Reporter
matthew.chin@guardian.co.tt
Bombs. Rockets. Gunfire. Yet none of these things were strong enough to convince St Joseph native Resa Gooding that moving to the Middle East was a bad idea.
For the entrepreneur, saying goodbye to her homeland of T&T meant starting over in the start-up nation of the Middle East’s most contested piece of real estate, the State of Israel. Falling in love with her then Israeli husband who had travelled to the tropics for a work/vacation excursion, she decided to immigrate to the country in 2007. Since then she has remarried another Israeli with whom she has a six-year-old boy.
Her family resides in the city of Rehovot–located between the country’s economic hot spot, Tel Aviv and the Gaza Strip–which has not been spared from the violence that took Israel by surprise on October 7 when attacks from the Palestinian group Hamas launched from the Gaza Strip against the south of Israel started a new conflict in the region. Israel declared that it was at war the next day.
Despite this, the Trinidadian woman remains calm and, surprisingly, composed some 4,038 km or 2,509 miles away in Dublin where she works at a tech company while her family members live in Rehovot.
However, she constantly looks at the news and its developments and talks to her family whenever she can over the phone.
Gooding had been visiting her family throughout the years before war broke out, she said.
Upon arriving in Israel, Gooding started her digital marketing agency which allowed her to work very closely with start-ups. This was a major accomplishment for her as it helped others realise their dreams of building their businesses.
Resa Gooding
Confronting the misguided perception that Israel is not a land flowing with milk and honey, she cites it as the place of her rebirth.
“My journey in Israel (has been a) rebirth experience of allowing myself to actually accomplish the things that I always thought I had fear for, or I played too small for, before moving ... I think this society is really a society that helps you to spread your wings and realise things are possible, that anything is possible. Most Israelis are envious that I moved from the Caribbean to (Israel) because it is their dream to always go to the Caribbean,” she said.
Another popular perception she wanted to strike down was the image of Israelis being anti-life. In retrospect of the pattern of conflicts that involves her Middle Eastern home, she said the population, on the contrary, consists of very compassionate and loving people.
“When you look at when the world has disasters, generally the people who respond first are the Israelis. When there was an earthquake in Haiti, the Israelis showed up first. I am not denying that I’ve had negative experiences in Israel, but at the same time if you find yourself hurt, or in need of something, the Israelis will show up for you first. They come from a very difficult life, I think, where they have to protect themselves and know who you are, but when they get to know you, or don’t even know you, they put life first,” she said.
Gooding considers Israel to be a tough country that the lovers of doubles, soca, and everything Carnival may need time adjusting to.
“There is a small Caribbean community there. There are many Jamaicans, with two Trinidadians existing permanently. We have a saying among us that ‘Trinidadians cannot survive in Israel,’ because really to survive here you have to have thick skin. Israelis tell you like it is; they’re a very direct people,” she laughed.
When it comes to what Israelis love about Trinidadian culture, Gooding praised our food as the secret ingredient for making big connections.
“Oh, they love our food! I cook my husband doubles all the time and roast eggplants. Our food is always the icebreaker among Israelis. They love hummus, which is channa-based, so anything with channa in it, they love. My food is always the thing that makes Israelis get excited about wanting to know more about the Caribbean, particularly Trinidad. (My husband) was visiting Trinidad last year and he loved it. He’s one of those people who’s excited to know that he has a Trinidadian connection so he can be there,” she said.
Asked if the thought of returning to Trinidad with her family had crossed her mind due to the war, the entrepreneur was resolute that the strong love her family has of Israel is the anchor that keeps them there.
“I love Israel, I love the country, it has become who (my family) is today, and who I’ve become today,” she said.
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