Jessica Band and Jonathan Gerafi in northern Israel
In September 2011, WUJS Israel participants Jessica Band, 26, and Jonathan Gerafi, 28, lived in the same city, in the same building, just one floor apart. Yet, they never spoke to one another during their first month in Tel Aviv. A month later, their friends went out on the town and the two strangers, who both happened to stay in for the night, met by chance and have been together ever since.
As Jonathan explored the quiet halls that October night, he paid Jessica an unexpected visit. “I was like, ‘oh man, I don’t want to talk to anyone right now,’” Jessica, a native of Rockville, MD, remembers. However, after a long and entertaining conversation, she was extremely happy that Jonathan, originally from Copenhagen, Denmark, had stopped by.
Over the next few weeks, they continued talking and growing closer, until Jonathan asked Jessica out. While she said yes, Jessica was a bit weary of the idea: “I walked into the experience and said, ‘I’m not going to date anyone on the program, that’s such a bad idea,’” she remembers. “So, of course it happened to me.” Both Jessica and Jonathan are extremely happy that she rethought those famous last words and gave him a chance.
Throughout their Masa Israel experiences, they were able to see each other every day, share their experiences and spend time with the same friends. Not to mention that “it’s obviously nice when you fall in love,” Jonathan adds.
Jonathan and Jessica in Herzliya
About two months into the relationship, the couple realized that things were getting serious and they wanted to keep it going, beyond their five-months on WUJS. That’s where things got complicated. Jessica knew that she would return the U.S. and Jonathan accepted a job offer from the financial firm that he interned with in Tel Aviv.
As January of 2012 rolled around, and their program ended, Jonathan and Jessica stayed together via Skype, Jonathan’s visits to the U.S. and a trip to Denmark. In September of 2012, Jonathan, moved to Washington DC to be with Jessica, where she worked in digital marketing. “It was hard because he’s not American – we had to get him a job and a visa,” Jessica explains. “But, we kind of knew, pretty much from the beginning, that this relationship meant something – enough to go through all of that effort and make it work.”
In the summer of 2014, Jessica and Jonathan moved to New York. Jessica continues to work in digital marketing. Jonathan continues to work in the financial industry; he attributes to his professional success to his Masa Israel internship experience.
Want to live and intern in Tel Aviv like Jessica and Jonathan? Learn more about WUJS Israel.
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