Twenty years ago, in April 1999 I touched the shores of the Americas at the age of 42, finding myself thousands of miles away from my birthplace and home, with the intention of embarking on a new journey and establishing a new life. My initial impression was as an alien from a distant galaxy whose intergalactic ship was sucked through a black hole, and following a strange time-warp, crash landed on this blue planet. Both in Moldova and Israel, I had Iived in small towns, and the alienating emotion that befell me when I first discovered Toronto carried a heavy weight of sadness. The thirteen hour, non-stop flight across ocean and time zones, transported me into a surreal realm where humans eat in their cars while driving, and others sleep on the street in plain daylight with their bodies covered in cardboard. Self absorbed and gaze-avoiding crowds fill every public space as if moved by an invisible energy force, and at traffic lights aggressive windshield washers force themselves onto unsuspecting drivers and cars. The rhythm of life around me was constantly accelerating and threatening to draw me into this human whirlpool. Observing children who crowded the busy sidewalks and greasy and blackened subway platforms, while clutching a hungry puppy and asking for food and money – offered a momentary glimpse into the soul of a broken society that has abandoned the younger generation and its own future, and performed the ancient pagan ritual of human sacrifice on the altar of self-indulgence, greed and materialism.

I wasn’t reaching for greener pastures, aspiring for better life opportunities, or escaping an oppressive regime. My religious and civil rights, as well as sexual orientation and freedom of speech were deeply anchored within the law equal to all. What may possibly persuade a man, any man – to leave behind family and a vast network of friends, army buddies, and social and business connections which were developed and cultivated over the previous thirty-three years, and venture into the unknown? I departed from a land of warm and friendly people, who shared a rich culture, and a proud and ancient history; the land of milk and honey. How could any man leave a country where it’s possible to purchase beer at every corner store and drink it just outside the door, without getting dirty looks from passersby or being unceremoniously thrown in the back of a police cruiser by a couple of black–uniformed, tough looking gentlemen who swore to ‘serve and protect’? The readers may rightfully question the sanity of anyone who in his right mind, committed this unforgivable ‘beer transgression’, and declare him as mentally unstable and dangerous to himself and society! To his defense, the poor fellow claimed that after all, sanity and happiness are an impossible combination, and he was being led only by the dreams in his heart. He held fast to his dreams, for he knew that someday they would become true…

This man, our protagonist, followed his heart and pledged to the woman he loved to share his life with her for all time and space. He followed her across land and sea into the unknown, and despite the alienation that surrounded him in this foreign land, SHE was a place where he felt at home. It was a home that carried the promise of happiness which in his mind was just to have someone to love; a kind of love that awakens the soul and makes the heart feel safe. He, who previously knew genuine grief, was now able to experience moments of true happiness, for all he knew was to live well and love well…