Our Aliyah Experience

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OUR ALIYAH EXPERIENCE

IT HAS BEEN ROUGHLY A MONTH SINCE WE HAVE ARRIVED HOME IN ISRAEL AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES, THOUGHTS AND CONCEPTS THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED .

WE DECIDED TO BE PART OF THE HISTORICAL SOUTH AFRICAN FLIGHT TO ISRAEL ON THE 21ST JULY FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS:

1 )TO BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN OURSELVES
2) TO HAVE THE ATMOSPHERE  AND SPIRIT OF A GROUP  UNITED IN ACHIEVING A COMMON GOAL -THAT GOAL BEING TO SETTLE IN THE HOLY LAND.
3) TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF AN IMMEDIATE ISSUE OF YOUR ISRAELI I.D. AND IMMIGRANT CERTIFICATE.
4) TO GO TO THE KOTEL WITH OUR FELLOW OLIM .

DESPITE A FEW TEETHING PROBLEMS, THESE GOALS WERE ALL MET .THE RESULTS ARE EXPERIENCES ETCHED DEEPLY IN OUF MINDS THAT CAN BE NEVER FORGOTTEN -ONLY CHERISHED.

MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT ,THE SETTLING IN PERIOD IS MARKED BY PLENTY OF BUREAUCRATIC PROCESSES, WITH PLENTY HOURS IN BANKS AND VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS -IT ALMOST FEELS AS IF YOU ARE BEING REBORN. HOWEVER, YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE TO DO THAT IN AUSTRALIA ,CANADA,ENGLAND… OR ANYWHERE ELSE. IT IS BETTER TO BE " REBORN "   AS A JEW  IN ISRAEL THAN  TO BE "REBORN "AS A JEW  IN EXILE.

THESE OTHER COUNTRIES WOULD NOT GIVE YOU AN ALLOWANCE TO LIVE ON AS ISRAEL DOES, BUT WOULD VIEW YOU AS FOREIGN  INTRUDER, WHICH TRUTHFULLY IS WHAT YOU ARE.

HERE IN ISRAEL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PHONING US, TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW THEY CAN HELP US. MY MOTHER MADE ALIYAH TOGETHER WITH US. A WOMEN, MY MOTHER'S AGE,  HAS TAKEN HER TO COFFEE SHOPS ,MALLS, LIBRARIES ETC. MANY PEOPLE PHONE US OUT OF THE BLUE, JUST TO CHECK HOW WE ARE DOING.

TELFED BROUGHT US A WELCOME BASKET TO OUR DOOR. A TELFED REPRESENTATIVE ACCOMPANIED US TO A MUNICIPAL OFFICE, BECAUSE WE WERE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE. THEY ARE IN CONSTANT TOUCH WITH US.

THE LOCALS ALL WISH US "MAZAL TOV" AND "WELCOME". YOU SEE A WORKER IN AN ICE CREAM SHOP LAYING TEPHILLIN IN HIS STORE. ENGLISH SPEAKING OLIM FROM S.A., USA ,UK,  HEAR OUR ACCENTS AND COME TO CHAT TO US ALL THE TIME, IN THE STREET,  ALL WELCOMING US WITH VARIOUS TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS . THE BEACHES THAT WE VISITED IN HERZLIA  AND TEL AVIV, ARE PACKED LATE INTO THE NIGHT, WITH CHILDREN PLAYING ,ELDERS HAVING COFFEE ,TEENAGERS HAVING BARBEQUES AND EXERCISERS  DOING THEIR VARIOUS ACTIVITIES. CHILDREN WALK THE STREETS FREELY.
 
ON THE BUSES BEFORE SHABBAT YOU SEE SOLDIERS HAVING THE WEEKEND OFF, GOING TO THEIR HOMES.YOU FEEL PROUD.YOU SEE A MEZUZAH ON ALMOST EVERY DOOR, BE IT A SMALL SHOP OR A MALL.YOU ARE AN HOUR AWAY FROM THE HOLIEST SITE IN THE WORLD.YOU ARE A SIMPLE DRIVE FROM BEACHES,THE DEAD SEA ,THE NEGEV…

THIS ALL SOUNDS RATHER OPTIMISTIC BUT IT IS ALL TRUE. IF ANYTHING  I AM UNDERSTATING LIFE IN ISRAEL!

.YOU MAY SAY ISRAELIS ARE RUDE.MAYBE... I HAVE MET A HECK OF A LOT AND SO FAR NONE OF THEM ARE.

YOU MAY SAY  "WHAT ABOUT THE ARMY ".MOST OF THE TEENAGERS HERE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING PART OF ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS OF THE LAST TWO THOUSAND YEARS -A JEWISH ARMY DEDICATED TO PROTECTING JEWISH LIFE IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL.

SURE, THERE ARE NEGATIVES -  LIKE THE PRICE OF PROPERTY AND CARS. HOWEVER, I ASK YOU: WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT? STANDARD OF LIVING OR QUALITY OF LIFE? I OPT FOR THE LATTER.

HERE IS MY PERSONAL OPINION-IF YOU ARE OF THE DISPOSITION TO THINK OF LIVING OUTSIDE OF SOUTH AFRICA, YOU WOULD BE RIDICULOUS NOT TO COME HOME.

- BY EVAN GORDON

Below is a picture of the Gordon family in their new home in the city of Ra'anana.