Transcript [00:00] Hi everybody, I'm Emily Tel Aviv. And [00:01] I'm about to hear [00:02] >> [music] [00:02] >> a beautiful love story. [00:05] Oh my god, you're so gorgeous. [00:07] I'm here in Tel Aviv with Margo and [00:10] Osher. Tell me about your love story. [00:11] How did you guys meet? [00:12] >> Actually, I was in the Miluim since the [00:15] 7th of October. It was like every time [00:17] that was with Iran or Lebanon, I needed [00:19] to go to the base. [00:21] >> I didn't know he was in Miluim. So, I [00:22] was like, "Why is this guy not asking me [00:24] out?" Finally, he's like, "I'm being [00:26] released." So, I was like, "Let's go [00:27] out." And so, the day he was released [00:29] >> After we met each other, it was like [00:31] good chemistry and click. [music] Margo, [00:33] like we will tell you a secret about [00:35] her. She is living here, but she's [00:37] really connected to the family. And I'm [00:39] connected [music] to my family also, [00:40] Iraqi. [00:41] >> wait, you're from Iraq? Your family's [00:43] from Iraq? [00:43] >> Yeah, yeah. [00:43] >> Both Both of your parents? [00:44] >> Yeah, yeah. [00:45] >> So, you're a white colonialist. [00:46] >> Yeah, yeah, exactly. [00:47] >> Yeah, I could tell. Look, you look like [00:49] a white colonialist from Iraq. All Jews [00:51] were living in Israel in the olden days [00:54] in the kingdom of Israel, Judea. And [00:56] then, there was the great Roman-Jewish [00:57] War, and all the Jews were kicked out. [00:59] Some of them went to Europe, some of [01:00] them went to the Middle East. That's why [01:02] we have all these Jews that are from [01:03] either Russia or Iraq or Yemen or [01:06] Morocco or Poland. But you, you are not [01:09] originated from here. [01:10] >> I'm not. I'm from Fairfield, [01:11] Connecticut. I went to a Catholic [01:13] college. You have to take one religion [01:15] course, and I heard about a class intro [01:17] to Judaism. And I was fascinated by the [01:19] class. I said like, "This is nothing [01:21] like I've seen before." Then, I think it [01:23] planted the seed and I moved on with my [01:26] life, moved to New York, and [music] I [01:27] met a bunch of Jews in New York. And [01:30] they started bringing me into their [01:31] community. They said, "Come for [01:32] Shabbat." I'm like, "What? Like, what is [01:33] this? I've never felt this sense of [01:35] community, this sense of belonging, and [01:37] I'm not even one of them." And I said, [01:39] "Okay, I'm going to convert one day." [01:41] Like, one day I want to be part of this [01:43] culture. But it was more like [01:45] community-based. I felt like I was [01:47] lacking that my whole life. And then, [01:50] one day my friend's rabbi would walk [01:52] around and come and talk to him. And so, [01:54] I asked the rabbi, I said, "I think I [01:56] want to like convert for myself." So [01:58] then that [music] just started the [01:59] process. Mid-conversion, came to Israel. [02:02] I wasn't even Jewish at this point. As [02:03] soon as I landed for the first time in [02:05] Israel, I've traveled alone in the world [02:06] before. I was just sobbing. Like my [02:08] whole body like felt something it's [02:10] never felt before. I met so many people. [02:12] People treated me like family. I've [02:14] never had this sense of community and [02:16] the magic that comes with the community. [02:18] And I was just in love. I said, "Okay, [02:20] I'm coming here. I'm moving here. That's [02:21] it." [02:21] >> They say that if you have this calling [02:24] and curiosity about Judaism, that you [02:26] might have been a Jew in the past life, [02:28] but like the recent past life and it's [02:30] calling you back. [02:31] >> Exactly. [02:32] >> So you came to Israel after October 7th, [02:33] [music] but you found yourself in a [02:36] regional war, the war with Iran. Well, [02:38] how did you feel? How was that [02:39] experience? [02:40] >> The first rule I was told is like don't [02:42] freak out until you see [music] Israelis [02:43] freaking out. So I really tried to [02:45] >> [laughter] [02:46] >> And I was like, "Okay, I'm good. I'm [02:47] good. I'm good." There was a hit nearby. [02:50] And like, [music] you know, we were in [02:51] the shelter like normal, like on our [02:52] phones looking watching the news and all [02:55] of a sudden there was like a The biggest [02:56] our room sho- [music] The biggest boom [02:58] ever and he just takes his body and like [03:00] puts it over mine and I was just like [03:02] >> I thought that I will open the door and [03:04] all the [03:05] >> We thought our house got hit. It was [03:06] that [03:07] >> [music] [03:07] >> crazy. Once you hear your first alarm, [03:10] scary, but then you get used to it and [03:11] it is really sad that it's normalized [03:13] here and it does become a part of life. [03:15] When you think about worldwide, children [03:18] running into shelters and like you [03:19] having to stop your day 15 times a day [03:22] is not normal. As someone who grew up so [03:24] privileged, coming here has really given [03:26] me perspective in the world. Even if I [03:28] leave Israel for [03:29] a little bit or we're separated, the [03:32] pain I have in my stomach worrying about [03:33] him, is something going to happen? You [03:35] look at the news and you're like, is [03:36] everything going to be okay? And like [03:38] when you have a loved one, it's [03:39] >> Wow, it's really hard. [03:40] >> Yeah. So we're we're here as we're [03:41] speaking. I'm so sorry I'm doing this [03:43] right now, but I just [03:45] look behind you and I'm seeing you've [03:47] got not one, not two, but you got three [03:49] types. Come with me for a sec. I can't [03:51] believe this. I'm not going to hang on. [03:53] Do you guys know what this is? Do you [03:54] drink this? [03:55] >> Yeah. [03:55] >> Oh my god, you're actual Israeli. [03:58] >> I go to bed excited for my instant [04:00] coffee in the morning. [04:01] >> [laughter] [04:02] >> Well, it was so great to meet you. Thank [04:04] you so much. Mazel tov. [04:05] >> so much.
