The Reijnen family
Dutch family makes Aliyah, moves from Rotterdam to Nahal Oz
Raymond and Mirjam Reijnen and their three children will be making Aliyah from Rotterdam to Nahal Oz on the Gaza perimeter later this month; initially unaware of the kibbutz's location, they only discovered it after Googling the name; 'The kids are aware of the security situation, but don't fully understand it,' Raymond says.
Raymond and Mirjam Reijnen of the Netherlands, along with their three children, are in the final stages of relocation from Rotterdam to the Nahal Oz kibbutz on the Gaza perimeter, only several hundred meters from the border, where they will move at the end of the month.
Raymond, 40, and Mirjam, 37, both work at Rotterdam's fire services, where Raymond is a fire chief and Mirjam a firefighter. The couple has three small children: Nathan, who's eight, Shmulik, who's seven, and Ariel, who's only two years old.
The idea to make Aliyah to Israel was brewing in their minds over the past five years, but they kept putting it off because of their children. In the past six months, however, their dream became a reality, with the couple deciding the time has come to make Aliyah to Israel.
Mirjam and Raymond Reijnen and their 3 children will be making Aliyah from Rotterdam later this month
They did, however, wish to forego the hustle and bustle of cities in favor of a kibbutz. After some searching, they settled on the perfect fit: a kibbutz near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip.
"We knew we wanted to move to Israel, but only if it was to a kibbutz," Raymond told Ynet. "We didn't want a city because we live in a city now, so it would be basically the same thing. We wanted a small place with a warm community and lots of space for the kids."
The couple then met two friends of theirs, one of whom owns a potato export company that works with Nahal Oz's agricultural wing. He told them about the nice, beautiful kibbutz and the Reijnens visited it for themselves last summer—and fell in love.
Touring the kibbutz, the dairy barn, the fields and open spaces also captured the children's hearts, and so the family announced then and there they intended to join the community as members in good standing.
'For the kids it's like playing at war'
What the Reijnens' family friend neglected to mention, however, was the kibbutz's location, which the couple only discovered when they visited Israel.
"When we wanted to find out more about the kibbutz, we Googled it. I knew about the location, more or less, but I wanted to explain it to Mirjam," Raymond recounted. "When we Googled the name, we suddenly saw it was very close to the Gaza border. It didn't really change our decision."
In two weeks' time, a container with most of the contents of their home will be arriving at Ashdod's port. In the time left before they all get on a plane for a one-way trip to Israel, Raymond and Mirjam are busy preparing their children for the big change. The family is expected to arrive at Nahal Oz late March.
The Reijnen family only learned of Nahal Oz's location after Googling it (Photo: George Ginsberg)
"The children are used to life in a big city and we're starting life in a small community," Raymond explained. "They're aware of the security situation, but don't really fully understand it.
"When we explained to our two boys that if they hear a Code Red alarm, they have to run to the shelter, they thought it was really cool. I don't think they see it as scary—they're boys, after all. It's like playing at war for them. I assume we'll have to get used to it and learn to live with it. The children are really excited about the change."
The Reijnen family have no relatives in Israel and are making Aliyah alone. They'll be given a home in Nahal Oz and join work in the kibbutz.
"It's a big gamble, there's no doubt about it, but we're optimistic and only think good things. When we told our family in Rotterdam that we were making Aliyah they weren't surprised. Everyone saw it coming because we've always dreamt of it," Raymond concluded.
