Growing up in the Jewish community in Rome, Italy, Federica was raised with a deep love of Israel. Her father’s family, Italians for generations, suffered during the Holocaust, inspiring her dad to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, so no other Jew would ever need to be saved like Federica’s grandmother and her sisters had to be. That familial background, her Jewish education and frequent trips to Israel all fostered Federica’s connection to the Jewish State.
“I first visited Israel when I was 15 years old and I felt this hard-to-explain bond to the country. So when I was old enough, I started to save money to come here every time I was able to. With each vacation, my connection to Israel, the Jewish People’s only real home in the world, grew stronger,” explained Federica, 26.
In December 2021, Federica finished her degree in psychology and decided it was time to give living in Israel on a longer-term basis a real shot. In July 2022, she arrived in Israel as a tourist and a month later, she started her Kibbutz Ulpan program at Ma’agan Michael, located on the Mediterranean Sea coast between Haifa and Hadera.
Kibbutz Ulpan is a five-month Hebrew language program sponsored by The Jewish Agency’s Masa Israel Journey program. It offers participants the opportunity to study Hebrew, meet amazing people from around the world, and live and work alongside locals on a kibbutz. Kibbutz Ulpan Ma’agan Michael has been operating since 1958 and is the biggest Kibbutz Ulpan program, hosting 60 to 72 participants each session.
“When I began at Kibbutz Ulpan Ma’agan Michael in August 2022, I only knew a few words of Hebrew. But I quickly fell in love with the place, which was so full of energy, new people, new opportunities and a new family,” Federica shared. “On the kibbutz, you feel you can breathe Jewish and Israeli history and I really got to know the culture and personality of Israel. I also had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and make connections for life.”
When her first Ulpan experience came to an end in December 2022, Federica realized she hadn’t had enough of the program and that she had no desire to return to Italy. So she signed up for another five months at Ma’agan Michael.
“The amount of Hebrew I was already able to speak after only five months made me think that I might have found the right place to be. And now, after another five months, I can say with confidence that I can really speak Hebrew and I’m also so happy at how my family has grown,” said Federica.
In April 2023, Federica officially made Aliyah, while she was completing her second round of ulpan.
“I’m so grateful for The Jewish Agency, the Kibbutz Ulpan program and my amazing kibbutz Ma’agan Michael,” Federica stated. “This was one of the best experiences which I will keep with me forever and it’s been such a gift to learn, grow up and make lifelong friends from all over, and to have come to Israel and made it my home.”
