6 Month Reflection

We just celebrated our 6 month aliyahversarry. Will it ever get old to count? Since around this time we decided to make aliyah (and if you are in the same boat, you may be likely stressed with gearing up), we wanted to provide a look back and tips.

The Wife

On a variety of our visits to check out other communities, I have come to learn that the grass is not always greener on the other side... plus every move requires a change on your teudat zehut, new doctors, school politics and all the lovely requirements that come with moving. When it's already been done... 6,000 miles away. That said, we do not regret passing up on a pilot trip, since there is really so much more to learn about what Israel has to offer that just can't be done or fully processed in 1-2 weeks. 

Another lesson is not to rush into a decision, if you can afford to buy yourself a bit more time. There are comforts in the United States that we definately still miss, but there are pros that outweigh the cons in both places. I have not had to yell at any Israeli (yet) and for the few that have yelled at me, I stare at them blankly and tell them everything is OK. This always takes them by surprise. Psychologically it's fascinating to observe how they intended a showdown and don't get one. 

There's a lot to take into account and consider when it comes to finding a place to live that has the necessary ammenties. Which makes this blog kinda fascinating to learn of the ups and downs - - how perspectives and needs change. For better or worse, we've been transparent about it with super raw emotions, but the blog is a huge outlet for us and way to track how far we've come. 

Beit Shemesh has a pizza store our kids have come to love. Friends. American products at the grocery store. A pediatrician who is amazing. Two malls. Lots of shuls. Parks. Ikea (opening March 5, 2020!). The city will soon be building a new hospital which sounds attractive. There are some houses and Anglo wise, we feel that we haven't always left America. The question is still where are the Israelis around here and culturally, it is hard, even with being fluent in Hebrew to break into their circle. Cons wise, we are both just so used to being in smaller communities that are centered around one shul. Demographics are a question too, like landscape. But we've come to love having lots of public transportation and walking. We do not own a car and instead rent when we need to or citi car (this is like Zipcar - - not every place in Israel has Citi car though). We also like being able to get on a bus and be in Jerusalem within 30 minutes. It's hard to give up that luxury. 

Lift wise, we are glad we brought our things. The Sal Klita paid for it (more or less). At times I wake up in the morning feeling that I'm on vacation and then I realize... all of our things are here... this is for real. Sometimes I also wonder, alright, gig is up, when am I going back to 19 Pine Road... which the kids still think we own. But there are things I don't miss about the house....like clearing snow, mowing the lawn, having water get into the basement (Erev Yom Kippur), the part of the kitchen where the floor was uneven, and the tight bedroom for our daughter. 

The weather here is fantastic. We had one week that was cold and two that were very rainy. It right now feels like Spring and sure enough, with the new month of Shevat, birds are chirping and trees are budding. 

We downsized on platters and Judaica items prior to the move. We have made due and if necessary there are Chad Pe'Ami stores. 

There are definitely some things that you just can't get in Israel like, spaghetti squash, brussel sprouts (they are apparently sold frozen), still no raspberries, pie crust in a preset foil pan, etc etc. But on the flip there are amazing breads, pastries, milki heaven of all sorts, shoko be sakit, Krembo, and just being and breathing the air of Israel. Amazing. 

How to manage the frenzy. You can skip the Costco run for paper towels, garbage bags and zip lock bags. Those items are sold at Osher Ad. The only normal tasting cereals here are Cheerios (at least for our family and it took us a while to find Cheerios because the box is brown and not yellow). We also buy Frosted Falkes (sold by Shupersal - - home delivery and Rami Levi started this service as well). Otherwise, the other cereals don't taste the same and many others are imported (cost 21 shekel a box). Items that are perishable, we are still unsure if it's worthwhile to stock up and bring it to Israel. It's been so nice going into stores and not telling the kids that they can't have something because it isn't kosher. 

Prior to moving we stocked up at Walmart on 98 cent brownie mixes. Though Duncan Hines costs here 18-25 shekel a box, Osher Ad sells a knock off of its own for 9 shekel. That's a pretty good deal. It takes time, food wise, to find equivalents or new nice things that works for our tastebuds, but it's doable. 

We love having our dressers here. While in the states we did have closets, we have been able to get by without the big wardrobe closets that are classic and very common in Israel. It also makes the room less stuffy and furniture can be moved around. 

And no, life without Amazon isn't the same and you will miss stores that have everything in one place, but you will learn to live without it. 

Things to bring (or not):

1) Tylenol, Advil, Neosporin (hands down) 

2) Kids clothing 

3) Pyrex/corning ware

4) Bed sheets (they fit better) - - skip towels 

5) Sandwich boxes (cuts down on ziplock) 

6) Superhuman trash can (yes, bring it) 

7) Furniture. Ikea is pricey here. 

8) Upgrade to Corelle dishes. 

9) Kitchen aid, hand blender, food processor

10) Transformer. Lots. 

11) Create a family recipe binder. 

12) Buy mifold booster seats. 

13) Buy command hooks. 

14) Skip the sukkah. Super inexpensive here. 

15) Yes to beds. 

26) Folding chairs. 

Happy packing and safe travels! 

For help with appliances, Tamarim was great. And for beds, we had some locally delivered from a show room in Rbs. We immediately started living thanks to their services. 

The Husband

On my walk from dropping of our son, I was able to reflect on what 6 months has been like for me in Israel. 

First to cover two different aspects of living here. 

(1) We do not have a car, so everywhere we go, especially for daily commutes, are all on foot. The grocery store and schools are not too far away. Where we came from we had two different cars. This also means that rain or shine the children walk to school and on occasion our very kind neighbors give them a ride. We have called taxis as well that can't find our street as it is new (the housing project only opened around last April). 

(2) Converting money is also a process and requires a mental switch. This extends into measurments, temperatures and so forth. Luckily Siri and Google have been helpful. 

On a broader level, it's great to be here. It's the place to be and there's a real sense at trying to reach a level where everyone is treated in the same respect. I would say that the major difference or way to describe living here is that you are no longer the minority. In almost every place in America, this minority sense is true even if you are living in Chicago, Brooklyn or NJ. There's a different way of looking at things when in Israel, even if there are different spectrums of religiousity or culture. It reminds me of Sesame Street's song "Who are the people in your neighborhood," and there is a wide spectrum in Israel that is larger. You can find Jews of all types doing jobs of all types here. It still amazes us when a handyman is Jewish, a cashier or even a street cleaner. 

Being no longer a minority also means that you always have Jewish resources nearby. People have told us that in any city or town, no matter the overall population, there's always a group of someone who affiliates just like you. This is very true within Beit Shemesh as well. It's very helpful and comforting to have these amenities within arms reach. 

Food here tastes different and it's been taking us time to be able to find dinners we eat as a family or the experience to know which burgers are better than others. 

Life in Beit Shemesh has been good and the people so incredibly supportive. Sheinfeld is commonly considered a transition place, but we've met many who call it their forever home (see posts of community profiles, our kids loving Beit Shemesh and in 5 months, another move is on the horizon - - we registered the children for school in Beit Shemesh but if you hear of rentals, please let us know. We hope to buy something next summer... TBD). 

The challenge has really been, in my opinion, that the social center in Israel does not necessarily match up to being at a shul on Shabbat as it is in the United States. It makes finding friends a little harder, depending on how and where you've been raised. In the Anglo areas in Israel, understanding this gap is combated by making shiurim and offering events not on shabbat. And so it takes time to find your social sphere and group, as it were, because there are so many shul options and Jewish life occurring around you where if you do miss going to services, you can get by. Having been raised, both my wife and I in communities that only have one shul, makes the demographics within Israel alone very different to adjust to. 

Lastly, be somewhat prepared and adjust mindset on the 6,000 mile distance. Being far from family isn't easy, but technology has helped immensely and we have to think very hard to realize just how far geographically we really are. It's much easier to keep in touch today than ever before and get from here to there is fast, not to mention, thankfully safer than ever. I've already seen two good friends from Sharon who visited this past week and more are on their way.

We hope that if you are in the process of aliyah or contemplating it that your transition will go easy and well. If you have any questions on how to sell so much of the familiar, pack your belongings and carry the burden of responsibility moving kids in the process, feel free to contact me at joshv2@gmail.com.