In 1981 Aarons met Israeli computer consultant Joshua Boneh at his Jewish Community Center in Washington D.C. "He followed Boneh to Israel" in 1982 where he covered the Lebanon War for "Time". The two celebrated their 20th anniversary with a commitment ceremony at the same JCC where they met. Aarons joined the "Oakland Tribune" at the behest of his former "Post" colleague Robert C. Maynard. Maynard had purchased the declining "Tribune"—thus becoming the first black owner of a major metro paper—and recruited Roy to be its features editor.