Global Spotlight: Carole Sebbah

 

The Country of My Heart: A Journey from France to Israel

  • Carole Sebbah grew up in a loving family in beautiful Nice, France. But as a Jew, she always felt a deep connection to Israel. Years later, she reached out to the The Jewish Agency to help her make aliyah. Today, she is a proud Israeli, working as a course coordinator for the Golda Meir Training Center. Here, she recalls her journey to Israel.

Today, young French Jews like Carole are making aliyah in even greater numbers. 
Photo Credit to Shmulik Almany, © The Jewish Agency for Israel​

 

I grew up in Nice, France. But when I was three, I left with my family to Israel. We lived there for two and a half years before my family decided to move back to France. After that, I vowed that one day, no matter what, I would return to live in Israel. Deep inside, I knew it was my true home.

 

I wasn’t brought up in a Jewish community and my family wasn’t religious. Even so, I never felt comfortable living in France as a Jew. I was always mindful of the threat of anti-Semitism.

 

In recent years, it’s gotten worse. Synagogues and schools have been attacked; kosher markets broken into. Today, wearing a kippah or amagen david, or showing any signs of being Jewish, can be dangerous. That’s why I designed a special magen david necklace for myself that isn’t so easily recognizable.

 

A year and a half ago, I made the decision to leave France for good. I made aliyah with the help of Federation’s partner agency, The Jewish Agency for Israel.

 

After I arrived, I lived with other olim—recent immigrants. We understood each other and could share our experiences. I started volunteering to help other newcomers like myself.

 

Then I found a job. And I’m happy to say that I have just become a counselor with The Jewish Agency.

 

It’s not always easy to be here—to meet people and to understand a new culture. But despite all the difficulties, I never doubted my decision to make aliyah.

 

During Operation Protective Edge, my family asked me to return to France. They told me it’s not safe in Israel. But I told them it’s not safe in France. Every day is a battle there to live as a Jew.

 

That summer, rioters took to the streets of Paris, smashing windows of shops owned by Jews and throwing firebombs. I wish my family didn’t live in such a hostile and dangerous place.

 

Today, I’m proud to say that Israel is my home and my country. With the help of Federation, I have made aliyah and can finally be a Jew without fear. But there are so many others who cannot. Which is why I’m also so grateful for Federation’s continued support.

 

We’re all one Jewish community, and I’m very proud to be a part of it. For that, Federation, I say: todah rabah.

 

 

Click here to learn more about The Jewish Agency for Israel.