When Rafi Horwitz first set foot in Tel Aviv in February 2023, it wasn’t on a whim but rather an extension of a lifelong longing – a desire to live in Israel that had taken root during his teenage years.
Now 38, Horwitz speaks about his journey with the ease of someone who’s finally found home, even amid the challenges that come with building a life from scratch in a new country.
Learn how to buy your home in Israel with confidenceBorn and raised in South Florida, Horwitz grew up immersed in Jewish life. “I went to Jewish day school,” he explains. “It was very chill – my parents are from Brooklyn [New York]. I grew up with TV at home, and we were pretty connected to the world.”
At age 15, Horwitz’s trajectory took a turn when he moved to New York to attend yeshiva. From there, he journeyed to Minnesota, and then to Israel for a year at a yeshiva in Safed. “That was my first real experience of Israel, and it was amazing,” he recalls. “I didn’t even realize how much of a Zionist I was until I was here.”
That initial year in Israel sparked a connection he couldn’t shake. Horwitz returned to the US but found himself drawn back repeatedly, visiting Israel every Sukkot to soak up the country’s atmosphere. “Whenever I left Israel, I felt sad. But leaving America? I didn’t really care,” he laughs. “Even Miami didn’t pull me back like Israel did.”
In Miami Beach, Horwitz built a life that many would envy. He had an apartment for 12 years, a reliable job in the hospitality industry providing marketing materials for hotels, and a vibrant community through Chabad in South Beach. “I had Jewish and non-Jewish friends, and I loved the life I had there,” he says.
Yet, the longing for Israel lingered. “I knew that if I ever left that apartment, it would be because I was moving to Tel Aviv,” he says.
What sparked a move to Israel
A BREAKUP in late 2022 propelled him into action. “I was dating someone, and after the relationship ended, I told my parents, ‘I think I want to try living in Israel.’” He laughs as he recalls their reaction: “They didn’t think I was serious, but the next week, I went back for Shabbat and said, ‘I’m moving to Israel.’”
By February 2023, he arrived in Tel Aviv with two suitcases and a sense of purpose. “I didn’t want to live out of sublets and bounce around. I wanted to sign a lease and feel like an adult,” he says. He found an apartment in the city’s Kerem Hateimanim neighborhood, drawn to its old-school charm reminiscent of South Beach. “I’m a block away from the beach, I can surf, and I love the community vibe,” he says.
Community became his anchor. “When you move here, you have to get involved,” he insists. “You can’t just sit on your couch and expect to make friends. Volunteer, get out of your comfort zone.”
His commitment paid off: He began volunteering, farming, and helping coordinate synagogue services at Chabad on the Coast, a key pillar not only in Horwitz’s aliyah experience but also in the lives of many olim and internationals in Tel Aviv. “Rabbi Eli Naiditch asked me to be the gabbai,” he laughs, referencing his role helping to organize Torah readings and community activities at his synagogue. “I grew up in Chabad, so I know how things work.”
Professionally, Horwitz’s journey has been anything but conventional.
After COVID upended his hospitality career in Miami, he dabbled in the CBD industry before making the leap to Israel. Here, he initially worked at a bike shop, helping build it from the ground up. “I didn’t need to make a ton of money – I just wanted something to keep me busy,” he says. Business boomed – until the outbreak of war in October 2023 brought tourism to a halt. “It went from great to zero overnight,” he says.
However, Horwitz refused to stand still. He turned to volunteering, helping farmers whose workers had been called to reserve duty. “I’d wake up at 5 a.m., open the shul for people to get coffee before volunteering, hop on the bus, and work the land,” he says. “It was brutal but beautiful. You get to hear the farmers’ stories and understand how this country works.”
His commitment to Israel’s land and history doesn’t stop there.
Inspired by his love of learning and a passion for connecting people to the country’s heritage, he enrolled in a tour guide course. “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” he says, eyes bright. The course, however, was postponed due to low enrollment, but Horwitz sees the silver lining: The next one is scheduled to open in Tel Aviv rather than Jerusalem, saving him the commute.
Horwitz’s openness to new experiences led him to an unexpected adventure on an archaeological dig.
“I saw a notice from the Israel Antiquities Authority about a Byzantine archaeological site near Yavne,” he recounts. “I joined a WhatsApp group, met some volunteers in Tel Aviv, and headed out there.” Sleeping in tents, learning to sift through centuries-old artifacts, and listening to archaeologists’ lectures – all in Hebrew – deepened his appreciation for Israel’s layered history. “It was awesome,” he says. “You realize that every inch of this land holds a story.”
Living in Israel, Horwitz says, requires a certain mindset. “I came here expecting nothing,” he states. “I knew I was giving up a lot – my apartment, my job, my comfort zone. So I didn’t expect everything to go smoothly, and I didn’t get upset when it didn’t.” From dealing with landlords to navigating Israel’s bureaucracy, Horwitz has approached each challenge with a mix of humor and acceptance. “If you go to a government office, bring every piece of paper you can think of. Assume you’ll have to go twice. That’s just how it is,” he laughs.
LANGUAGE, TOO, has been a journey. Growing up, Horwitz spoke some Hebrew at home and picked up more during his travels to Central and South America. “When I got here, I was probably at 50% fluency. Now I’m closer to 70%,” he says, crediting casual conversations – and an Ethiopian Israeli friend whom he met at a neighborhood restaurant and who shares his birthday – for his progress.
For Horwitz, the move to Israel has been about finding connection — not just to a place but to a purpose. “Being able to go to the Kotel [Western Wall] whenever I want, to talk to people who fought in the Six Day War, to learn from them – that’s the most rewarding part,” he says.
His dreams for the future include raising a family, having a home by the beach in Tel Aviv, and a second home in the Golan where he can garden and go camping. “I’d love to bring my kids to the Kotel, to teach them Hebrew, to have them grow up with the same connection to this land that I have,” he says.
Through it all, Horwitz remains grounded in gratitude. “I practice gratitude every day – for what I have and what I don’t have,” he reflects. “Every struggle shapes who I am.” And as he looks forward to continuing his journey in Israel, he knows he’s exactly where he’s meant to be: in the land he’s always called home.
Rafi Horwitz, 38 From Miami Beach to Tel Aviv, 2023
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