TORONTO — When Gill and Neta Pasternak and their six children made the decision to move from Kibbutz Ortal in the Golan Heights to Thornhill, Ont., they prepared themselves for a culture shock.

“We thought we were leaving the kibbutz and were about to move to a big city,” Gill Pasternak said.

“Now we understand that we moved from a very small kibbutz to a very big one… Our real estate agent is Israeli, customers and employees speak Hebrew in many supermarkets around us. We can speak Hebrew in the bank and find here any Israeli product we need,” he explained.

“As Jews and Israelis we see ourselves as a part of the Israeli community and the Jewish community,” Gill added.

While many Israelis make the decision to leave Israel to try to build a life somewhere else in the world, few have the courage to do it with six kids, each with different needs.

But the Pasternaks felt they were up for the adventure. “We felt it was the perfect timing for a refreshing change in our lives,” Pasternak said. “After considering New Zealand, India and Canada as options for relocation, Canada seemed to be the best option – and here we are.”

 To read complete  story, see The CJN, Toronto edition, February 17, 2010, page 13