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
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
My first entry...
As of today, it is 95 days (B'ezrat Hashem) until we make Aliyah. While I have thought for a LONG time about writing a blog about this adventure/journey, I am finally sitting down to do so! I do not know how frequently I will write, but I do hope to share with all of you what we are going through to provide a window into the world of "making aliya."
The truth is that this journey began 28 years ago when we first got married. (Don't worry, I am not about to write a 28 year history!) But it is only over the past three years that the IDEA started to take shape. It was at that time that we decided on making Aliya, and that we would make our home in the Mitzpe Nevo neighborhood of Maale Adumim.
Over the past number of months, I have been asked hundreds (literally) of times the same three-four questions, so let me answer them here:
1) How did you pick Maale Adumim?
Over the last many years, I have had the zechut of being in Israel dozens of times. The vast majority of those visits were taking groups around Israel. Each time I would visit another community, I asked myself if it would be a place in which I would like to settle. Every single visit ended in the same conclusion...not here. But then we got to Maale Adumim. I can honestly say that it was love at first sight! NO community is perfect, but I did find (WE did find) most of what we were looking for! For example, the physical beauty of the location; the proximity to Yerushalayim without the prices of Yerushalayim; the school that my youngest daughter, Eliana, will attend (Zvia) has an outstanding reputation; the presence of SO many Talmidei Chachamim and Yeshivat Birkat Moshe; and finally the Hashkafa of those who live in this particular area.
2) What will you be doing there?
Your guess is as good as mine. Ok, so I am only partly joking here! While this is hardly the best time to be looking for a job, I have been doing so diligently and will continue to do so. There may be something brewing in the area of education, but I will save that information for a later date.
3) Have you sold your house yet?
NO! And for all of you reading this, the house is still available!! We recently lowered our price and if you want the info (either for yourselves or for someone else) please email me, and I will be more than happy to send you the info!
4) Will your house in Israel be ready on time?
I certainly hope so...it DOES seem fairly likely that it will be barring any significant issues.
5) When are you (finally) leaving?
While we await final confirmation, it is with 99% accuracy that I can say we will be leaving Chicago, IYH, on July 5th (Sunday) and heading to New York. Then, on July 6th, we will leave NY on a Nefesh B'Nefesh flight to arrive IYH in Israel (as Israeli citizens for the first time!!) on July 7th.
The main focus (focii) now? Packing up the house, sorting out what we need, what we want and what we will donate. Timing all of this work/packing to be ready for the people to come to our home on June 8th to pack our lift. We are also working diligently on getting the word out to try to sell our house. We still have paperwork to fill out, as well. While we (I) took care of all the NBN and Jewish Agency paperwork a long time ago, I now have to fill out all the paperwork to apply for VISAS for entry to Israel as Olim Chadashim. (One other bit of paperwork to fill out was for a grant from the Cyrus Foundation. Anyone reading this, who is planning on making Aliya and sending a lift...contact me if you do not know what this is!)
It is so hard to believe that we are at this stage...that the time until Aliya is being counted in terms of WEEKS and not months or years. There will be SO much I will miss and so much that I will not miss...but more on that at a later date.
For now, this is for starters. I do not know how often I will write, nor do I know if I will manage to do this long-term. Feel free to send in your comments and ask all the questions you want to.
Over the years, as I have taken trips to Israel with groups (see earlier), I have always written about the experience along the way to "take you along with me." I invite you to join me on this "trip" as well...as we begin to make our dream come true!
The truth is that this journey began 28 years ago when we first got married. (Don't worry, I am not about to write a 28 year history!) But it is only over the past three years that the IDEA started to take shape. It was at that time that we decided on making Aliya, and that we would make our home in the Mitzpe Nevo neighborhood of Maale Adumim.
Over the past number of months, I have been asked hundreds (literally) of times the same three-four questions, so let me answer them here:
1) How did you pick Maale Adumim?
Over the last many years, I have had the zechut of being in Israel dozens of times. The vast majority of those visits were taking groups around Israel. Each time I would visit another community, I asked myself if it would be a place in which I would like to settle. Every single visit ended in the same conclusion...not here. But then we got to Maale Adumim. I can honestly say that it was love at first sight! NO community is perfect, but I did find (WE did find) most of what we were looking for! For example, the physical beauty of the location; the proximity to Yerushalayim without the prices of Yerushalayim; the school that my youngest daughter, Eliana, will attend (Zvia) has an outstanding reputation; the presence of SO many Talmidei Chachamim and Yeshivat Birkat Moshe; and finally the Hashkafa of those who live in this particular area.
2) What will you be doing there?
Your guess is as good as mine. Ok, so I am only partly joking here! While this is hardly the best time to be looking for a job, I have been doing so diligently and will continue to do so. There may be something brewing in the area of education, but I will save that information for a later date.
3) Have you sold your house yet?
NO! And for all of you reading this, the house is still available!! We recently lowered our price and if you want the info (either for yourselves or for someone else) please email me, and I will be more than happy to send you the info!
4) Will your house in Israel be ready on time?
I certainly hope so...it DOES seem fairly likely that it will be barring any significant issues.
5) When are you (finally) leaving?
While we await final confirmation, it is with 99% accuracy that I can say we will be leaving Chicago, IYH, on July 5th (Sunday) and heading to New York. Then, on July 6th, we will leave NY on a Nefesh B'Nefesh flight to arrive IYH in Israel (as Israeli citizens for the first time!!) on July 7th.
The main focus (focii) now? Packing up the house, sorting out what we need, what we want and what we will donate. Timing all of this work/packing to be ready for the people to come to our home on June 8th to pack our lift. We are also working diligently on getting the word out to try to sell our house. We still have paperwork to fill out, as well. While we (I) took care of all the NBN and Jewish Agency paperwork a long time ago, I now have to fill out all the paperwork to apply for VISAS for entry to Israel as Olim Chadashim. (One other bit of paperwork to fill out was for a grant from the Cyrus Foundation. Anyone reading this, who is planning on making Aliya and sending a lift...contact me if you do not know what this is!)
It is so hard to believe that we are at this stage...that the time until Aliya is being counted in terms of WEEKS and not months or years. There will be SO much I will miss and so much that I will not miss...but more on that at a later date.
For now, this is for starters. I do not know how often I will write, nor do I know if I will manage to do this long-term. Feel free to send in your comments and ask all the questions you want to.
Over the years, as I have taken trips to Israel with groups (see earlier), I have always written about the experience along the way to "take you along with me." I invite you to join me on this "trip" as well...as we begin to make our dream come true!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)