Just ten days after the Ukrainian Koskovsky family arrived in Israel, they welcomed a newborn son. They named him Shlomo, but of course everyone called him Shlomi. When it was time to go to school, Shlomi’s parents decided that instead of attending regular schools in Afula, they would send him to an arts school in nearby Migdal HaEmek. This was a highly regarded and somewhat religious educational institution. “We used to pray for the wellbeing of sick people,” Shlomi recalls.
“We also learned about Jewish traditions, but it’s not like any of it really sank in for me. By the time I was a teen, religion just wasn’t on my radar. My whole family is completely secular.”
How would you describe your home life?
“You could say it’s somewhere between Israeli and Ukrainian. We speak both Hebrew and Russian. My mom is Ukrainian – her parents still live there – and my dad is Jewish on both sides. His parents actually attended the synagogue in Ukraine and got matzah for Passover, but for them it was more of a cultural thing than anything religious. Today they live in Israel. Overall, we’re cut off from our roots. There’s no sense of tradition in my extended family. I heard a little bit about anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union when they told stories from the past, but that’s pretty much it.”
Did it disturb you that you weren’t Jewish?
“Not at all. It wasn’t until I was 15 that I experienced any kind of racism at my Afula high school, and that was directed at all Russians, whether or not they were Jewish. Of course I’m blond, so I was targeted too. One time, some idiots asked me if I was Jewish and they were shocked when I said no. It didn’t really bother me. I was happy with my identity and that’s how I felt when I enlisted in the army.”
“I was in the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps in the north. From the very beginning, I had religious friends in the army and they never minded that I wasn’t Jewish. Although there were also those, not necessarily religious people, who asked: ‘If you’re not Jewish, what are you doing here?’ I always told them: ‘I’m proud to be who I am and proud to be part of this country.’ That’s still how I feel today.”
What motivated you to convert?
“I already believed that those who are born here, went to school here, and serve in the army are part of the Israeli people. But I wanted to explore a side of my heritage that I hadn’t had the chance to explore before. Right from the beginning of my military service, I signed up for the Nativ course, and I completed it a year and eight months later. I came to the basic course with an open mind. It was an incredible experience. The classes were really deep. We studied tradition, history, philosophy – and I fell in love with it. I decided to continue with the seminars. They are very challenging and just as interesting, with exceptional teachers who have made me who I am today. There was a moment during the seminars, between Holocaust Memorial Day and Independence Day, when there was a mixture of joy and sadness and anticipation in the air, and it gave me such a sense of belonging – so I thought, there’s no way I’m not part of all this.”
Did you also get more comfortable with religion?
“Yes, I really got closer to Judaism during that time. I remember the first time I observed Shabbat. It was amazing. I was sitting on the lawn in the afternoon, watching kids playing. I felt like I was in paradise. Even later, it was very easy for me to keep Shabbat. I went through this crazy transformation.”
“My parents were surprised at first, but later that feeling turned to joy and even pride. That also helped me in the tougher moments when was serving on the northern border, when I felt like I was protecting the country and everyone who lives here.”
Do you have any advice for future conversion students?
“Do the research, ask questions, be interested, and don’t let the opportunity slip through your fingers. This is a great chance to discover a whole new world of knowledge, values, and traditions that go back thousands of years. Make the most of it.”
