Mordechai Saxon, a retired clothing manufacturer, is involved in many varied pursuits: underwater photography, piano, matchmaking, Krav Maga, Yedidim roadside assistance, Torah learning, and more.
He and his wife, Shulammis, moved to Israel in 2019 and officially made aliyah in January 2024, settling in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
He says he had dreamed of living in Israel since attending a semester at Alexander Muss High School in Hod Hasharon at 16, with his junior class.
As an ordained rabbi, he views it quite simply: “God gave us this land and wants us to live in it. If you have the opportunity – some don’t, but if you do – why wouldn’t you?”
Growing up in Miami Beach, Florida, surrounded by many elderly Holocaust survivors, Saxon saw Judaism as a “decrepit religion” until that semester in Israel “I saw young Jews living a vibrant Judaism, and I said, ‘That’s what I want!’”
He and Shulammis wed in 1989. They raised five children in Atlanta, Georgia; and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Today, their children are all married with families of their own. One son and daughter live in Florida, another son and daughter in Israel, and one daughter lives in Melbourne, Australia.
“We were advised to make aliyah before the oldest was in second grade or after the youngest finished high school; otherwise, the transition would be too difficult,” he says.
They moved for a trial period when their youngest was halfway through her gap year in an Israeli seminary. Arriving on a student visa, Saxon learned in a kollel in the mornings.
During the COVID pandemic, they spent Passover with their oldest son in Orlando, Florida, and struggled to return to Israel as non-citizens. “My wife said, ‘I am never getting locked out of our home again. If we make aliyah, they can’t deny us entry!’”
Saxon notes that his wife wasn’t initially as eager. “She did it for me, out of love. Israel was where my heart was, and she wanted that for me. But now she wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” he says.
Shulammis teaches adult women and seminary students and recently co-wrote and acted in Ahallelah, a play about King David, performed in Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem.
Pursuing new interests in Israel
ALTHOUGH SAXON still owns a clothing company in Pittsburgh, it’s managed by his staff and he has time to pursue many interests.
One of his passions is scuba diving, which he learned at age 13 in Key Largo, Florida. “My parents were cruise [ship] junkies, so I was always snorkeling in the Cayman Islands or the Bahamas. When I found out I could stay underwater for an hour without going up to breathe, I fell in love with scuba diving. Three of my children dive, too.” He has also volunteered with the ZAKA search-and-rescue dive team.
He invested in underwater photography equipment and lessons to share the beauty he saw with family and friends who didn’t dive. “I now mostly dive in Eilat. If I’m stateside, I dive in Key Largo. I’d like to dive at Rosh Hanikra – I’m waiting for things to calm down and for the waters to warm up.”
In 1995, Saxon started training in jujitsu, and then discovered the Israeli defensive martial art Krav Maga, developed for the IDF in 1948. When the family moved to Israel in 2019, he connected with Moshe Katz in Ma’aleh Adumim, founder of Israeli Krav International. Saxon earned his black belt last year and now trains and instructs students twice a week.
“Krav Maga is effective because it doesn’t depend on strength or size. Many martial arts have fancy moves, but street attacks aren’t choreographed. Our system is concept-based, so even a small person can defend himself against a large attacker. After all, weaker people aren’t the ones attacking stronger ones,” he points out.
“The goal isn’t to win a fight and bring home a trophy but to save your life. It’s empowering to teach people that they don’t have to be victims.”
BEFORE MAKING aliyah, Saxon donated his time as a volunteer firefighter. Now he volunteers with Yedidim, assisting drivers with jumpstarts, tire changes, and other roadside emergencies. He recently came to the aid of a reserve soldier who ran out of gas at night while driving with his wife and baby.
He’s also become a volunteer matchmaker with the organizations Saw You at Sinai and Ambassadors of the Heart (Shagririm Balev).
“I started this last year after hosting so many [single] Shabbat guests who asked if I knew someone for them,” he explains.
“I have one married couple and one engaged couple to my credit, bless God. I also use my photography skills to take dating profile pictures,” he says.
Saxon advises singles to research matches thoroughly before agreeing to go on a date. “And then you need to actually date in person – no phone interviews – because all the magic happens face to face. And if the date isn’t terrible, just not amazing, give it a few tries. Sometimes people are shy or tired on the first date but might still be wonderful for you. Give it a chance.”
Saxon takes advanced Hebrew classes at Ulpan L’Inyan and studies Torah daily. He says that he appreciates the high level of Torah classes in Ramat Beit Shemesh for English speakers but wants to challenge himself by attending more Hebrew classes.
“Part of what I love and simultaneously dislike about Beit Shemesh is how American it is. You don’t even need [to speak] Hebrew. Some days, I don’t hear any Hebrew,” he says.
Like many Americans in Israel, he laments “the lack of friendly customer service” and comments on “the small-mindedness of retailers.”
However, he reasons, “When you make aliyah, you realize there’s an entire life outside of shopping. It’s no longer a recreational activity, so you only shop when necessary. You spend the rest of your time living!”
Mordechai Saxon, 58: From Pittsburgh to Ramat Beit Shemesh, 2019