100%

Scanned image of the page. Keyboard directions: use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, arrow keys to pan inside the viewer.

Page Options

Share

Something wrong?

Something wrong with this page? Report problem.

Rights / Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials may be under copyright. If you decide to use any of these materials, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact the Bentley Historical Library at bentley.ref@umich.edu

December 09, 2021 - Image 37

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 2021-12-09

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

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

Back to Top

© 2025 Regents of the University of Michigan