Growing up in Kiev, Ukraine, I knew absolutely nothing about Israel, Jewish culture, and I definitely…
Warning, the below Birthright Israel love story of Amanda and Nate will bring tears of joy to your eyes and will put a massive smile on your face. They, like so many other young Jews, never imagined they’d find their soulmate on Birthright Israel. Amanda and Nathan, unknowingly at the time, signed up for a New York City community Birthright Israel trip departing for Israel in the winter of 2015. Little did they know that those ten days would forever change their lives.
Although the couple didn’t start dating on the trip, several weeks after they got home, newly single Amanda and Nathan met again at a trip reunion. Nathan quickly asked Amanda out, and the rest was history. However, at the beginning of their engagement, Nathan was diagnosed with skeletal malocclusion, severely limiting his airways. If it was not fixed, doctors said Nathan would not make it to age 45. Amanda stood by his side throughout his medical journey and cared for him. In an interview with the NY Times, Nathan shared, “My world was burning down…I knew I’d have to go through this to save my life, and I knew Amanda wasn’t going to leave me. That reaffirmed I had a true partner.”
The couple married on May 30, 2021, in Connecticut. Below you can watch their wedding video and learn more about their experience on Birthright Israel.
Q&A with Amanda & Nathan
What made each of you want to travel to Israel with Birthright Israel in the first place?
Nate: “I had just moved and was living on my own for the first time. I thought that traveling to Israel with a group of young professionals that were also living in the city was a great way to meet new people and hopefully make some new friends.”
Amanda: “I was attending the trip as a participant-observer, gathering preliminary research for my dissertation, which was about millennial identity among Jewish New Yorkers.”
Did either of you think you’d meet your future partner on Birthright Israel?
Amanda: “I couldn’t have possibly imagined such a person – so no.”
Nate: “No, I did not either.”
Can you pinpoint the one moment on the trip when you both knew you’d fallen in love?
Nate: “Not necessarily falling in love, but I thought sitting and talking on the bus as we made our way across the country from one destination to another made me realize how incredible of a person Amanda truly was. It wasn’t until after coming home and spending more time together that I knew I loved her.”
Amanda: “Yes, I agree. I think we made an amazing group of friends on our trip, some of whom joined us at our wedding last year. I do remember taking group photos on top of Masada and asking one of my friends to take a photo of the two of us – me and Nate. So maybe I did know he could play an extra special role in my life.”
What was your biggest takeaways from your Birthright Israel experiences outside of meeting each other?
Nate: “I just really enjoyed visiting places that I never thought I’d find myself in.”
Amanda: “I had so many influential Jewish experiences as a child – in youth groups, Jewish camps, and other programs. Birthright allowed me to really feel like a participant again, which was very nostalgic and exciting for me. I also felt that, in returning to Israel as an adult, I was able to grapple with a greater deal of nuance than I could during my first experience in Israel a decade prior.”
What was it like to be with Israelis? Had you met Israelis before? What did you learn from them?
Nate: “Never – I thought it was very interesting to learn about their interest, hobbies, and their everyday lives. It was also interesting to hear real-time perspectives regarding the nation itself, things that news channels don’t always share.”
Amanda: “We loved the Israelis on our trip and still connect with them often. We’ve hosted or hung out with four of them as they’ve spent time in NYC since the trip. I think it’s important to have Israelis in your life as an American Jew.”
Do you two think Birthright Israel is an important experience for young Jews?
Amanda: “Yes, and I would say how powerful it was to go on a trip just for those who lived in the city. Our trip was a Birthright Israel community trip with the UJA-Federation of New York, which made it easy to have connections and relationships after.”
Nate: “Yes, and I think it is important to deepen your knowledge about Israel. At the same time, you never know who you may meet on your trip and what friends you may make (or more)!”
If you could meet the generous donor who made your trip possible, what do you two think you’d say to them?
Nate: “I would say thank you for a once-in-a-lifetime trip and a special thanks for leading me to a lifetime of happiness.”
Amanda: “Todah rabah! Amazingly, traveling 6,000 miles introduced me to so many people that lived within a few miles of me.”
