UCLA grad Andrew Sokoler Says Aliyah Means Being There in Good Times and Bad

Los Angeles native Andrew Sokoler, 26, made Aliyah knowing there could be some risk of violence. But even after the horrific terrorist attacks of Hamas on October 7, which in which more than 1,400 Israelis were murdered and 230 kidnapped, Sokoler, who works for a startup, said he didn’t think of leaving.

“My goal was to connect and be part of society,” Sokoler, who used to pray at Temple Aliyah (now HaMakom), told the Journal. “I think my parents would have been shocked if I said I wanted to leave. It was a commitment I made when I made Aliyah. I decided I would be with Israel through the good and the bad. I didn’t want to abandon it when things got tough.”

This comes at a time where some students have left and some who have made Aliyah have left, but many have chosen to stay. Mental health experts say it is important not to judge people who have specific situations and needs.

Sokoler came with no family and is single. He joked that having to go to the bomb shelter has given him a chance to socialize with his neighbors. When he gets a chance, he says, he distracts himself by following American sports, especially the NFL.

This wasn’t his first experience seeking refuge in a bomb shelter  — he spent time in one during the outbreak of hostilities in 2021 — but he never expected anything like the terrorist attack that took place on October 7. In an interview with i24 News he said he is staying strong despite the trauma to the country and Jews worldwide. He watches the news often and is hoping the hostages will come back safely.

“If I would leave, in my mind, it would be giving in to Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and all who seek our demise,” he told the Journal. “These terrorist groups want that. Being Jewish is about sacrifice. The reason I’m here today is because of the sacrifices my ancestors made for me. I want to pass the gift of being Jewish to the next generation. Seeing the unity and spirit and determination of Israelis here and Jews around the world and talking to people on the street everyone puts aside their own personal objectives and comes together to do something for a purpose greater than themselves. The mentality is that Hamas will seek to murder our people but there is no way they will murder our resolve.”