Things are starting to look like we’re moving soon – basic furniture is being sold, there are piles of things everywhere waiting to be packed, boxes all around – lots of fun!

Then today I got two bits of welcome news: ds18 was accepted the yeshiva of his choice in Jerusalem (they said they’re accepting him without an interview based on the strong recommendations they heard), and then later in the day, we got the message that his file was approved for aliyah!

In case you’re confused, ds18 has a file independent of our family in order to make aliyah.  There were so many delays with this – even after I posted weeks ago that I was told his file was complete and was being sent for processing, a week later I got an urgent email that something was missing and couldn’t I hurry up since nothing could be processed without it.

That something was his current Israeli passport, which was being processed at the embassy at the time of our appointment (two months before) with the Jewish Agency representative.  At the time, I gave the representative his expired passport and explained that the new one was being processed, and I’d get a copy of it to her within a few days.  She told me not to worry about it, she could get it directly from them.  Then two months later, it was me holding everything up by not having submitted it on time.   

Then his file was finally – really – sent for processing, we got an approval a couple of weeks later, but were told it wasn’t really a complete approval because he needed further paperwork.  Since he’s the child of two parents who are gorer zechuyot (immigrants who left before the ten year period of rights ended), and we’re officially changing our status to returning citizens as soon as we get to Israel, he isn’t eligible for any benefits right now.  So documentation had to be made that we were changing our status (as a returning minor, he has full rights very similar to someone making aliyah).

Since we had to do this and then wait a couple of weeks in order to get our authorization for our tickets, I asked if she could call the office that had already issued approval of our status, thinking this would save time rather than start all over.  Silly me.  And apparently, annoying me, since I got an irritated message in response asking why I can’t just sign the paperwork requested and don’t I know I’m going to hold everything up if a call has to be made to verify that this has already been done.

Well, I guess my idea of efficient isn’t the same of government officials, but I’ve wised up and learned repeatedly during this process that redundancy is a very good idea.  Submit the same papers time after time after time, then fax then to a different office for good measure.  Then fill out repeated applications for the same thing, and this will be faster than sending one application for that same thing.  I’m catching on.  🙂   It’s a good thing I started this process five months ago.

What today’s approval means is that I can now order ds’s plane ticket, and the cost will be covered by the Israeli government.  I’m hopeful that there will be room on the flight that we’re scheduled for in a week and a half (nothing like last minute plans, hmm?  And to think, I read on the blog of someone making aliyah that they couldn’t believe they were only approved and given a flight date two months before they had to leave!).

It’s so nice to have gotten this today – now that’s one huge detail that is out of the way. On to the myriad of boxes waiting to be packed and an entire house that is waiting for a semblance of order to be restored….

Avivah