Ma'aleh Adumim


True to its very name, Ma'aleh Adumim is situated on high mountains, behind Mount Scopus and the hills of Jerusalem. However, one other aestethic of the community are the many stairs that form along the gorgeous hill sides with tiered housing structures. I couldn't help but think of Shir La'Ma'alot. From the park we visited in the afternoon, we could see Jordan from afar and the dead sea (the photo above is that of a police station, facing Jerusalem).

The 40,000 inhabited city has a variety of schooling options, stores, malls, terem, a new resident cemetery that opened up two years ago, buses designated with routs to bring kids to school and very good public transportation to Jerusalem where you can get by without owning a car. The nearest hospital is 20 minutes away in Jerusalem. The famed Ma'aleh Adumim hesder, also know as Birkat Moshe is central to the city. There are smaller yeshuvim that were pointed out to us as well (Kfar Adumim among others). Given the infrastructure of the community, there aren't too many places with elevators so Ma'aleh Adumim is not a popular retirement destination. For many of the complexes, there is no private parking, rather spots alongside the streets. Shabbat had maybe two cars that we saw and one being an ambulance. Kids dominate the roadways with their friends, the non observant on their scooters, skateboards and black-hats walking past to shul. 

The street we were hosted over the weekend was called Mitzpeh Nevo, which Nevo, in the Bible, is the looking point from where Moshe looked at the land of Israel. That was a nice observation and befitting to this very scenic community. 

We were explained that the settlement is shaped like a hand with each extension of the five fingers being inhabited. Winds would rush from one side whereas the other would be calm. Walking to shul was a sight to be seen with stunning mountains and a chill from the dessert like conditions and heights. Our son proclaimed that he would not want to move there since there's no snow. Overall there a plenty of shuls, mikvaot and with several WhatsApp groups, you can find your circle. There is a strong emphasis on education and explanations for the difference between an Amit school, Mamad vs Torani. The city also put a great deal of effort to strengthen its establishments so that you do not have to send your school to Mitzpeh Yericho or other places through elementary and beyond. 

The distance from Jerusalem to Ma'aleh Adumim felt considerably closer than the Gush, with plans to build tunnels along route 1 to relieve traffic. There's also talk to building a hotel at the entrance of the city. 

Most of all, and reason for our visit was that we enjoyed being with friends whom we last saw 11 years ago when we lived in Washington Heights. Asking (both families) what made them choose the location, proximity to Jerusalem, and wanting to be in a more mixed Israel to Anglo ratio community was a priority. It was also a popular destination marketed by Nefesh B'Nefesh at the time. 

On our drive back to Beit Shemesh, there was a considerable change in temperature and we discussed how every community in Israel truly has a unique flavor and different building structure. Having lived 10 years in America married and established, we come to realize more and more wanting a staircase inside our future home, not too many stairs to enter the house and (some) land. There are houses in Beit Shemesh that offer this and Meitar.... there is also a new yeshuv in the works outside of Aderet. Another realization was that had we have gone on a pilot trip, we probably wouldn't have moved here, given just how different the lifestyle really is. Diving was the best thing for us. Family friends in Ma'aleh Adumim who moved from Teaneck and put their children through TABC and Frisch proclaimed wishing they came sooner and that while Teaneck has so very much to offer, as a Jew in the United States they still felt like a minority (see previous post re 6 month reflection by the husband). As we travel around the country, able to leave Friday for another place pre Shabbat, it's so very clear what being a Jew means in Israel. 

This weekend proved to be true of Jerusalem, hills sorround her and God encircles his nation from now and forever more - ירושלים הרים סביב לה וה' סביב לעמו מעתה ועד עולם. If you could run and sing "the hills are alive, with the sound of music," that's Ma'aleh Adumim. 

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