COM bulletin - Congregation of Moses

homes. Their families enrolled them in public religious-
Zionist schools. After growing up just three miles apart,
unaware of each other, the two met in high school. Both
had strong affinity toward math and science, but their bond
resulted from their time together at the magnificent sandy
Tel-Aviv beach.
FEATURING
Pnina & Judah Ari-Gur
Pnina and Judah were born and raised in what
was “little Tel-Aviv” a couple of years after Israel’s
independence. The spirit of Zionism and idealism was
dominant. It was also a relatively short time after the end
of World War II, and the quiet trauma was felt in the air,
but was not much discussed. The economy was tough
in the young State. Food was rationed (each family had
a limited allocation), and both Pnina and Judah lived
with their respective families in communal apartments,
where each room accommodated a family of four, and the
“facilities” were shared by several families.
Both were raised by
devoted mothers, who were
widowed after the fathers
passed away at a young
age. The adults strived
to provide their children
(both Pnina and Judah
had an older sibling) with
normal childhood, free
from fear, the burden of
the Holocaust memories
and the financial hardship.
After-school activities
included piano and ballet
for Pnina, while Judah
excelled in competitive
sports, and both were also
“book worms.”
Both Pnina and Judah grew
up in traditional Jewish
Story by Pnina & Judah Ari-Gur
Photo by Carolyn Kennedy
In 1971, the couple married in Tel-Aviv and built their
home in their beloved city of Haifa, the city that is home
to the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The union
between an Ashkenazi and Sephardi was very uncommon
at the time, but that did not deter them from going after
their heart’s calling. The couple’s two daughters were born
“between the books” while Judah and Pnina were pursuing
their engineering graduate work at the Technion. Busy as
they always were, family was always a priority. The family
traveled and spent time together.
After completing their doctoral degrees in Israel, Pnina
and Judah headed to the University of British Columbia in
Vancouver, Canada, for their post-doctoral research work.
The family also crisscrossed beautiful British Columbia.
After two years, the family returned to Haifa, where the
couple’s son was born.
In the fall of 1985, the family of five came to Kalamazoo,
where Pnina and Judah joined Western Michigan University
as engineering professors. The Ari-Gur household enjoyed
stimulating discussions around the dinner table, where the
children were active contributors to dialogs about world
affairs from a very young age. They also
shared household chores, and some of
the best dinners were skillfully prepared
by the couple’s oldest daughter.
The Ari-Gurs enjoy being part of the
Congregation of Moses family and
participating in services. Judah, who is
experienced in the art of chanting Torah,
helps Pnina master the art.
The years have passed, and in 2001
Pnina and Judah became grandparents
to Ayelet. Her siblings and cousins were
born in the following years, and little
Zuriel, their sixth grandchild, was born
just a couple of months ago. When the
Ari-Gurs are not hard at work, they
like to play tennis, bowl, spend time
with friends and read. They also enjoy
traveling to visit with their family and
far-away friends and touring the world.
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