✨The magic of Eunji✨

March 2026

When Eunji arrived in mid-February, she had already spent a year travelling around New Zealand, and six months of it sleeping in her car.

Hosting a new WWOOFer always comes with a mix of excitement and nerves. I am Jewish and have a strong connection to Israel. I lived there for 17 years and raised my family there. Today, my daughters and grandchildren still live there, along with many dear friends and relatives.

Each time a new traveller arrives, I never quite know how they will react when they discover my family is Jewish. I worry they might have preconceived ideas about Jews or Israel, or about me—  that they might already be critical, l and may not want to stay with someone like me: a Zionist and supporter of Israel.

So when Eunji arrived, I felt that familiar mix of emotions. But then she said something that surprised me: she had never met a Jewish person before and knew almost nothing about Jews.

I felt a sense of relief. It meant that the often black-and-white narratives of Western and social media had not yet shaped her thinking. Instead, she seemed curious and open to learning about us — our history and culture.

On her own initiative, Eunji visited both the Jewish museum and the Holocaust museum. When I found out that she had paid nearly $20 for the ticket, I was touched, especially knowing she was a frugal traveller.

As time passed, her interest in my family’s history grew. She read the entire eight-chapter memoir I have been writing about my mother’s life — a project that has taken me four years so far.

She also created mum's entire family tree — 350 members —  using the notes and information I gave her.

Collecting data for mum's family tree

Most astounding of all, she translated a large collection of letters from Polish into English - letters my parents wrote to my aunty and uncle in Israel, beginning in 1950, soon after they arrived in Australia, and continuing into the 2000s. These letters have given me a window into my parents’ personal lives — their struggles and their achievements in a new country. At this stage Eunji hadn't yet met mum. That was to come.

Eunji even started watching a Netflix series called Tehran. Although it’s only a drama, it has helped her begin to understand some of the complex political tensions between Israel and Iran.

What I valued most was her openness — her willingness to learn about Israel and Jewish history without judgement or negative assumptions.

At synagogue on the holiday of Purim with the family

***

The time had come for her Eunjie to leave. I was sad to say goodbye to her. She was easygoing, helpful, and a pleasure to have around. But she needed to earn some money and had found work as a housekeeper on Hamilton island.

 ***

Five days later, she texted to say she was unhappy there. The work was hard, and she was sharing a room with five other girls. There was no privacy and nowhere to go for quiet time. She asked how I felt about her coming back to us.

I was thrilled.

And so, Eunji returned.

Happy Purim holiday!

She has already taken on another major project: organising and digitalising all my scattered notes from my past project Dancing Auschwitz.

Next to be sorted are boxes of notes and sketches I made over 35 years ago while researching and preparing illustrations for the Five Scrolls - the Megillot. They were commissions by a Judaica collector in the United States, Jack Gindi, and now belong to his daughter.

And after that are hundreds of old letters, telegrams and postcards long forgotten in the attic in a large plastic tub labelled Miscellaneous.

When Eunji arrived, I had no idea what a treasure she would become.

Using her skills as a software developer, she has brought our family history back to life, making it accessible to a new generation.

✨This, to me, is Eunjie’s magic✨