When you grow up in Australia, being a sportsman is the most natural thing in the world. So it was hard for Gilad Levin, when he made aliya at the age of not quite 18, to settle in Jerusalem, a city not known for its great sporting achievement. Now working as a physiotherapist, the 37-yearold Levin still finds it difficult to practice his craft in the world of sport he loves.“There’s no sports culture like in Australia,” he says. “In Tel Aviv there is a little more awareness compared to Jerusalem, but it certainly can’t compare to Down Under.”Nevertheless he has held various positions as sports physiotherapist for several Jerusalem teams.In Australia he played water polo, ran marathons, took part in triathlons and Iron Man competitions. Here there is less chance of doing the off-beat sports he loves but he does still run, swim and ride.Also, paradoxically, he was able to participate in many more competitions in Australia as they were usually held on Sunday, but here they are on Saturday, which, as he is Shabbat-observant, makes it impossible for him to participate.He was born in Jerusalem in 1976 but his family moved to Perth when he was a small child. And although he grew up and spent his formative years there he has deep roots in this country and was always a keen Zionist.His great-grandfather, Avram Levin, was one of the pioneers who founded Mazkeret Batya in 1883 with Shmuel Mohliver.His grandfather on his mother’s side is hazan (cantor) Emmanuel Fisher, who settled in Jerusalem in 1969 after living and working in England for many years, having been saved from his native Germany by the Kindertransport.In 1994 Levin made aliya and immediately went to do his army service. Studies in Beersheba followed. Nowadays, although holding down five jobs for which he travels all over the country, he fits in his sports activities too.“I like to be on the go,” he says.Two years ago, a divorced man with two children, he went to spend Rosh Hashana in the ecological village of Vertigo and there he met his present wife.Vertigo is a remarkable enterprise established by two women dancers, members of the Vertigo dance company who decided to set up their own community to nurture art and creativity while also protecting the environment. Vertigo Ecological Arts Village is located midway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in the Eila Valley.The pioneers converted an abandoned chicken coop into a dance studio, bedrooms are lit by “green” electricity and there is no air conditioning. They also have a gray-water system, compost toilets and a wind turbine.“People come to spend the festivals there as the atmosphere is so open and free,” explains Levin.Gilad found his soul mate in Ateret, a widow with three children, who is a talented pianist.They married, and thanks to his wife’s musical gifts they were able to rent the house in Jerusalem that they now live in, as it had belonged to conductor Gary Bertini, who specified that he wanted the next owners to be musical, too.“As me and my two kids are only into sports, we couldn’t have had the house without my wife’s musical ability,” he says.It was ecological awareness that brought them together so they continue the philosophy in their own home, doing a lot of recycling and making compost for the garden.Besides her piano-playing, Ateret requalified as a clinical social worker and works with students at the Ma’aleh film school as a counselor. In her work she also uses videotherapy and likes to try and help frustrated single people find their “beshert.”On Shabbatot they like to attend the Shira Hadasha synagogue, which is an Orthodox but egalitarian congregation.They are also very involved in Kolot, a non-profit, non-denominational organization which seeks to increase Jewish literacy, believing that understanding of Judaism’s most important texts can provide the inspiration to lead a rich and ethical life.It is called Kolot (“Voices”) because the founders believe that the Jewish people have always had a unique voice among the nations of the world.“I go there for my soul,” he says. ■
