Josh Rosenthal
Josh RosenthalIsrael National News

Josh Rosenthal, a new immigrant to Israel, spoke to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News about his experiences moving to Israel during the war.

"There should be no shame for anyone who doesn't want to go now," he begins. "It was a long and difficult decision. I've been planning this for the last year and a half, and it just felt right, like this is something that I am supposed to do. I wanted to be here."

Josh says that he wanted to be closer to the national crisis. "It's not the same as hearing about it on the phone, it's different when you can actually see your family and hug them and tell them you're okay. There was also a feeling of helplessness like we could see it happening but not do anything. I'm not sure how much more I'll be able to do now that I'm here, but I'm hoping I can do something, anything to help."

Arrival, Josh says, was not the cheerful affair he usually experiences when flying to Israel. "The flight was quiet and pensive, although everybody still clapped at the end. Our processing was expedited to move us through the terminal faster, and our ID cards were printed right at the terminal, so we would have fewer stops and less to do. We were met by the Minister of Absorption and the head of Nefesh B'Nefesh, who had some very moving words. It was quite a moving experience."

Josh, who works in government consulting and contracting, comments on his plans for the future: "My plan had been to split my time between clients in the States and building a home here. I'll be working remotely, supporting my family, and volunteering and helping the war effort in any way I can. I had planned to find an apartment and start building that life, but now that the plan has changed, I will be spending more time with my family and taking things day by day."