בנשמה

The other day we went to a Nefesh B'Nefesh Aliyah Tova event. It was the first of its kind for past Olim and those who just moved from 2019. Buses were organized from major cities and since the only other family outing we managed was week one at the Western Wall (the Kotel), this seemed like a perfect opportunity to 'walk' all around Israel. I met my college roommate soon after getting to the check in center at Mini Israel and recognized a few other past friends. Since we flew direct from Boston, it was nice to have been a part of the welcoming party and seeing the Director of Nefesh B'Nefesh, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass on the premises. With Nefesh B'Nefesh over 100 employees, and a good amount represented at the event, when I was asked to interview about our aliyah experience, it was a no brainer. Asked how I would describe Nefesh B'Nefesh's services in one word I replied: accessibility. What do I mean by this? 1) Nefesh B'Nefesh created an on...

Husband here. A few months ago I committed to paper some of the tasks and steps that need to take place prior to moving your life across an ocean. I got all of you up to about 3 months before we left. Let's dive into the last 3 months, though I'll be honest, this does seem like forever ago and there was a lot that took place so my memory may be a little fuzzy. May 2019 (2 months prior to Aliyah) Right after pesach it was time to reach out and start finding a company who could move all of our stuff across the world. There are basically two companies that do this (we'll leave them anonymous for now), that is, specialize in families moving to Israel. They both came around the house and inventoried our belongings and then came back to us with estimates regarding what size shipping container we needed and how much it would cost. They were both in the same ballpark (one of the reasons why I think getting multiple quotes is a waste of time, because the amount of time you tak...

It's Friday. After a long, exhausting week, it's nice to have this day to sleep in late, not run errands. There are families that do make trips on Fridays during the summer. The new schedule is still a little confusing to us, that we find ourselves able to regroup by making Shabbat food, scrub the house and sponja the floors (Israel's way of cleaning tile). One of my WhatsApp groups alerted women in the area to pray for a teen girl murdered in an attack.  In our attempts to overall not listen to the news, it's hard not to be tempted to check the story. Times of Israel had a large display of the developing situation , a photograph recording the violence. What some visiting the page may not notice is that right below it, was a photograph of a young Palestinian child who was injured in the head sometime around July 19th. Both families in pain.  Ask any Israeli how they manage to live like this and they'll answer that there is no choice. That if Isr...

One of the most exciting developments for Olim is the fact that Israel changed the law to transferring international drivers licenses (at least for the United States, perhaps others as well). With proof of a 5 year driving record and cash, everything should be simpler than sitting in driving school and taking an exam. It took us three times a charm. The first time the rejection was due to the fact that the RMV did not specify the dates of when each respective license was renewed. The report also has to be consecutive, without a lapse. The second attempt was to show copies of our old licenses and this too wasn't good enough. Upon asking fellow Olim of 2019 as to what they did, we were quickly advised not to go to the office which we were attending and to go to another. Third times a charm.  The beautiful piece of paper for a temporary license was bestowed. Though we decided not to own a car (between local employment and schooling) the occasional rental cars are h...

Alright, confession time. I've been avoiding this post but since it's an aliyah, omg moment, it is important to be aware. This is not a negative post, rather, make sure to have your ducks in a row. Remember, as always, to take it easy.  The healthcare system in Israel is yet to make sense to us. This past Friday, I learned the hard way (but that's ok) that chaydakim lo kayamim be shabbat (germs do not exist on the sabbath) and that while yes, it's amazing the majority of this country is Jewish, this makes gender of the Dr and observance level important to be aware of so that you are comfortable - - and it's not sexist or mean. It's important when taking care of body related issues that you, as the patient, feel at ease. Let's get to it. In Israel you have your Healthcare insurance companies such as Meuchedet, Kalalit and Maccabi. Citizens are given a magnetic card (in addition to the teudat zehut, which sooner, rather than later, memorize the n...

Husband here. I have just had the most meaningful Tisha B'av I have had in a long time, possibly ever. Thanks to Tamar, I was able to spend the day on my own in Yerushalayim, hearing a gadol hador (Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb) deliver important messages about identity, narrative and the shechina. I also saw an old friend who tapped me on the shoulder at just the right time. I was having a bit of a moment (there is very little opportunity to have "moments" as things are always moving so fast around here) during the kinnah of Btzeti Mimitztrayim. There is always a lot to process in this kinnah, but with being in Yerushalayim while singing it, and trying to contemplate the myriad contradictions presented by this kinnah it was just too much. It is hard to also reconcile the fact that you look around and see that we are 99% there: Jews in their own land, building their own cities, living a religious life, but that it basically all means nothing (at least one day of the year)...

We have reached our 1month aliyahversary. And at that, with shabbat friends from Sharon and 9 be'av, our lives are full and thank G-d we are ok. Friday night we went to shul, and lit tea lights (which is a safe option many do when leaving the house). Upon coming back, mid dinner we noticed that the flames became rather insane. Checking to see if the scene would calm down we removed the tray with the candles outside of the house where we watched the tray turn black. It was quite the spectacle. We felt truly blessed to have been at the house and removing it in time. Watching the flames, you couldn't help but think of the power of fire. Its ability to build and destruct all at the same time. Motzei shabbat our guests went to the kotel to hear eicha. This morning Josh went to the OU center, I worked from home and he later went to the kotel ( after the clashes on the news regarding the temple mount ). How special to receive photographs of the Holy City on a day where we...

I'm being asked a lot about my new job. Like any new thing, while skills are generally transferable, there is a lingo learning curve, such as, the nano does not refer to the Apple ipod mini shuffle, rather the Bible printed on a micro chip. Who knew? Consider this as your next gift from the Holy land! I'm serious. Let's talk about Sundays. The workweek here goes Sunday through Thursday with Fridays off. For the first time in my professional career I reviewed a vacation policy where Jewish holidays are all listed. Often I've heard of Americans missing Sunday. It was actually really nice on Friday to cook for Shabbat and have time to relax. What was hard was sitting at work on Sunday, discussing a Monday meeting and thinking, wait, isn't today Monday? The workweek feels slightly longer with the days still confused. But I enjoy and don't miss the afternoon Friday rush back in the States. Israel lives and breathes Jewish culture and tradition. The other day was...

Yesterday's excitement was synthetic grass that we are so thrilled the landlords agreed to put down. From the desert sands of Israel, the green charmed the children, sitting on our patio chairs, sipping ice water and marveling at the setting sun. Mud now won't get into the house as the awaiting rainy season will arrive in the late Fall. We've missed our yard in Sharon, and while the size isn't the same, the pro is no mowing, weed pulling and lawn service. Pros and cons. Are we happy? It's easy to cover up Israel's social and operational annoyances. The saying "savlanut lo konim beshum chanut" (patience isn't bought at any store) is true. As I waited for a manager at Superpharm to load up and print out my receipt from two days prior to make a return (yes, lady, you can do that even though you said you can't, but customer service over the phone said it is possible), I thought of an idea that would make loads on money in Israel. Of course, ...