In this episode of The Global Connection, Orit Coty from the Lowy International School interviews Jonti Shepherd about what it’s like to make Aliyah and begin a PhD at Tel Aviv University (TAU), only to have October 7 months later.

Jonti, who was born in South Africa but has lived around the world, is now working towards a PhD in hyperspectral remote sensing. He and Orit discuss South Africa’s political animosity towards Israel, his decision to immigrate and the role TAU has played, what his research entails, his hopes and dreams for the future, and why there’s no place he’d rather be than Israel.

DYK? TAU has launched academic integration tracks in English and French to help new olim find their way: www.international.tau.ac.il/academic-integration-tracks