Ammunition Hill –

 

Target Market

This site is being created for all Jews who have thought about making Aliyah but did not have the courage to “Come Home”. This is very understandable because to uproot a family or even an individual from what they currently call “Home” and make such a bold move takes a tremendous amount of courage. There are many things to consider such as leaving behind – loved ones, that job, that house, that comfortable living style, friends and many more too numerous to mention. But take it from me, since coming here more than 24 years ago, Israel has so many advantages for Jews compared to any other place in the world. Hopefully, after visiting this site, you will be motivated to seriously look into the possibility of making Aliyah.

What Makes This Site So Different

There are many places that offer a vast amount of Aliyah advice which you can choose from. That is a good place to start, but when making such an important move as this, it is important to realize that this is an individual decision which you must make based on a number of factors and considerations which are most important to you, your family and loved ones. And this is something very important to consider when looking into the possibility of making Aliyah.

You will have the advantage of getting genuine, down to earth, experiences from observations of our unique journey.  Our Aliyah experience began when we landed at Ben Gurion with our seven children aged 3 to 16, early Sunday morning of Parshat Lech Lecha – October 27, 1996. Our whole family will never forget that day because it meant leaving South Africa for a destination we, as a family, had never been to before. Each child was not happy to leave the comfort of our home, but that changed very quickly as time went by and they became more comfortable living in this beautiful country.

Our journey began after arriving at the only Absorption Center that could accommodate our large family in Mevasseret Tzion just outside of Jerusalem. Organizations such as Nefesh B Nefesh never existed at that time. Nevertheless, I had enough confidence in Hashem that despite the initial difficulties, things would work out for the best. And looking back, overall, Aliyah is the best decision we could have made.

What Makes Israel So Different?

Israel is so different in so many ways that it is difficult to describe to readers in just words why that is so. Israel is a place that offers a unique opportunity to come and take advantage of a vast amount of options available to any Jew wishing to make his or her home in the land flowing with milk and honey.

When we lived on the Absorption Center, there was a brief time, as far as I can remember, that Israel was experiencing a drought. I recall Russians and other people from other countries commenting that in their country, when they experienced a drought, the marketplace was virtually empty, because farmers had no produce to bring to market. But when they travelled into Jerusalem they were totally surprised how the main Jerusalem marketplace named “Machane Yehudah” was busy with activity. They could not believe their eyes when they saw the vast array of fruits and vegetables available for sale.

Having to worry about the high cost of medical care is also a problem in most countries. Add to that the problem of not having the ability to pay for basic medical services if you are unemployed compounds this problem even more. In Israel, you are given the right to join any of the major medical aid schemes of your choice. And for those young families who are planning to have many more children IY”H, the government pays you for each child you have once you leave the hospital.

For those who have often travelled away from home and need to find a minyan to daven; wherever you find yourself, a Shul and a minyan can usually be found. Since we are all Jews who have the same requirements, a Minyan is of primary importance here. If we are determined to find a minyan, then since the eyes of Hashem are on Eretz Yisrael from the beginning to the end of the year, in the vast majority of times, you will eventually be successful in finding a Minyan.

That holds true for most everything else here as well. You may look upon Israel as the best shopping center in the world when it comes to doing a mitzvah, buying kosher food, giving an education to your children, finding your lifelong partner or just coming here during your retirement years. But if you think about it, the definition of the word “ retirement “ outside of Israel has a much different meaning then it does when living here in Israel.

Retirement Here In Israel

When you reach retirement age as I have, if I was still in America or even South Africa, there were various learning opportunities to keep myself busy and my mind sharp. One of those primary opportunities would be participating in various shiurim such as Gemorah, Chumash, Halachah and many other subjects. In most cases, those shiurim take place at night because most people need to go to work during the day.

But there are far greater opportunities in lsrael to keep your mind active due to the tremendous amount of daily learning programs which are available to take advantage of. There are Kollels where newly married men learn all day. I have seen many older men come to learn with young Kollel members and in some cases those older men know that the Kollel needs funds to support their learning partners so they will offer to give a donation to the Kollel so the Kollel can pay its members to learn as well as covering other Kollel related expenses.

Then there are older men who have been in learning all their lives and want to continue to do so. These men continue to keep their minds active by finding other learning partners who are on the same level as they are and there are many Kollels such as these that cater for older men who usually prefer to learn together in charusah (two partners learning together just like they did in Kollel or when they went to Yeshiva).

And then there are opportunities to learn for men like myself who never had an opportunity to learn as a young boy but have had years of experience learning Gemorah and find learning together with a group of men very stimulating. I am fortunate to have found that opportunity learning with Rabbis who gives us the shiur in various subjects while we sit together as a group. If at any time questions come up, we are encouraged to ask them.

Zoom has now given us an opportunity to learn together from the convenience of our homes. It helps me tremendously because it saves travelling time to arrive at the Kollel.

For those of you who never were fortunate to have learned these subjects before, then Israel is an ideal place to start because there is always someone willing to learn with you. Better yet, before coming to Israel, you should also investigate learning possibilities in your area. That will give you an incentive to join shiurim once you arrive here.

Hebrew

The Kollel I attend is English speaking and therefore the shiurim are given in English. I am fortunate to have lived in an area where other English speakers live so that we are able to have an English speaking Kollel. However, the other side of the coin is that by living in an area where English is the main language, it is difficult to learn to speak Hebrew. And given the fact that when we made Aliyah, I was already 47 years old, it is more difficult to learn a new language as you get older.

That is why it is a very good idea to begin taking courses in Hebrew now rather than wait until much later in life, because the earlier you learn how to speak Hebrew, the better your chances of finding success during the whole Aliyah process.

Anyone making Aliyah is allowed to take courses in Hebrew known as an Ulpan. It is highly recommended that you take advantage of these courses and make an effort to concentrate on learning to speak Hebrew during the time you are in Ulpan.

But there is no doubt that the younger you are, the more likely you will be able to pick up the language much faster. Therefore you must remember time is of the essence when considering when to make Aliyah. Our children knew only basic Hebrew they were taught in their South African school and had much catching up to do before they became good Hebrew speakers.

That was OK because the teachers here are very kind and understanding and gave our children much confidence as they began attending school.

But, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the best way to learn Hebrew is to live in a Hebrew speaking neighborhood. That forces you to speak Hebrew, which is very beneficial in the long-run as your confidence builds when learning to speak and write Hebrew.

Children

My wife and I did not make Aliyah only for our benefit, but rather for the sake of our children who have better opportunities growing up as a Jew in Israel than they would have if we lived in any other part of the world.

And that is a major consideration that must be taken into account – where the best opportunities exist for children to be raised Jewish. There is no doubt about the sharp rise in Anti-Semitism throughout the world which is influencing worldwide opinion of Jews in general and Israel in particular.

Our children, grandchildren and for those fortunate to have greatgrandchildren are the most precious possession we have and they should not have to be exposed to such senseless hatred against our people. There are many communities outside of Israel that are able to instill Torah values in their children so that the urgency to consider Aliyah may not be there for those communities who may be fortunate not to have contact with those bad influences.

But our target market is those individuals and families who are not part of such a close-knit community and worried about the future for themselves and their children. For 72 years Israel has existed and it will continue to exist with G-d’s help despite the many enemies we have.

That is where you come in because as more people come to live in Israel the stronger our nation becomes. Six million Jews were wiped out by the Nazis but now the Jewish population of Israel has surpassed that number and with your help it will continue to grow. That is why making Aliyah now should be considered a high priority for Jews throughout the world.

Ammunition Hill –

Israeli paratroopers flush out Jordanian soldiers from trenches during the Battle of Ammunition Hill

This work or image is now in the public domain because its term of copyright has expired in Israel (details). According to Israel’s copyright statute from 2007 (translation), a work is released to the public domain on 1 January of the 71st year after the author’s death (paragraph 38 of the 2007 statute)