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First Connection: February 4, 2017, walking around Tel Aviv
Wedding Date: TBD
Venue: TBD in Baltimore
Residence: Netanya, Israel
Favorite Activity: cooking, relaxing,
planning their future
Posted on:
20/07/20
Baltimore native Robyn Lessans, 24, and her Cuban-born fiancé, Alejandro Eskenazi, 28, traveled a long way to find one another. In November 2016, Robyn and Alejandro both participated in programs through Masa Israel Journey, the leader in immersive international experiences in Israel for young people ages 18-30.
“We were doing the same program, but in different cities. I was coaching baseball in Tel Aviv, and I was also playing in the national league,” says Ale jandro, referring to the Israeli national baseball team. With his team, Alejandro competed in the European championships, securing a second-place finish in a qualifying tournament for the 2020 Olympics.
Alejandro participated in Masa Israel Journey’s Destination Israel – IAB baseball program, two and a half hours away, Robyn taught English to elementary school students in Beit She’an through Masa’s Israel Teaching Fellows, a collaborative initiative with Israel’s Ministry of Education, which, since 2011, has placed more than 900 international young professionals in classrooms across Israel in order to strengthen English instruction in the country.
The two met at a Masa leadership summit in Jerusalem, and immediately felt a connection. “At the time, we were just friends,” said Alejandro, but it took just a few months for a romance to develop.
On their first date, Robyn confessed she was “a little nervous.” She laughed, remembering: “I lost my wallet on the bus ride into town!”
On the date, the two went to the Sarona market in Tel Aviv, and spent the day walking around. “I brought my guitar. We got coffee, had some food. We talked a lot,” she said.
Despite the lost wallet, Robyn said, “It ended up being a great date.”
Alejandro said his affection for Robyn was immediate, but “once we started getting to know each other, I said, ‘This is my girl.’”
Alejandro said he loves Robyn because “she’s so sweet and humble and she has a sweet heart. She’s an amazing person. I don’t have words to describe how amazing she is.”
Robyn feels the same about Alejandro: “I could make a list that would go forever. He’s got a kind, pure soul, a very innocent heart. He just wants to help people and do good in the world. He’s so kind to me all the time.”
By the end of 2017, Alejandro proposed.
During the winter break at Robyn’s school, Robyn said, “We went back to Baltimore so Ale could meet my extended family.”
Although Robyn was raised in Pikesville and most of her immediate family lives in the Reisterstown and Owings Mills area, Robyn’s grandmother lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the pair headed there to spend time with Robyn’s family.
“Ale and I went to the colonial area one night. It was nice and cold, and there were Christmas lights everywhere. It was Christmas eve,” Robyn remembered.
“We were the only ones in the town,” Alejandro added.
“When we got back to the car, Ale asked me,” said Robyn, adding that she was not entirely surprised. “I could tell something was going on,” she laughed. “He was so obvious about it. He’s so bad at keeping secrets!”
Since then, the couple has moved to Netanya, where they both teach at the Treehouse International School in Herzliya. Robyn teaches middle school language arts and social studies classes, and Alejandro teaches sports and Spanish.
The two plan to wed in Baltimore, but beyond that, more detailed wedding plans remain more vague due to the American visa process. “We can’t pick a date in America until we know when we’re going to get the visa,” Robyn said. “We’ve applied, but it takes time.”
Nevertheless, they do know they’ll marry “whenever we get there!” Robyn laughed. “Sometime in the next six to eight months, we’re hoping.”
Family and friends are helping Robyn and Alejandro on the local front.
“My mom and friends have been doing lots of recon work,” said Robyn. “My mom’s so cute: looking up places, looking up different food and things. It’s funny because my mom is not a Pinterest kind of girl. She’s a professor at the University of Maryland school of nursing, and she’s normally studious. But now she’s Pinteresting dresses for me!”
The honeymoon must be planned after visa considerations are settled and the couple has to stay in the U.S.
“Ale, where do you want to go?” Robyn asked.
“Road trip!” Alejandro exclaimed.
After two years exploring Israel, the two are excited to “explore different parts of America.” After that, the two will embark on their next adventure: beginning their married life in Baltimore.
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