The Language of Love
Love stories can happen anywhere, at the grocery store, the bar, in online applications and in a random encounter between two people. However, some love stories begin with such an unimaginable coincidence that it is difficult to remain indifferent to them. One such story is that of Reuven and Elisheva Maimon, a pair of software engineers who recently completed their Master’s degree at the SCE Shamoon College of Engineering Be’er Sheva campus.
“I immigrated to Israel out of the understanding that this is where my future lies”, recounts Reuven Maimon (27) who immigrated to Israel from a city on the outskirts of Paris. “When I arrived, I joined one of the unique ‘Masa’ groups that enables young Jews from all over the world to come to Israel and take part in higher education, volunteer organizations, professional life and more. I spent the first year in Gush Etzion where I studied in the format of a yeshiva, also ulpan, also Jewish law and also preparation for the psychometric test”.
The ‘Masa’ track steered Reuven to degree studies at the College, where he would meet Elisheva (26) - also a new immigrant from the Paris area. “I immigrated to Israel out a love of the country, and there was really something that sounded very special in immigrating alone at a young age. Everything felt like a summer camp. A group of young people immigrates without their parents, far from home. There is this sense of independence, pioneering and a commune, but this dissipates very quickly. Very quickly the sense of independence is replaced with a feeling of longing to the culture, and also a little loneliness when you are here without the family. Quite a few times doubts arose that perhaps I had made a mistake. This fact causes you to look for some connection to home. To make your friends to the journey and to the way your family”.
Software Engineering is an International Language
After their separate preparation tracks in the ‘Masa’ program, Reuven and Elisheva faced the choice of the field they would like to study and in which they strive to work in their adult life. After deliberating they both choose to begin their undergraduate studies in software engineering at the SCE Shamoon College of Engineering Be’er Sheva campus. For Reuven, choosing the engineering field in general, and software in particular, in fact stemmed from his integration difficulty. “The advantage of the engineering field is that it extensively involves mathematics and English. A software engineering degree enables the individual with language difficulty to feel much more comfortable. Ultimately all the students learn global languages that are based on mathematical and logical thinking ability”.
On this backdrop, in their degree studies the immigrants from France created a group that helps, supports and shares. The couple first met in this group, but did not immediately develop a relationship. “We identified each other as part of the group, but in the beginning there was a one year gap between us in our degree studies. I knew very quickly that I would be happy to meet her, but unfortunately there was not much interaction between us. So despite my courting Elisheva was less interested”, recounts Reuven.
Luckily for Reuven, the gap narrowed after Elisheva took one year off from her degree studies, during which the two continued to maintain contact and even deepened their acquaintance. During this year Elisheva found in Reuven a supportive shoulder, beyond their studies. She understood that the relationship between them could perhaps develop, and that Reuven would be the man with whom she would like to build a family. Owing to this Elisheva returned to her degree studies at the College, and Reuven immediately mobilized to help her make up the material and get back into things.
“We worked together on papers, on our studies, and then I got to know Reuven better. Suddenly I saw his listening, support, the fact that he was there at all hours and his willingness to help not only in my studies. This led me to connect a little more to the feelings that apparently I had towards him, and I decided that I was ready to go on a date not related to our studies”, recounted Elisheva.
The young couple discovered the advantages of shared studying towards a complex degree. “We spent all our time together, in courses and on papers. Suddenly we were a team that solves problems together. This is a great advantage, because we are a couple that really complements each other - in the things that I am good at and Elisheva less, and there are things in which I rack my brains and don’t understand, and Elisheva rocks in them”, says Reuven, “It makes the studies much more pleasant, because you know you have someone you can rely on”.
Shared Life after Degree Studies
The two married toward the end of their degree studies and since then they both found employment in a software engineering position in leading companies. Reuven works as a software engineer at MAX credit card company. “I work with a team of the company as a programmer in the digital field. Everything that entails interaction and interface with the customers is our responsibility, including ongoing maintenance of the website”. Elisheva works in a company that specializes in building IOT systems and their sale to customers that use them to develop various products. “I am very satisfied where I work now, and ultimately I benefited twice - both an excellent job and also a great love”, she says.
In addition to their work the two recently completed their master’s degree studies, also in software engineering at the SCE. Reuven explains this choice: “This is a field in which all the knowledge you acquire helps your personal development and also helps in advancing to managing larger projects. We believe that together with the master’s degree we will both develop at the companies where we work”.
Finally, the two share their feeling with the coming of Love Day. “I am so happy to think about our love. Reuven is undoubtedly the most suitable man for me. He has all the qualities that I love and I know that he has great love for everyone around him. He will always be there for everyone and will try to support and help”, says Elisheva. Reuven was also not short on compliments. “Elisheva is an amazing woman. She is always caring, considerate, embracing and supportive. I am very lucky and it is even a bit strange that we are a couple - we are both from the same area of the Parisian suburbs, and in fact we discovered that Elisheva is my cousin’s friend. We never met in France, and it was here in Israel that the connection was made”.
