Sunday, October 04, 2020

Aliyah- With All Your Heart, With All Your Soul...

I just had to write this. What do you think?

I just have to get this off my chest.

It's really driving me crazy when I hear/read advice to soon to be arriving olim about what to bring, what they must have from the "old country" when living here.

People treat me like I'm nuts for saying they should try what's here in Israel, and they may even like it better.

Honestly, what's the point in moving to a new country if you want to eat the same foods, cook with the same spices, get the same medications, set up your house to look like you're in Monsey, the Five Towns or New Jersey?

Where's your sense of adventure?

Aliyah-
should be like a proper purification in the mikvah, all orifices open, accepting, cleansed

Aliyah-
Think of the Sh'ma Prayer:
"...with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might..."

Aliyah-
like a marriage, you must change yourself for it to be successful.



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't you think moving halfway around the world shows a sense of adventure? ��

I do agree with you that it's silly for people to bring lifts full of shampoo and tissues. But it can be helpful to make the adjustment to living in a new country if you have some familiar products around you at first. It's nice to have Tylenol on hand when you're new in Israel and don't know the local medications yet. I think most people eventually do get used to Israeli products and stop bringing as many things back from trips abroad. But at the beginning, it makes things a little easier.

Batya said...

Certainly don't bring anything you wouldn't bring if you were just a tourist.
ps A lot of the ideas haven't been relevant for decades. They no longer make/market sandpaper toilet paper in Israel.