Question #1 Answered...Why Now?
To be honest, I have wanted to make aliyah ever since I was 21 years old. When I married Charlie, I suggested that we make aliyah at that point. He was concerned that he could not learn Hebrew well enough to make a living, so the idea was put on a "back burner" so to speak.
When Yehoshua and Nava decided to make aliyah, I was somewhat living vicariously through them. I gave them the candlesticks that my grandmother had brought with her from Russia in the early 1900's trying to find a place to live away from pogroms and hatred of Jews. It felt only right that the candlesticks found a place to live in Lincoln, NE for decades and would finally find a place to live in Yerushalyim...lighting up a new home yet one connected to our family's heritage.
Now that Charlie is no longer concerned about having the language skills to pursue a professional life in Israel, we are free to think about making aliyah without being burdened by that specific concern.
I have become acutely aware that this is the 3rd commonwealth of Israel under Jewish sovereignty. It has been a dream of Jews for thousands of years to be able to return to the Land and help it prosper and grow. I want to be part of that process as well. I know that at age 70 (how old I will be shortly), I am entering a phase of my life where G-d willing I can still be productive and contribute to society. I know that having an active Jewish life is something I have always pursued and tried to make possible for those around me as well. When spending time over the years in Jerusalem, I have embraced Torah learning, Jewish history and celebrations. That's why now is the time to make this move. With family nearby to provide emotional support and friends still living in Israel, I know that waiting any longer makes no sense.
As Hillel once said, "If not now, when?"
When Yehoshua and Nava decided to make aliyah, I was somewhat living vicariously through them. I gave them the candlesticks that my grandmother had brought with her from Russia in the early 1900's trying to find a place to live away from pogroms and hatred of Jews. It felt only right that the candlesticks found a place to live in Lincoln, NE for decades and would finally find a place to live in Yerushalyim...lighting up a new home yet one connected to our family's heritage.
Now that Charlie is no longer concerned about having the language skills to pursue a professional life in Israel, we are free to think about making aliyah without being burdened by that specific concern.
I have become acutely aware that this is the 3rd commonwealth of Israel under Jewish sovereignty. It has been a dream of Jews for thousands of years to be able to return to the Land and help it prosper and grow. I want to be part of that process as well. I know that at age 70 (how old I will be shortly), I am entering a phase of my life where G-d willing I can still be productive and contribute to society. I know that having an active Jewish life is something I have always pursued and tried to make possible for those around me as well. When spending time over the years in Jerusalem, I have embraced Torah learning, Jewish history and celebrations. That's why now is the time to make this move. With family nearby to provide emotional support and friends still living in Israel, I know that waiting any longer makes no sense.
As Hillel once said, "If not now, when?"
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