Over the last couple of weeks, I needed to sit down and evaluate how my time is being spent and how I will spend my time logically over the next few weeks. In order to do that, I needed to prioritize all of those things that I do or am involved in. Not only was it a good exercise in time management but it also helped to cause me to focus over the short term and the long term.
Until the day I board the plane, the NUMBER ONE priority is serving in my capacity as Rav of KJBS. To that end, all other activities (including all other organizational work) needed to be re-evaluated. With only one exception, I have informed all of the various organizations with which I am involved that I will no longer be available for meetings, as I need to focus at this point on Shul activities and the move to Israel. By doing this, I not only take some of the pressure off of myself, but I also feel a sense of calm as I know WHAT I need to concentrate on! It has been an honor to have been involved in so many worthwhile communal organizations, but now it is time to concentrate my energy elsewhere.
I forgot to mention something humorous (it wasn't humorous in the moment!) that occured last week. I received the paperwork to fill out for our VISAS to Israel as Olim. When I opened the envelope, surprisingly, there was no paperwork for me to fill out for my oldest daughter, Daniella. A mistake or oversight, I thought. So, I called Shira Ozery (the Midwest Shlichat Aliya, who is GREAT!!!) and told her of the oversight. Nope...not an oversight, she told me. Seems that when I filled out the original application for Aliya, I checked off "no," that Daniella would not be making Aliya! OOPS!! Now what!?! Within hours, I had gathered the paperwork I needed (which I THOUGHT I had originally submitted but had not) and brought it in to the Aliya office. All of that paperwork was uploaded to the Jewish Agency in Israel, and in a matter of a couple of days, MY error was corrected. Daniella, too, is approved for Aliya. We really would have missed her not being with us in Israel :)
[My sincere thanks to Shira for the speed with which this mistake of mine was corrected!!]
Over the past year and a half, I have saved all emails and websites that people have sent to me with suggestions of what to bring with on Aliya and what to leave behind. Also, I have received so many helpful hints being on the Nefesh B'Nefesh listserv as well as the Maale Adumim chat list. I was always told that when you tell people you are making Aliya, that those who MADE Aliya and those who LIVE in Israel would be very helpful and cheerful about helping. You can not imagine how true that has been for us! Even bus drivers in Israel have given me good advice when we happened to chat about Aliya...I look at this blog as part of MY responsibility to then pass along what I learn to others. While it is axiomatic to say that one can learn from one's mistakes, I prefer to learn from OTHER PEOPLES' mistakes!
Our plan is to have a Moving Sale after Pesach to sell off many of the items that we will not be taking with us....stay tuned!
Time to go get ready for Shabbat...Shabbat HaGadol...the week of Erev Pesach and Birkat HaChama! Once in 28 years...don't miss the opportunity!!!
Shabbat Shalom!
zms
