DECEMBER 9 • 2021 | 37

P

aul Karlin, 81, made aliyah in 
August 2007 with his wife, Gladys. 
They initially lived in Modiin and 
then moved to Jerusalem to be near their 
daughter, Rachel. They would like to visit 
Michigan soon, but not when it’s snowing.
Q: Tell me about your first trip to Israel.
PK: It was right before the Gulf War. 
Rachel was here for her last year of high 
school at Akiva [now Farber Hebrew Day 
School]. They organized a trip for the par-
ents in the winter, and we came here for a 
two-week visit to see the country. Saddam 
Hussein decided he was going to shoot 
some Scud missiles at Israel.
Q: It must have been very difficult for 
you to have Rachel here during that time.
PK: It was. Eventually we brought her 
home for a short time, but we sent her back 
while he was still shooting Scuds.
Q: What motivated you to make aliyah?
PK: Gladys has been wanting to come 
for years, and I was very resistant because 
I didn’t think I could make a living here, 
especially because of the language barrier. 
When I got to the age where I was consid-
ering retirement, we wanted to spend time 
with our grandchildren, so we followed 
Rachel, and it’s been a great experience. 
We never would have been such a big 
part of their lives if we hadn’t come. Since 
we moved, they come over during the 
week to spend time with us, we have lunch 
together sometimes, spend time with them 
in the afternoons; of course, every Shabbat 
we see them for meals, and we’ve been here 
for all their big moments — graduations, 
birthdays, army ceremonies.
There’s a bakery that I always go to in the 
neighborhood — they make a great cup 
of coffee — and sometimes when the kids 
are home from college on Friday morning, 
they’ll surprise me by showing up there 
and having breakfast with me. At least once 
a week, I play golf in Caesarea with my 

grandson, Natani.
Q: What have you been doing since you’ve 
been here?
PK: We started off with Ulpan for about 
six months, which was every day from 
early in the morning until 1 p.m. with 
homework assignments. Then we decided 
to do a little traveling.
I’m also an avid golfer and taught golf 
lessons to kids in Modiin for five years, 
which was quite an experience! I also 
became a member at the Kibbutz Gaash 
golf club and eventually worked there part-
time in the pro shop.
Q: Is there anything you miss about 
Detroit?
PK: I miss my family and my old friends. 
We try and keep in touch by email and by 
phone. My son, David, who has two chil-
dren, lives in West Bloomfield. He comes 
to visit about once a year. We haven’t gone 
back to Michigan in about four years but 
are hoping to take a trip there soon.
I also miss being able to speak and be 
understood and not having to wonder what 
people are saying. We still struggle with the 
language, especially on a professional basis 
when we’re talking to a doctor or to people 
at the bank. I can get by in a restaurant or 
in a café, but, for the important things, you 

really need to make sure that you’re not 
missing something and that makes it a little 
tough.
Anytime we have something special to 
do, I usually check the dictionary for a 
few words, so I can at least get by. We rely 
on Rachel and our son-in-law, Nathan 
Bigman, to help us out in the really difficult 
areas.
Q: What do you love about living in Israel?
PK: The weather is great. I don’t miss the 
snow whatsoever. We’re amongst Jewish 
people all the time. I go to restaurants a lot; 
I’m always reading restaurant reviews and 
trying great new places. In the supermar-
ket, I don’t worry that I won’t find kosher 
products. I love that I can walk everywhere. 
I take my market cart and walk all over the 
neighborhood to all the small shops, where 
everyone knows me, and have my pick 
of amazing fruits and vegetables and, of 
course, great baked goods and coffee.
I love the freedom of it.
Q: Do you have a message for anybody 
who is back there in Detroit and thinking 
about making aliyah?
Paul: Absolutely come! It’s tough in the 
beginning but in the end, it’s well worth it. 
Let me know when you get here, and we 
can meet for coffee! 

PAUL KARLIN: 
‘Absolutely Come; It’s Worth It’

AVIVA ZACKS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ERETZ
MEET THE OLIM

COURTESY OF THE KARLINS

Gladys and 
Paul Karlin

