Moving to Israel

When I and many of my fellow Olim move to Israel one of the tougher things to acclimate to is the loss of so many of the non-Jewish “holidays” that we grow accustomed to celebrating. I often hear how it is so hard to be away and miss the fun loving, carefree days of Thanksgiving, New Years, etc.

However, as this time of year rolls around all you have to do is walk the streets of Israel and be reminded that this is the ultimate place to celebrate and enjoy the true holidays that Hashem has gift wrapped for us. Starting today, as you go about your business in the Holy Land, you will hear many people repeat the phrase “Mi-she’nikhnas Adar marbim be-simcha” – “When Adar arrives, we increase joy.”

In other words the month of Adar has arrived and it is time to be happy and warm our hearts with memories of the some of the incredible miracles that Hashem has blessed us with throughout time. These are the true holidays of the Jewish year and these are truly the times to celebrate. We must always remember what in this world is truly important and, as an Oleh from North America, I can tell you that it is infinitely easier to remember and appreciate all the real blessings that G-d has bestowed upon us here in Israel, where the truly meaningful holidays are felt in the air for the entire “holiday season.”

Looking forward to a wonderful Adar and may everyone raise their level of joy to unprecedented heights as we bask in Hashem’s love for us.

Ari

As promoting moving to Israel and making Aliyah is the primary purpose of this blog, I often try to point out some of the negative aspects of life outside of the Holy Land that make life so hard on the Jewish people. Unfortunately, there are often no shortage of examples to come up with and today is no exception.

It seems that Canada’s York University, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is allowing a pro-Arab group to stage a conference questioning Israel’s right to exist.  Several of the scheduled speakers were involved in Israel Apartheid Week activities and are active in the Israeli boycott movement.

The university is using the all too common mantra of “academic freedom” as defense of the event that promotes hatred and encourages the destruction of the Jewish State.

Although we seem to take it for granted that the west’s universities, supposedly the foremost intellectuals and some of the most powerful voices in the world, regularly sponsor and encourage such events, we should never forget exactly what is happening outside of Israel - where our best “friends” (U.S., Canada, etc.) are the proud hosts of these horrid functions.

Ari

Regular readers of this moving to Israel blog are well aware of what a fan of Tamar Yonah, one of Israel’s most popular English-speaking radio show hosts, I am. I am a regular consumer of all her content and am frequently quoting to her.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the other day she came out with a spectacular blog post that is particularly fitting for my readers. The post is entitled “7 Steps to Help You Make Aliyah” and is, as you might imagine, a great mini-guide to helping with the process of making the move to the Holy Land. The post comes complete with letters from real people at various stages of the (potential) Aliyah process and provides a 7 step plan for making Aliyah “especially if you have family members who are not as into the idea as you are,” as she puts it.

This is a must read for all potential Olim and is, once again, a fantastic piece of writing by Tamar.

Ari

With the national elections in Israel being on everyone’s minds in the Holy Land, it is hard to go very far without hearing some sort of discussion or debate about the country’s political future.

From left to right, you hear a true passion in the voice of the voters here that you probably will not see anywhere else in the world. This is largely due to the nature of politics within Israeli culture. Being a nation constantly under threat brings the voting to a more personal level and makes us all aware of how important our voting decisions are. Our general security is always tenuous and the people we vote into Knesset as leaders will face one grave decision after another.

While it is important to vote and to try and find the leaders who will guide us through yet another critical moment in our history, let us never forget where our true source of strength lives. We must always give thanks and pray before Hashem for it is He who ultimately decides our fate.

I wish everyone good luck on the day of elections and can say that, personally, leaders with a true faith in Hashem are the only ones who stand a chance at this Israeli’s vote.

 Ari