“It all started when Eli brought a guy home from the synagogue and said we were going to be his host family,” recalls Ayelet Yemini. “I was happy to go along with it. It turns out that our synagogue is also a center for converts in Nazareth Illit.”
Ayelet is a procurement manager at Carmel Winery and commutes to Alon Tavor daily. Eli serves on an IDF search & rescue unit and usually only comes home at the weekend. So Fridays and Saturdays are the family’s quality time together. And yet, they choose to share some of this precious time with people they barely know. “I always cook a lot anyway,” Ayelet says, “so a few more people at the table really isn’t a big deal. The main thing is, this is doing two good deeds at once: hosting guests and helping those who have chosen to join the Jewish people. We’re very happy to do it.”
How do you get along with the converts?
“Most of the time we become great friends. Not long ago, for example, a lovely couple stayed with us and it was a pleasure to spend Shabbat with them. They recently had a baby. Once we had a couple called Roman and Juliet – almost like Romeo & Juliet from Shakespeare.”
What if there’s no chemistry between you and the guests?
“That happens too. Sometimes people are shy and don’t really feel comfortable, so the conversation doesn’t flow as well, but that’s not so bad. We get along with everyone. They come to learn from us, but we learn from them too. For example, I had no idea that the conversion process was so long. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to arrive in a new country and start over again from scratch, without family or friends, and not even knowing the language.”
But the main goal is that they learn from you. Doesn’t that make it difficult?
“Not at all. I don’t comment much on what our guests do. If someone makes a mistake and needs to be pointed in the right direction, I’ll explain what needs to be done. But lecturing people all the time isn’t my style. For me, the main thing is to set a personal example. People see what we do and how we do it, and they copy us. After all, doing everything the right way is in their best interest. We look at them and see how they improve, because at the end of the process we’re supposed to give them recommendations for the Conversion Court.”
Do you always give recommendations wholeheartedly?
“If we give recommendations, they’re wholehearted. There was one case where we weren’t totally sure and had to check some things, but other than that, we never had any doubts. And we see how people live after the conversion. We usually keep in touch.”
How do your kids feel about the guests?
“We’ve been hosting converts since they were very small, so they’re used to it and to having guests around in general. Plus, the kids are always interested in meeting new people. In fact, we all love to hear about the countries our guests come from. Additionally, I think that these experiences also help the children absorb our values.”
You’ve been a host family for eight years. Do you think you’ll continue?
“Definitely. Even though Eli’s been unwell recently, we’re still hosting and will keep on doing it so long as there are converts who need a host family.”
