Erez Filosof

My name is Erez Filosof. I was born In Israel to a Sephardic Jewish father and an Alevi-Christian mother from Istanbul that made Aliyah in the year 2000. I grew up in Israel until the age of 9. All my life I was surrounded by multiple languages and cultures - Ladino, Turkish, Hebrew and English.

Due to my parents struggle to integrate to the culture of Israel, experiencing poverty - they finally decided to move back to Turkey when I was only 9.

Upon the decision of departure by my parents, I have absorbed the cultural, political, historical and linguistic aspects of Republic of Turkey. But I never forgot where I came from and where I belonged to. And I always wanted to return to my land and build my life in Israel. And now, I want to be an asset to my country.

Throughout my journey in Turkey, I have always felt alien due to my identity and the pressuring cultural difference. I experienced throughout my life multiple anti-semitic attacks. Mostly physical as well as verbal.

One of the most significant anti-semitic attack of my life was at age 9. I've got attacked by 15 older students in school grounds for baring Jewish identity. Exactly around the time of Mavi Marmara incident. That very event changed my understanding of what it means to hold Jewish heritage. From then on, after that event and the subsequent events that followed, it only became more and more crystal clear to me, that I had to return to Israel. Right after I graduated high school, I contacted my Jewish community in Istanbul and participated to a MASA program in Kibbutz Harduf. I made Aliyah and, have been integrating to the Israeli society on my own pace in quiet and peaceful kibbutz Harduf for the last 5 years.

I hold Turkish citizenship (also possibly Portuguese very soon.) I have a natural talent for languages. I am a fast learner. I speak Turkish as a mother tongue. Hebrew in an advanced manner. A2 level German and, a great command of the English language. As well as some elementary Arabic yet to be improved.

Understanding the origin and the progressive evolution of languages, cultures and history that meld the perception of the great masses - comes natural to me. I know that I can be a great asset to the service and, sharpen my skills and abilities.