| |||
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
It's been nearly three months since we first landed on Israeli soil with our three children and ten suitcases. Three months of joyous discovery, rich experiences, and endless wonder. From all the doubts, pain, and confusion of the pre-aliyah process has emerged an exuberant feeling of coming home. It wasn't easy to leave Cleveland. What would life in Israel be like? we wondered. How would our children adjust? Would the cultural differences be too much to bear? Questions like these reverberated in our minds even as we sold our possessions, said tearful good-byes to friends and family, and packed up our shipping container. We hoped that our aliyah (ascending to Israel) would be a conduit to our family's spiritual growth, and from the looks of things, God is on our side. From the very moment we came, we have experienced outright miracles and abundant blessing. Our fears have been lifted, replaced with gratitude that we were given the courage to make the move despite our hesitations. WORRIES I worried about getting our lift, especially after friends had warned us that clearing our shipment meant anything from relatively minor hassles to major nightmares. Instead, we received our lift just three days after we arrived, without any difficulties whatsoever. Any doubts that Israeli service is not on par with American service were quickly laid to rest -- with one exception: the Jewish worker who had left the Port of Haifa at 5:00 am to bring our shipment apologetically explained that he hadn't had time to pray; he asked to borrow my husband's tefillin before he began unloading. Only in Israel, of course, and just one of hundreds of anecdotes that our family has noted thus far. I was worried about the house we rented without ever having seen it. Instead, our house is beautiful. Leaving a four-story house in Cleveland, we were apprehensive about down-sizing -- now the worry has been replaced with genuine surprise that we ever opted to live on four floors, when two is so much easier. I worried about the dire warnings regarding the meager job market. No problem -- God sent me a dream job, one that opens up new horizons for me and that is conveniently located right near my home. I worried about the change from American products to Israeli ones. No problem -- my children now devour Osem ketchup with abandon. I worried about lice. We've been through it twice and I'm happy to report that we are just fine. I worried about medical care. Instead, we found caring doctors and a state-of-the-art healthcare system which takes a personal interest in new immigrants. I worried about making new friends. Not a problem -- we didn't spend a single Shabbat meal at home for two months straight! My kids found playmates the very day we arrived. I worried about security. Instead, my children delight in their freedom to play outside on our quiet cul-de-sac, while I am busy in the house, and I never think twice. A far cry from my anxiety about the kids playing alone outside back in Cleveland.
I worried about the so-called black-and-white delineation of society here. Happily, we have seen nothing of the sort. We have been accepted with open arms into a culture that is often very foreign to us. Our children are being nearly smothered with signature Israeli warmth and love, and they're eating it up! They're already speaking Israeli-accented Hebrew among themselves, delighting in the discovery of a new language. My heart soars when I watch them play with their friends. There is such simplicity and innocence amongst these children. They are open and sincere; the girls hold hands and hug each other -- even at the ages of eight and nine. They take infinite pleasure in riding their bikes for hours on end, or playing with "sophisticated" toys like discarded tires and fallen palm fronds. They need no XBoxes or Disney movies to keep them happy. I worried about the academic standards; now I find my worries not only unfounded, but laughable. My children are literally being stuffed with knowledge and creativity that is simply unsurpassed. My husband and I marvel at the strong education orientation that permeates Israeli society. After-school activities abound in all areas -- dance, gymnastics, music, and swimming to name just a few. Despite the fact that the school day is significantly shorter -- the kids begin at 8:15 and end at 1:15 -- there is an intense amount of learning that takes place. I worried about living here without a car. Now I appreciate the fact that when you take taxis, flat tires and leaky gas lines are their problem (In Cleveland, the mechanic had been our best friend!). DARK CLOUDS AND JOY There is no doubt that life in Israel is tinged with the dark clouds of strife. The Haifa train station my husband traveled through in order to release our shipment was destroyed by Hezbollah rockets just three days after he was there. Two weeks into our aliyah, my children were already playing "security guard" -- asking to check my backpack as I entered their "store." When war broke out in Lebanon, we talked to the kids about it. No sense in trying to hide it when their friends were all discussing it with the sage wisdom of seven-year-olds going on 50. We prayed, we sent food to the displaced families from the North, and we went about our lives as best as we could. It's a different dimension of existence, but we are all in this together, and that's no small comfort.
We have found that living in Israel has brought a beautiful sense of bonding and serenity to our family in general. Both my husband and I have found ourselves spending significantly more time bonding with our kids than we ever were able to in America. We feel connected and united in the big move we made, and the new life we've built, and none of us has any regrets. Our children have become so relaxed and independent. Whether it's walking home from school together, or taking ambling walks through the streets, our kids really feel the beauty of living here. They have integrated seamlessly into Israeli life -- beyond our wildest dreams -- and we chalk it up to just one aspect of the Divine kindness which has guided us in this venture from the very start. There is no joy like the utter joy of living in Israel, where the streets reverberate with tangible spirituality and genuine Jewish experience. Jewish life is satisfyingly real here. The heavy emphasis on spiritual growth here is impacting our lives in tangible ways. My husband is able to devote his entire mornings to Torah study -- an opportunity he never dreamed of in America, where his job consumed his every free moment. On one of the intermediate days of Sukkot, our family took a spontaneous hike in the mountains surrounding our neighborhood. There we found ancient mikvas, ritual baths, hewn out of stone and the crumbled remnants of cities where our ancestors once lived. This is our back yard! I am still awestruck at the fact that we can simply hop on a bus and visit the Western Wall -- the holiest place on earth. In Israel, I am home. It's been three months, and I'm still euphoric. I love the people, the weather and the breathtaking views. Even the produce tastes sweeter. We feel overwhelmingly privileged to have been given the strength and courage to grab the opportunity that is available to all Jews today. In fact, I get goose bumps just thinking that last year on Passover we sang "Next year in Jerusalem." And just look at us -- here we are. What are you waiting for? Published: Sunday, October 22, 2006
If you would like to receive "Israel Update" or other features via e-mail, please enter your email address here:
Like what you read? As a non-profit organization, Aish.com relies on support from readers like you to enable us to provide inspiring and relevant articles. Click here to support Aish.com.
|
|
 |
If you would like to receive "Israel Update" or other features via e-mail, please enter your email address here:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Donate to Aish
 |
|
Hear related audio on this topic
In which community, with how much money?
I was delighted to hear how happy you are in Israel and how painless the transition was for you.
My concern is that most "aliyah stories" contrast sharply with yours, and talk about how "Orthodox" Americans have trouble fitting in with the Chareidi communities in Israel, and how the houses they live in, the clothing they wear, and the food they eat must all be much simpler than in the USA...
I therefore ask, first of all, would you consider yourself well-to-do b"h? Perhaps this accounts for the lack physical problems. With enough money, anything can be done, even in Israel.
I also ask: what "type" of community, if a label can be assigned to it, did you settle in? i.e., in current popular labels, Chasidic Chareidin, "Regular" Chareidim, Chardal, Mizrachi, etc.
AUTHOR'S RESPONSE
In response to this post, I'd like to give an honest perspective on the issues raised.
I believe that my positive outlook on aliyah has very little to do with
external circumstances. Across the board, I think anyone would be
hard-pressed to link "successful aliyah" directly with financial stability.
There are elements to life in Israel that can be challenging even if a
family comes here with enough money to "get anything done, even in Israel."
Instead, I think that attitude comes very much into play here. Our family
has encountered our fair share of exactly the same elements that make aliyah
difficult: bureaucracy, language and cultural barriers, starting over in a
new community, and learning a whole new system--education, economic, and
social. Even food shopping can be stressful. We have been shouted at by taxi
drivers and treated to good, old-fashioned rudeness as well. However, we
have made an active decision to focus on the positive. Although I've never
considered myself a "glass half-full" person, where aliyah is concerned, I
am committed to being an optimist. There is enough good here in Israel to
counteract all the difficulties, and somehow I can keep smiling even if I
occasionally take a hit.
Another point to consider is that America ain't all it's cracked up to be.
We had to pay income tax and health insurance premiums in America too, and
there were crazy drivers in Cleveland as well! Sometimes I fear there is a
false expectation that everything needs to be perfect in Israel because life
is perfect in America. It's a fact: life is NOT perfect, no matter where you
live. I choose to stay on the Israel side of the imperfect life for all the
reasons I mentioned in my article and more.
I do not consider our family well-to-do; we have enough money to get by each
month without indulging in luxuries. I guess you could say that we live
simply, although that term is very relative. My husband is fortunate enough
to earn an American salary from Israel, however the taxes here are so much
higher that we are definitely taking a financial hit. We find living
expenses here quite high--comparable to those in America. Real estate prices
are through the roof in our current location, Ramat Bet Shemesh, and we do
have hesitations about finances and standard of living. But I truly believe
that God will take good care of us as long as we do our part. Already, we
have seen tremendous Providence in our livelihood. My husband, a school
psychologist working for a virtual charter school via video-conferencing, is
doing--successfully--what many thought was impossible, and many new
professional horizons have opened up for him. Without even looking for it, I
was offered a job as a patent writer in a wonderful high-tech company. I am
being patiently trained in to an exciting and lucrative new profession--and
all that despite the doom-and-gloom naysayers who talk about the terrible
job market. And don't forget: finances can be a worry back in America as
well! I think it more sensible to live in the land about which is said "the
Eyes of God are upon it" since He's the One who holds the purse strings
anyway.
In terms of community, after an extensive pilot trip and lots of soul
searching and guidance, we chose to live in Ramat Bet Shemesh for a variety
of reasons--the educational system being the most prominent. We find it to
be a wonderful community--very Torah-oriented, very vibrant and convenient,
with all the modern amenities of a real city. We did not delude ourselves
about the make-up of the community: our neighborhood is very strongly
chareidi, and in general, we find it extremely homogeneous--something we are
not used to. There is a high concentration of Anglos here, which makes us
feel very comfortable but also raises the standard of living--something that
must be factored into the equation. I think that moving to a beautiful, new
city, complete with parks and other facilities, and many English-speakers
has helped ease our aliyah significantly. My children are helped out in
school by their English-speaking peers so they don't feel lost, thereby
ensuring a positive school experience for them. The fact that our kids are
happy and settled definitely boosts our positive outlook on aliyah.
I truly believe that Israel is what you make of it. We are choosing to take
the few lemons we encounter and mix them with the natural sweetness of life
here to make lemonade. I think that we, who have made aliyah, have the
unique privilege of undoing the damage caused by the Spies sent in the times
of Moses who bad-mouthed the Land of Israel and whose severe punishment
reverberates even now-- centuries later. I hope and pray that we will
continue to focus on the sweetness and receive plentiful Divine assistance
in every aspect of our lives.
(40) Avishai, 22/3/2007
WOW!
Thank you so much for this! It is said that Tradikkim increase their good deads even after their death because of the seeds they have sown in other people that lead them back to G_d and mitzvot. I think this article is similar. It is inspiring and, B""H, it will lead more people to move to Eretz. So thank you. I am planning my Aliyah for next year and have had so much 'warning' from friends (Jewish!) about the difficulties and dangers. Your artivcle puts it all back into perspective and reminds us that Jews should live in Israel and the almighty will protect us. Ha Ka'vod!
(39) Anonymous, 4/3/2007
inspiring!
just wanted to say that i found your article very inspiring. i live in israel, but am surrounded by jews from america and your words explained perfectly why israel is the place to live- so thank you!
(38) JOELLE, 4/3/2007
HOW LUKY
LAST YEAR DESPITE SMALL I DECIDED TO VISIT ISRAEL AND ACCEPTED THE IVITATIPN IN BEN GURION UNIVERSITY FOR A LECTURE. I FELL IN LOVE WITH ISRAEL COUPLE EDECADES AGO WHEN I WAS 15... MY FIRST TRIP. UNFORTUNATELY, I NEVER MADE ALLYAH. I WENT STRAIGHT FROM MY NATIVE MOROCCO TO NEW-JERSEY. TODAY, THIS IS A DREAM I WANT TO REALIZE, BUT I'M SO SCARED TO PACK AND MOVE SO I SPENT MOST OF MY TIME TRYING TO DEVELOP PRODUCTS TO SELL IN ISRAEL.....I WISH I WISH ... I COULD HAVE ENOUGH COURAGE TO MOVE THERE WITHOUT WAITING. AS THE AUTHOR MENTIONNED, SHE FOUND ENOUGH MIRACLES. PERHAPS MY EMUNAH NEEDS TO INCREASE...THANK-YOU FOR SENDIND US BEAUTIFUL TESTAMENTS.
SINCERELY YOURS,
JOELLE