The Israel  Experience 

Almost fifteen years ago, my wife Amy and I made aliyah to Israel. We were newlyweds at the time, married for just one week, and we set off to fulfill our dream of living in Israel. This was in the days before Nefesh B'Nefesh, so no crowds were there to greet us as we stepped off the plane, but as we gathered our many suitcases and exited the baggage claim, our excitement was palpable.

And then we stepped outside. Horns were honking, taxi drivers were shouting, and the airline had lost some of our luggage. We didn't exactly know how to get where we were going...nor did our taxi driver. Within the first few days we had spent 117 hours waiting on lines, and still had no paperwork (office lost it). Bank tellers had closed their windows in our faces, even though we had dutifully taken a number from the number machine (coffee break). The Israeli government wouldn't recognize our New York State marriage certificate (healthy dose of Israeli pride), and our health insurance called to tell Amy that she didn't know how to spell her own name (????).

There were definitely some challenges. This was in the days before Skype, BBM, and What's App, and calls to the U.S. were still 13 cents per minute at best. But during those first three years of our marriage, we felt incredibly lucky to be living our dream. Standing at the Kotel with thousands of other Israelis, davening for rain during an extended drought, and feeling those first fat drops fall. Dancing in the streets of the Old City on Yom Yerushalyim, and recognizing that our parents weren't even able to visit the Old City on their first visits to Israel. Proudly voting in our first Israeli election, and just as proudly serving in the Israeli Army, albeit for only six weeks!

These were some of the greatest experiences of our aliyah, among countless others that we will never forget. One of the greatest lessons we learned was the importance of seeing Israel as a resident, and not just as a tourist. Of course, whenever we visit we make sure to visit all the "hot spots". But our connection to the Land of Israel goes so much deeper. Our forefathers walked there. Our cousins and brothers sacrificed their lives there. Our friends and family flourish there. Our life began there.

It is still, and always will be, the Land of our dreams.

Shabbat Shalom,