When Adina and Jonathan Heinberg married, they knew they wanted to build their lives together in Israel. Yet, they also knew that it would be several years until they could make the big move.

Adina wanted to go into science research and had applied to PhD programs in the States. Jonathan was working in finance, but wasn’t satisfied. As he considered new career possibilities, he thought about which fields would transfer to the Israeli job market.

Once Adina was accepted to Cornell Weill Medical College for a PhD in cell biology, the couple knew that Aliyah was six years away. Jonathan landed a job at Google, where, overtime, he became a software engineer. Things started to fall into place when Adina realized that one of the postdocs working at her lab was also the head of a similar lab in Israel. Adina applied to become a postdoc there, while Jonathan applied to work for Google Israel.

“Making sure that we had jobs before coming to Israel meant planning ahead, meeting the right people, and keeping our goal in the back of our minds,” said Adina. “It definitely wasn’t a spur of the moment decision.”

In July 2014, Adina, Jonathan and their three young children boarded Nefesh B’Nefesh’s charter flight to Israel, and settled into their home in Ramat Shilo, a suburb of Beit Shemesh. Initially drawn to this area because of its easy commute to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and its sizable Anglo population, Adina and Jonathan were touched by their new community’s hospitality.

When the taxi dropped them off in front of their building, they were prepared to carry both their luggage and their sleeping children into the apartment, but then they realized that they wouldn’t have to do it alone. “Someone who we’ve never seen since helped us schlep our bags upstairs,” said Jonathan. “It was 100 degrees outside and people came with water and cake. Then, for Shabbat, people brought us challot.”

Two weeks later, Jonathan resumed his work for Google New York from home before he began working at Google Israel’s office. In the fall, the children enrolled in school and gan (daycare) and Adina began her postdoc at Hadassah Ein Kerem in October.

“In terms of technology, my lab is pretty identical to my lab in New York. Israel is by no means lacking in any resources in my field,” said Adina. What does feel different to Adina are the Jerusalem mountains she passes while driving to work each morning. She also appreciates that when her kids were sick, everyone expected her to stay home with them. “I felt a little guilty taking time off, but everyone understood,” said Adina. “There’s a big focus on family here.”

While Adina conducts much of her work in English, Jonathan communicates in Hebrew with his co-workers, both in meetings and in the cafeteria, which is strictly kosher.

Less than a year after making Aliyah, Israel is starting to feel like home. Their six-year-old is beginning to speak Hebrew like a native Israeli, and he loves his new school.

On the morning of his class’s Chumash siyyum, he and another classmate woke up at 5am, ready to celebrate. “They just couldn’t wait to be there,” said Adina. “It’s clear that Israel is a great place for children to grow up.”

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