In the last month I’ve been thinking very, very deeply about what is important to me and why. I’m grateful that our visit to Colonial Williamsburg gave me some mental space to think about things that have been on my mind. I’ve been thinking about homeschooling, parenting, why I do what I do, what the benefits are. It’s been a lot of thinking! Although I do regularly think about things like this, this was a lot more than usual. So what prompted all of this in the last month?
Though this was not in my mind or in my plans in even the slightest way when I visited Israel, following my return home I began talking seriously to dh about the feasibility of moving to Israel. This means discussing the needs of a lot of children of different ages, as well as my husband and myself. Schooling, language, culture, finances – how could it all be worked out? Was it a crazy idea or was it inspired? Would we compromise our family stability? Would it put too much stress on us? My thoughts have been going around non-stop, which is part of why our time in Williamsburg was so valuable – it allowed my mind to slow down and process.
Well, after all that thinking, there are still lots of things left to be decided on. But the main decision has been made. So………..we’re moving to Israel this summer! Really. 🙂
I told dd16 and ds17 a few weeks ago that I was thinking about this possibility very seriously, but somehow they weren’t grasping how serious I was. The other kids have the benefit of hearing us discuss it and see initial preparatory steps being taken (eg they all applied for US passports last week), so to them it feels real. To my older kids, it seems, as my son put it, like “the world’s fastest decision”.
There are a lot of unknowns, and it’s hard to leave what is familiar to basically start all over again. It’s scary, and not just for the kids! But I feel it’s the right move for us at the this time, and see it more as the next chapter of our lives rather than starting a new book. 🙂
Avivah
my sister and her KAH six kids ages 2-14 moved last summer and they are soo happy. i think you will be too! but, seriously that’s a quick move- easier to do with homeschooling than school though.
Wow!!! So exciting! I look forward to hearing about your preparations. I have friends from Detroit who own a lift company and who now live in Ma’alot and are lovely people. Here’s the website: http://aliyahlift.com/ and their blog: http://aliyahlift.wordpress.com/
TBH, events of the past few months have had this idea perking around in my head as well. For us, though, it’s likely to be a 10-year-plan rather than a 6-month plan 🙂
I know who you mean – I already emailed them! (But she didn’t email back so maybe she didn’t get it.)
When the time is right, that’s when you go. For me, I feel now’s the time for our family.
Oh, wow – that’s wonderful! Do you have a community in mind??? My teenagers think our decision to make aliyah (in their words: “pick up and move to the Middle East”) is the rashest most crazed thing they have ever heard of, but we’re two years away at least. I am SO excited for you and will be watching closely as you make the decision as you choose your new community.
p.s. I just want to say how HAPPY I am that you announced this davka today, after a weekend when – for the first time in a long time – a lot of people have gone around with long faces wondering how we could ever imagine making aliyah to a place where “such brutal things happen.” Israel is where nissim happen as well; never let anyone around you forget that.
sorry, but i feel like crying…
Oh, Julie…I’ll still be just a computer away!
WOW! I am stunned and so happy for you at the same time. Can’t wait to hear more!
WOW! I’d love to meet up with you! You know I moved here less than a year ago but I can give my # sometime. Mazal Tov! Welcome home!
Congratulations! It for sure wasn’t an easy decision to take but I’m sure you’ll all do fine!
I would also love to meet you in person some point when you arrive (and settle).
I’m also very curious to see how (and not if…) you’ll deal with things like you bulk shopping, some of the foods you buy in the US and I can’t seem to find here… (It’s a win-win for me!).
Best of luck in the coming months- I’m sure you’ll be (even) busy(er) than usual.
I think a lot of what I’ll do will change – I’m not making a lift and won’t be taking my canning supplies, dehydrator, etc. So maybe I’ll do things like everyone else! 😛
Yes, I will be much busier – it’s a huge undertaking, and there’s a lot to do. But it will be worth it.
Doing a happy dance… 🙂
At least I’ll finally get to meet you IRL!!
Wow!! How amazing and wonderful. I’m so happy for you. Beitar? Please keep the porch light on for us to follow, IY”H. Hashem is calling all his children home indeed:) Homeschooling will help with a “soft landing.”
Hatzlacha and blessings.
No, not Beitar – it would be the easiest technically, but it’s not a place that makes for an easy landing for American kids.
Amazing!! Would love to meet you when you get here! I moved with my family when I was 18 and never looked back…
Mazal tov!!!!!!! Will you be moving back to the house you own? And will it be after the conference?!
Oy, the conference. This has been weighing heavily on my heart – I can’t see how I could possibly do it without compromising my family (and I’m already taking a lot of time away from them to do what I need to prepare for this move). Until yesterday I was convincing myself that it wasn’t a big deal, that I could do it as planned – and finally I decided it will put a lot of stress on us that can’t be justified. Today I sent out a notification to the homeschooling community here that I can’t do it, with a request to get involved. I may send it to Torch, too.
How exciting!
Wow! May it go with much hatzlacha and mazel 😀
Oh I am so so happy for you! We are moving in June, Bezrat HaShem, and I said the funniest thing to my husband recently. I told him one of my biggest regrets of leaving the US is never meeting you while we lived in the same country and here we are both moving to Israel. I certainly hope I’ll be able to meet you in our wonderful land 🙂
nice news! hopefully next time you take a wrong turn and drive through yavniel you will stop to say hi! 🙂
MAZAL TOV!!!!!! Bezeret HaShem we’ll be following you soon!
And I’m with Ellen Z.G. wondering about the conference. I’m sure you won’t have time to do it yourself, but is there anyone who can step up to the plate? I know a few of us in Los Angeles have talked about “someday maybe” figuring out is a West Coast conference is feasible.
Miriam, if you wait for someday, it will never happen! The question to ask yourself is what you need to do to make it happen now! Then go do it. 🙂 When I started, I didn’t have much support, but I believed it was important so I did it. To quote a famous line in a baseball movie, “If you build it they will come”.
Yeah, I’m considering it. It seems very overwhelming and the girls have had a rough couple of weeks which makes it seem like everything is on hold. I’ve emailed the local Jewish HS’ing group to see if anyone wants to take it on with me. 🙂
I’m really excited for you! And really excited for me too. 😀 Maybe I’ll get to meet you when you’re settled in. 😀 And yes, can’t wait to see how you’ll “do” frugality here. Do you plan on getting a car? I wonder what your calculations will be in terms of how it allows you to be more frugal vs the huge expense. Then again, once you are transporting lots of kids, a car may end up being cheaper than paying for busing! (Even with my 2 kids on the bus with me ends up costing me 32 shekel to go visit my family members in the yishuv closest to us…)
Hatzlacha raba!!!
Can I ask about parnasa? Is your husband going to find a job there (I don’t even know what he does)? Does he have one set up? Or you trust that it will pan out?
You can ask but I don’t have an answer. There’s a lot that remains to be worked out, and I also accept that everything can’t be done in advance, no matter how much I try. If I want it all to be worked out in advance, we’ll never go. Never.
I was told by the husband of one friend not to tell anyone what my plans are until after they work out, because when I told him I really feel that Hashem is going to make it happen for us, he said I sounded as if I felt entitled. Rather than say anything that will make people think that, I’m just keeping my mouth shut. I guess I’ll have to wait until I’m living in Israel to say how this amazing situation has worked out – which it will, I just don’t yet know how!
You have made me the happiest person in the world!!!!! This is wonderful, wonderful news!!
You really have made my day! Congratulations on this awesome decision! 🙂 🙂 I’m grinning right now!!! Sorry about all of the exclamation points!!!!!!! lol!!!
To all of my readers living in Israel, I would love to meet you all!
This is a personal question, but do you plan to keep homeschooling? Maybe you won’t know the whole answer until you get settled.
I’ll answer this in a post later today or tomorrow, PG.
Wow! It’s so amazing! Hashem should bless you with a lot of Hatzlacha and a Yeshuv Kal! Here are my two cents on aliyah which might be useful.
http://jewish-home-education.blogspot.com/2011/02/living-in-israel-or-unsolicited-aliyah.html Let me know if we could help in any way. Kol HaKavod and may all the Jewish people be soon living in our Holy and beautiful Land the way it was meant to be:)
Beautiful post, Regina!
Avivah,
I’m sure we’d all be incredibly interested in the details of planning and making your aliyah as things start to come together. Will your oldest son go with you? Your bitachon is so inspiring.
Wow!!! Avivah, did I ever tell you that you’re one of the most inspiring people I’ve met online? Although my first reaction was, “How dare you?” 🙂 I was kind of hoping to meet you in person, at some homeschooling conference. I guess we’ll have to meet in Israel some day, since I can’t imagine you’d be coming to Los Angeles. Although you’re always welcome to :). Hatzlacha!!! I’m sure the community you’ll settle in will gain a lot. Please keep us posted.
Hi,
Nice blog! I noticed that my friend Elisheva mentioned Aliyah Lift Shipping. I’m So sorry, but we never received your email! We’d love to discuss shipping with you!