I’ve become an immigrant twice in my life – once at 18 when I moved to Israel from Argentina, and again last year when I relocated my family to Dublin to join the staff of Twitter. Each time, I’ve learned that home is not something to inherit; it’s a place you build.
My mother taught me this when I was a young boy growing up in Argentina. After my parents divorced, we moved often for my mother’s work as the vice president of a bank. Although we were newcomers to each city, I saw how hard my mom worked to give back and become involved in her community. She had escaped poverty and taught me to put less fortunate people before myself. When I was 7, she adopted my 2-year-old younger sister, who suffered from abuse and lived in foster care.
My sister was also diagnosed with a bipolar disorder, but Argentina had few resources to help her. We ultimately decided to move to Israel to seek better health care and mental health services for her. I fell in love with the country, learning Hebrew and even joining the Israeli army for three years. My sister thrived and we celebrated her wedding last year. Israel was where I met my wife and we had our two children, now 5 and 8.
Recently, we decided it was time for another adventure. I worked in online advertising at a number of Israeli startups but I had long been passionate about how Twitter provides connection and engagement.
When an opportunity came up to work here, I couldn’t pass it up. My family and I have only been in Ireland less than a year, but already we feel at home. My children feel accepted on every level, and we’ve become involved in the Dublin Jewish community, bringing supplies to elderly residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope to give back to this country for as long as we’re here. With the help of a supportive, welcoming community, the home we’re building here is almost complete.
