I made the decision to make aliyah and live in Israel as a teenager, before meeting my husband, after taking on, due to the influence of NCSY, the more "accepted" or "popular" mitzvot like Shabbat and kashrut. I remember how I announced it to my parents.
In a way you must feel sorry for my parents. I was a strange kid. In the mid-1960's when other kids were becoming "hippies" and discovering drugs, I was "getting high" on Torah. They couldn't imagine where they had gone wrong. I was just too different for them to accept. Nobody's kids were anything like me.
Then I made this grand announcement:
"I'm going to live in Israel."And knowing that they'd use all their intelligence and logic to try to convince me otherwise, I continued with:
"It's a mitzvah, and just like you couldn't stop me from keeping Shabbat and Kashrut, you can't stop me from making aliyah."I accepted that mitzvah, for good or for bad, and believe me it wasn't easy coming to 1970 Israel. But just like one loves one's children, no matter what, and we don't return them if "faulty," that's how living in Israel is for me.
My personal bonus is that I honestly consider my life here in the HolyLand to be wonderful. I have no compaints. I can't imagine having a better life any other place in the world.
Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach
Have a Blessed and Peaceful Shabbat
16 comments:
Batya, yasher ko'ach! And a Shabbat shalom umevorach to you too!
Thanks, B"H
One of the reasons I love reading Israeli blogs is that I get a taste of what I missed. I say missed because my mother had converted from Judaism to Christianity before I was born. I wish H had that connection and interconnectedness, because I know I don't have it.
Robert, technically you're still Jewish. My neighbor, decended from hidden Jews for hundreds of years, returned to Judaism and today is a rabbi.
Robert, all you need to do is to start walking in the right direction.
Good luck!
Batya,
Oh I know.. :) But, I have to confess the number of hoops I have had to jump to prove to the satisfication of Nefesh B'Nefesh and the Jewish Agency that I am Jewish...So far as to go to where my grandfather is buried and get some paperwork from the cemetery. :) And still they had questions!
Of course nevermind the fact that the my friends who live already in Israel are not religious at all. LOL
But as I told them (Nefesh B'Nefesh) I will jump through any hoop to get the approval necessary to make the aliyah.
And, I am dealing with family who is opposed to me making the aliyah (my sister) and (my grandmother). LOL long story there.
Shy,
Agreed totally. :) And, given my lack of a foundation all I can do is baby steps.
What I have unfortunately also found out is that it is difficult to join a local shul when you disclose your desire to do the aliyah. Which is disappointing.
Sorry in advance for kinda sidetracking the post and discussion. :)
Robert, it's ok. We have no choice other than to make it difficult. It's an exclusive club, and you're paying the price for assimilation. Sorry
Hehe you know growing up I never thought assimilation was a bad thing.
That would make an interesting blog post.
Yes that would be interesting to read about. Very interesting to be honest.
I am kinda reminded in Jerusalem we were at a watering hole and my traveling buddies struck up a conversation with a local. They asked her if we all looked like foreigners (which was obvious we were) LOL and she said of course you do! And it started a conversation that even if we moved there we would still be foreigners...we would not be Israelis but still Americans who live in Israel. If we had kids they would be the Israelis. I cant tell you how bummed my friends were to hear that. It didn't phase me a bit. I did not think that answer was out of place at all.
In all honesty, it's frequently possible to guess that someone is from America by the way he/she dresses and moves.
Oh absolutely. I would most certainly expect that a native would be able to spot a tourist from a mile away with great deal of accuracy. I had no illusions that I was a thoroughly American before I set foot in Ben Gurion Airport. :) I was just more surprised of the reaction of my friends given that one had a very pronounced Boston/New England accent and the other had an unmistakable New York Accent. And, I had the Valley Southern Californian accent. :)
And I have no illusions that when I do make the aliyah I will still be an American who will adapt to the customs and norms of Israel to the best of my ability. :)
Batya, I am fascinated with the image of you as a teenangel; and I imagine that you must have been a mind-blowing experience for parents -- especially if they wanted you to be anything like other people's kids.
My "curse" to Jews that I find less than likable (J-Streeters, for instance) is that their children should rebel by becoming deeply religious and making aliyah. Mu-WAHAHAHAHAAAaaaaaaaa!
Robert: As a fellow child-of-questionable-background-Jewishly, I wish you success, and give you this cheerful reminder that it will all be okay once you're here: According to a former American comic here in Israel, olim can never hope to become Israeli. The best they can hope to achieve is "chamood." THIS, we can all do. Yihiye beseder...
Ruti, I was strange, and I guess that I still am....
I'm glad you've "joined the club..."
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