were their own. Josh said “it was hard,” having to raise his nephew and niece: it meant that Josh, in particular, needed to work a second job in addition to his primary one as a printer.

When Josh’s sister’s children reached adulthood, the terrific parenting job Josh and his older brother had done spoke for itself: Josh’s left his uncles’ home becoming an air traffic controler. Josh’s niece met an American lawyer in London and moved to New Jersey where the couple live in a lovely home and have two children of their own.

After his nephew and niece had left home, Josh said he was now in his late 50′s and wanted to give even more thanks to G-d for the fact he was able to have raise his sister’s children so successfully. It was at this point that Josh says he felt he wanted to do more for G-d and for himself. He then decided to do something that would change his life completely: he made the decision to immigrate to Israel.

During most of this past december, I was with Josh often. We had long talks where he talked about what he is doing now. He says he currently divides his time roughly between his brother’s home in the London area and the hostel we were both staying at in East Jerusalem. He says he likes staying in the hostel, as opposed to staying in his own private accomodations mainly because he is near the Western Wall where he can pray every day that he is in Jerusalem.

While being in Jerusalem, he has also become a sort of celebrity of sorts. He is friendly and knows many Rabbis and learned people in the area and is known for his singing talent which he says came late in life. He says he learned he had this talent one day while being asked to recite some payers while the Torah was being read at a local synagogue. Now he is simply known by others in the Jewish community as “the singer.” In fact, he is so renown for his singing ability, that even the Arab shopkeepers off of Jaffa Road in East Jerusalem when seeing him will shout out: “ta’shiru!,” which in Hebrew means “sing for us!” Josh says that this apparent talent is surprising for him, considering the fact that he says he was so shy speaking to others when he was a child.

During my first month in Israel, I had the fortune or misfortune to have stayed in a hostel in East Jerusalem. I say unfortunately because I was not in the best possible environments to be culturally absorbed by. I was surrounded by travelers of all types: a Brazilian young woman of Japanese decent who was a trust fund baby, an Argentinian missionary couple who tried to proselytize me to their version of Christianity in Spanish, Arab shop keepers who gave me a hard time as I traveled through the narrow streets of the Old City, trying to figure me out (Is he a tourist or what?)

But during this time, I happened to have had the opportunity of meeting an older Jewish gentleman in his late 60′s, who was also an immigrant like me, except for the fact that he had been an immigrant for about 10 years. At first I dismissed him as some crack pot – with his quick gait and and hard-to-understand-Cockney, English accent. Gradually though, I began to see this man as a source of local knowledge and even insight into what was happening around me in my new country. He told me about the Israeli banking system and why it was hard using an Israeli ATM without being charged excessively, he told me about the Chabad House directly in back of the Kotel where you could get a Friday night, Shabbat meal and hear Kiddush, if for some unlikely reason no one had invited you to their house for Shabbat, but more importantly than that, he told me about his life.

Joshua (a pseudonym) was born in Great Britain, shortly after the war, in the East End of London to a poor Jewish family which was semi-observant. He came from a family of four children including his parents. Joshua said that he “didn’t look particularly Jewish,” so he did not experience any overt anti-semitism, but he says he knew plenty of other Jewish children who did.

Josh stated that he did not think much about his Jewish background at all throughout much of his life. It was only after an extended trip to the United States where his sister resided that he says he bagan to have experiences that eventually lead him into seeking a closer connection with his Jewish heritage. Just exctly what were these experiences, Josh would not elaborate, other than to say that he was “in dangerous situations” several times in the US, despite having what he describes as “having had a good time.”

He said that it was only after having returned to the United Kingdom that he says he realized just what “danger” he was in while being in the United States. He felt he had to begin giving thanks to G-d for having had ”protected” him throughout his sojourn abroad. At this point, he says he began attending an Orthodox synogogue in his neighborhood of Greater London.

In 1980, one of Josh’s sisters killed herself after her husband left her for another woman as well as the couple’s two children. Now, Josh’s nephew and niece had no one to care for them. It was at this point that Josh and his older brother assumed the parental role of their now disceased sister. They also obtained legal custody and raised their sister’s children as if they were their own. Josh said “it was hard,” having to raise his nephew and niece: it meant that Josh, in particular, needed to work a second job in addition to his primary one as a printer.

When Josh’s sister’s children reached adulthood, the terrific parenting job Josh and his older brother had done spoke for itself: Josh’s left his uncles’ home becoming an air traffic controler. Josh’s niece met an American lawyer in London and moved to New Jersey where the couple live in a lovely home and have two children of their own.

After his nephew and niece had left home, Josh said he was now in his late 50′s and wanted to give even more thanks to G-d for the fact he was able to have raise his sister’s children so successfully. It was at this point that Josh says he felt he wanted to do more for G-d and for himself. He then decided to do something that would change his life completely: he made the decision to immigrate to Israel.

During most of this past december, I was with Josh often. We had long talks where he talked about what he is doing now. He says he currently divides his time roughly between his brother’s home in the London area and the hostel we were both staying at in East Jerusalem. He says he likes staying in the hostel, as opposed to staying in his own private accomodations mainly because he is near the Western Wall where he can pray every day that he is in Jerusalem.

While being in Jerusalem, he has also become a sort of celebrity of sorts. He is friendly and knows many Rabbis and learned people in the area and is known for his singing talent which he says came late in life. He says he learned he had this talent one day while being asked to recite some payers while the Torah was being read at a local synagogue. Now he is simply known by others in the Jewish community as “the singer.” In fact, he is so renown for his singing ability, that even the Arab shopkeepers off of Jaffa Road in East Jerusalem when seeing him will shout out: “ta’shiru!,” which in Hebrew means “sing for us!” Josh says that this apparent talent is surprising for him, considering the fact that he says he was so shy speaking to others when he was a child.

During my first month in Israel, I had the fortune or misfortune to have stayed in a hostel in East Jerusalem. I say unfortunately because I was not in the best possible environments to be culturally absorbed by. I was surrounded by travelers of all types: a Brazilian young woman of Japanese decent who was a trust fund baby, an Argentinian missionary couple who tried to proselytize me to their version of Christianity in Spanish, Arab shop keepers who gave me a hard time as I traveled through the narrow streets of the Old City, trying to figure me out (Is he a tourist or what?)

But during this time, I happened to have had the opportunity of meeting an older Jewish gentleman in his late 60′s, who was also an immigrant like me, except for the fact that he had been an immigrant for about 10 years. At first I dismissed him as some crack pot – with his quick gait and and hard-to-understand-Cockney, English accent. Gradually though, I began to see this man as a source of local knowledge and even insight into what was happening around me in my new country. He told me about the Israeli banking system and why it was hard using an Israeli ATM without being charged excessively, he told me about the Chabad House directly in back of the Kotel where you could get a Friday night, Shabbat meal and hear Kiddush, if for some unlikely reason no one had invited you to their house for Shabbat, but more importantly than that, he told me about his life.

Joshua (a pseudonym) was born in Great Britain, shortly after the war, in the East End of London to a poor Jewish family which was semi-observant. He came from a family of four children including his parents. Joshua said that he “didn’t look particularly Jewish,” so he did not experience any overt anti-semitism, but he says he knew plenty of other Jewish children who did.

Josh stated that he did not think much about his Jewish background at all throughout much of his life. It was only after an extended trip to the United States where his sister resided that he says he bagan to have experiences that eventually lead him into seeking a closer connection with his Jewish heritage. Just exctly what were these experiences, Josh would not elaborate, other than to say that he was “in dangerous situations” several times in the US, despite having what he describes as “having had a good time.”

He said that it was only after having returned to the United Kingdom that he says he realized just what “danger” he was in while being in the United States. He felt he had to begin giving thanks to G-d for having had ”protected” him throughout his sojourn abroad. At this point, he says he began attending an Orthodox synogogue in his neighborhood of Greater London.

In 1980, one of Josh’s sisters killed herself after her husband left her for another woman as well as the couple’s two children. Now, Josh’s nephew and niece had no one to care for them. It was at this point that Josh and his older brother assumed the parental role of their now disceased sister. They also obtained legal custody and raised their sister’s children as if they were their own. Josh said “it was hard,” having to raise his nephew and niece: it meant that Josh, in particular, needed to work a second job in addition to his primary one as a printer.

When Josh’s sister’s children reached adulthood, the terrific parenting job Josh and his older brother had done spoke for itself: Josh’s left his uncles’ home becoming an air traffic controler. Josh’s niece met an American lawyer in London and moved to New Jersey where the couple live in a lovely home and have two children of their own.

After his nephew and niece had left home, Josh said he was now in his late 50′s and wanted to give even more thanks to G-d for the fact he was able to have raise his sister’s children so successfully. It was at this point that Josh says he felt he wanted to do more for G-d and for himself. He then decided to do something that would change his life completely: he made the decision to immigrate to Israel.

During most of this past december, I was with Josh often. We had long talks where he talked about what he is doing now. He says he currently divides his time roughly between his brother’s home in the London area and the hostel we were both staying at in East Jerusalem. He says he likes staying in the hostel, as opposed to staying in his own private accomodations mainly because he is near the Western Wall where he can pray every day that he is in Jerusalem.

While being in Jerusalem, he has also become a sort of celebrity of sorts. He is friendly and knows many Rabbis and learned people in the area and is known for his singing talent which he says came late in life. He says he learned he had this talent one day while being asked to recite some payers while the Torah was being read at a local synagogue. Now he is simply known by others in the Jewish community as “the singer.” In fact, he is so renown for his singing ability, that even the Arab shopkeepers off of Jaffa Road in East Jerusalem when seeing him will shout out: “ta’shiru!,” which in Hebrew means “sing for us!” Josh says that this apparent talent is surprising for him, considering the fact that he says he was so shy speaking to others when he was a child.

But during this time, I happened to have had the opportunity of meeting an older Jewish gentleman in his late 60′s, who was also an immigrant like me, except for the fact that he had been an immigrant for about 10 years. At first I dismissed him as some crack pot – with his quick gait and and hard-to-understand-Cockney, English accent. Gradually, I began to see this man as a source of local knowledge and even insight into what was happening around me in my new country. He told me about the Israeli banking system and why it was hard using an Israeli ATM without being charged excessively, he told me about the Chabad House directly in back of the Kotel where you could get a Friday night, Shabbat meal and hear Kiddush, if for some unlikely reason no one had invited you to their house for Shabbat, but more importantly than that, he told me about his life.

Joshua (a pseudonym) was born in Great Britain, shortly after the war, in the East End of London to a poor Jewish family which was semi-observant. He came from a family of four children including his parents. Joshua said that he “didn’t look particularly Jewish,” so he did not experience any overt antisemitism, but he says he knew plenty of other Jewish children who did.

Josh stated that he did not think much about his Jewish background at all throughout much of his life. It was only after an extended trip to the United States where his sister resided that he says he bagan to have experiences that eventually lead him into seeking a closer connection with his Jewish heritage. Just exctly what were these experiences, Josh would not elaborate, other than to say that he was “in dangerous situations” several times in the US, despite having what he describes as “having had a good time.”

He said that it was only after having returned to the United Kingdom that he says he realized just what “danger” he was in while being in the United States. He felt he had to begin giving thanks to G-d for having had ”protected” him throughout his sojourn abroad. At this point, he says he began attending an Orthodox synogogue in his neighborhood of Greater London.

In 1980, one of Josh’s sisters killed herself after her husband left her for another woman as well as the couple’s two children. Now, Josh’s nephew and niece had no one to care for them. It was at this point that Josh and his older brother assumed the parental role of their now disceased sister. They also obtained legal custody and raised their sister’s children as if they were their own. Josh said “it was hard,” having to raise his nephew and niece: it meant that Josh, in particular, needed to work a second job in addition to his primary one as a printer.

When Josh’s sister’s children reached adulthood, the terrific parenting job Josh and his older brother had done spoke for itself: Josh’s left his uncles’ home becoming an air traffic controller. Josh’s niece met an American lawyer in London and moved to New Jersey where the couple live in a lovely home and have two children of their own.

After his nephew and niece had left home, Josh said he was now in his late 50′s and wanted to give even more thanks to G-d for the fact he was able to have raise his sister’s children so successfully. It was at this point that Josh says he felt he wanted to do more for G-d and for himself. He then decided to do something that would change his life completely: he made the decision to immigrate to Israel.

During most of this past December, I was with Josh often. We had long talks where he talked about what he is doing now. He says he currently divides his time roughly between his brother’s home in the London area and the hostel we were both staying at in East Jerusalem. He says he likes staying in the hostel, as opposed to staying in his own private accommodations mainly because he is near the Western Wall where he can pray every day that he is in Jerusalem.

While being in Jerusalem, he has also become a sort of celebrity of sorts. He is friendly and knows many Rabbis and learned people in the area and is known for his singing talent which he says came late in life. He says he learned he had this talent one day while being asked to recite some payers while the Torah was being read at a local synagogue. Now he is simply known by others in the Jewish community as “the singer.” In fact, he is so renown for his singing ability, that even the Arab shopkeepers off of Jaffa Road in East Jerusalem when seeing him will shout out: “ta’shiru!,” which in Hebrew means “sing for us!” Josh says that this apparent talent is surprising for him, considering the fact that he says he was so shy speaking to others when he was a child.