Twenty-two-year-old Jonathan Elkhoury was born in South Lebanon to a Christian family. His father was a soldier in the South Lebanon Army, which was supported by Israel in its struggle against the PLO and Hezbollah during the 1982 Lebanon War and beyond. When Israel evacuated its forces from Lebanon in 2001, Elkhoury’s family was endangered and his father was forced to flee to Israel, leaving his family behind – they only managed to join him a year later.

Jonathan joins Rogel Alpher in the studio to tell the story of his family’s complicated escape to Israel, and his subsequent integration into Israeli society, where he has thrived – he was awarded the Health Minister’s Shield for his National Service work at Rambam Hospital. But despite feeling Israeli, he still has dreams of returning to Lebanon and reuniting with the rest of his family.

Playlist:
Fariruz – Waynoun
Joseph Attieh – Lebnan Rah Yerja’a
Fairuz – Bhebak Ya Lebnan
Sarit Hadad – Ga’aguim
Beyonce – I Was Here
Charice – Note To God

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Elkhoury.