It's me again

Hi! I'm back. I haven't written in a while, because things (I mean real life) seem to always get in the way. Besides, I always write better late at night, and I've been falling into bed pretty tired. It seems that the Diet RC I drank with dinner and with ice cream after maariv did the trick.
Today we bought a car. Or, at least, we paid a down payment for a car. We can't buy the car until R gets an Israeli driver's license, and he can't do that until he takes a lesson and a driving test, and he can't schedule that until he gets the letter he is waiting for from the Michigan Secretary of State with the issue date of his US driver's license on it, since it's not on the Michigan license. So, we just paid the down payment. The car we bought/we're buying is called a Mazda 5 (click on that for the cool Hebrew website, or click on this for the boring US website.) The good thing about buying a car in Israel is that there is no haggling over the price. The bad thing about buying a car in Israel is that there is no haggling over the price - with our new immigrant discount, we are paying almost double what the car would sell for in the US of A. I'm sure R will blog about the experience some time.
I really wanted to share with you my experiences at the Shabbat afternoon women's parshah class I attend. It is given in Hebrew by a lovely young olah (immigrant) named Adina Ellis, who does a very nice job of intellectual analysis of the weekly portion and personal relevance. Many members of the class are from the community of Ganei Tal, the "community within a community" in Yad Binyamin who migrated here after they were kicked out of Gush Katif. Well, in this last week's parshah, Va'etchanan, Moshe describes the land that the Jews are entering as a land with natural resources that will need to be worked to produce good things. The women of Ganei Tal naturally connected that with their own experiences of growing beautiful tomatos and flowers and other stuff in the desert land of the Gaza Coast. However, this past Shabbat was also called Shabbat Nachamu (the Sabbath of Consolation and Comfort), since it always occurs right after Tisha B'Av. One of the Ganei Tal women in the class decided to make a statement that she had previously only shared privately with a friend: "It is a good thing we got kicked out of Gush Katif - now we know for sure that God is King. Otherwise, we would have just gone about our daily lives, without consciously acknowleging that God is the King." By way of explanation, there is a bumper-sticker/ad campaign here with the phrase "Hashem Hu Hamelech", with translates into "God is the King". Another evacuee protested the statement of something good resulting from the disengagement. The first woman responded: "This week is called Shabbat Nachamu - we're supposed to get comfort from the fact that God destroyed the houses of tzadikkim (righteous people - the Talmud says that we should gain comfort from the fact that God destroyed the houses of the righteous, but not the righteous themselves.) You're a tzadikkah (righteous woman)!"
Wow. Pretty strong people, huh? I'm really glad we moved to Yad Binyamin.
Shabbat Shalom.

This Week's Parshah and Our Visit to Beit Guvrin

Yesterday we needed to get out of the house, so we decided to take a quick trip to Beit Guvrin, where they have the cool Bell Caves, and other caves that you walk around in. It's a pretty well-known site, but the place was empty (probably because it was boiling). It's also not definitively Jewish - the caves are ancient, but there's a lot of different religious symbolism that's not Jewish. But we had a very nice time, and each of us had a different favorite part.
My favorite part is actually a פסוק from this week's parshah:

כִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, מְבִיאֲךָ אֶל-אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה: אֶרֶץ, נַחֲלֵי מָיִם--עֲיָנֹת וּתְהֹמֹת, יֹצְאִים בַּבִּקְעָה וּבָהָר.
אֶרֶץ חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה, וְגֶפֶן וּתְאֵנָה וְרִמּוֹן; אֶרֶץ-זֵית שֶׁמֶן, וּדְבָשׁ.

As you walked on the paved path to the caves, we came across numerous fruit trees still in bloom. We had boxer (is it buxer), the we found some תאנה --



Rena, our expert tour guide and kashrut maven correctly pointed out that you have to check the figs for worms, and lo and behold when we opened them, there they were, squirming around. So we didn't taste those!

Some רמון --










and even some זית שמן!

























We also picked some Sabra fruit from the cactus - actually Abba did that. It was, in fact, rather painful, but when you opened up the fruit, it really was delicious!
We said the ברכה of שהחיינו, and dug in! The brachah was on the fruit, and much more!

The Oven

On Thursday, our oven arrived! Yay! On Wednesday, the saleswoman who sold us the oven called to tell us that the supplier was out of stock, and that she really didn't know when we would get our oven. Ouch, but what can you do. During the call, I quickly thought that someone would have the oven in stock, and we could just cancel the order with that store and buy it somewhere else. The second - literally - that we hung up with her, the phone rang again.

Hello?
זה משפחת ספולטר?
Yes -- it is. How can I help you?
This is the oven delivery people. We have your oven, and want to deliver it. Will you be home tomorrow morning?

No, I don't get it either, but our oven did arrive, which is all that matters. It comes in a big box, and then they're supposed to send their technicians to "install" the oven. Rena calls them Friday morning to ask when they can come do the installation, and when they tell her that it won't be till Monday, she starts complaining that "Shabbat is coming, and I need my oven, and I can't manage without it and can't you send someone sooner..." (She's gotten really good about being forward with people and getting better service.) In any case, the lady felt bad for her, so she told her, "Why don't you just open it up and use it?" Where, on the floor? Sure, why not. Well, isn't it going to affect my warrantee? The lady was adament that Rena could use the oven, and even told her that she would write in the file that she gave us permission to open the oven.
Well, once we could open it, I wasn't going to leave it on the floor for Shabbat. So I "installed" it. This entailed (1) taking it out of the box (2) putting it in the hole in the cabinets already pre-sized for the oven (3) plugging it into the socket in the wall. Really (4) inserting two small screws to make sure that it doesn't fall out. This last part wasn't really necessary.
But they're still coming Monday afternoon for the "install." Not sure why.
Will my installation affect the warranty? Probably. But we had wonderful mushroom chicken for Shabbat courtesy of our oven. It was worth it.

The Water Park at Kibbutz Chafetz Chayim

Yair, Pam et al came to Yad Binyamin, we caught early mincha in the Bike Shop (really) and all headed to Kibbutz Chafetz Chayim. The women and girls and babies went to the working dairy farm there (Hachava shel Chava), and the older boys and men went to the water park, where there were water slides, a pool, a wave pool with no waves, and great fun had by all.

New Meanings in the Torah - Dvar Torah for Next Week

I'm writing my piece for a writing job that I do that's a week in advance, and I of course came across this פסוק from next week's parshah.

והָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ--אֶרֶץ הָרִים, וּבְקָעֹת; לִמְטַר הַשָּׁמַיִם, תִּשְׁתֶּה-מָּיִם. אֶרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ דֹּרֵשׁ אֹתָהּ: תָּמִיד, עֵינֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ--מֵרֵשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה, וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה.

The Torah’s assertion that the Land of Israel is “a land which the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year” raises challenging questions. Doesn’t God watch every land? Doesn’t He care for all people? Rashi, (on verse 12) raising this question explains that “it is [only stated] as if God only watches over Israel.” Of course God spreads His grace over the nations of the world – but the verse teaches us that this divine providence shine through the lens of the Land. Through the interests, needs and concerns of the Land, God watches the other lands as well.

It's a well-known Rashi, and a beautiful expression of the role of כלל ישראל and ארץ ישראל in a metaphysical sense. But for me, this פסוק and Rashi's explanation take on much greater meaning when I read it this year, as I finally read it from the inside, and not the outside. This year, I hope that I'll benefit from God's watchful eye all year long.

Fridge Update

It's here. They charged me delivery, which I thought was included, but . . . (guess not.) I called Appliance Direct and left another message. The kids think the fridge is huge. I guess it was good we've been using a mini-fridge. It makes you appreciate what you have.

Waiting for the Fridge

Last Tuesday, I ordered a fridge and an oven from Appliance Direct in Jerusalem. Very nice English-speakers, so I was able to really know what I was getting. The reason I ordered from them is that they said it would be here before the end of the week. Well, it's Tuesday again, and it's still not here. I called them yesterday, and she called the delivery company, and then called me back to say it would be here today. The oven hasn't arrived yet from the factory, but the fridge should be here this morning. Great! The kids have been having some meltdowns recently, so we decided to go to Jerusalem as a family today, so arriving in the morning would be great. Then the delivery company called. They could not get here in the morning - it has to be afternoon. I explain to her that we won't be here in the afternoon, since we already made plans. She asked if there's any way anyone could stay home. No. I said, "Please! I really need this and we made these plans already!" Okay, she says, it'll be here in the morning - be ready at 7:30. Having had the experience I had with the lift (they said they'd be her at 4pm and showed up at 2:30), I've been up since 7. Granted it's only 7:38, but I'm
still waiting . . .

Tisha B'Av in Yad Binyamin

Check out R's post on his blog, Chopping Wood. ("Shpalter" means "wood chopper" in Yiddish.)

We're Now Official Israelis!

Did we get our Teudat Zehut (Israeli ID Cards?) No - we got those almost two weeks ago - again, kudos to Nefesh b'Nefesh. Did I get my Isreali driver's license? Again no, but I'm working on it. So what makes us so Israeli?
We got our cellphones! That's right, we're now instantly accessible, at all times.
Moreover, we're now chareidi. Or at least our cellphones are. Why did we get such frum phones? Because they're much, much cheaper. Much. (Someone recently told me that it was always a big joke that Tommy Lapid's wife also had a kosher cell phone. That story needs to be checked out.)
A regular phone can cost as much as 30-40 shekel per month, whereas the approved phone is 5 shekel a month - for two phones. And the rates are incredibly cheaper - much cheaper than normal as well. Why? I have no idea, but that's the way it is. The only thing that we can't do that I want to have is text messaging. They're not approved on kosher cell phones. Why? Not sure, but that's the way it is. In any case, I have a bad habit of not always listening to voicemail. It's a pain. So Rena got into the habit of sending me a quick text message if I wouldn't answer. Well, no more text messages. They're not kosher.
But it sure will save us money.
Oh yes - what's our numbers, you ask? Just check on the side -- they're both there!

A Productive Week, so far!

Shabbos was wonderful and busy. I actually cooked for Friday night and we ate at home, which was amazing. For lunch, we ate at the Abrahams, a family from South Africa, and we really seemed to click, which was nice. Shalosh seudos was at home again, which we haven't ever had as a family, as far as I can remember, because R usually eats it in shul. We were invited to a bar mitzvah in town, which was really thoughtful, and we knew many of their guests. Pia and Gabriella Katz were here from Detroit, since Pia is a cousin of the bar mitzvah boy, and was in the country anyway. Hadassah and Gilad Field were here with their kids, too, since they knew the family for a while. It was really nice to see them - Hadassah and I were friends in college - and spend time with them.
Sunday morning began with a bris (circumcision ceremony) of R's cousin right here in Yad Binyamin! Is was great to see the whole family! After the meal, while R went to the park with the cousins, I brought Leah to a backyard camp that I had signed her up for. She cried and held onto me tight, but was smiling when I came to pick her up. The camp is conducted in Hebrew, but Leah knows many of the girls from the neighborhood, and they speak English, many having made aliyah only one year ago. After camp and the park, it was back to unpacking. Our progress is slow, but steady.
Monday morning began as extremely productive. R went to the bank in Kiryat Malachi (a 10 minute drive) to get the stamp we needed to finish our enrollment in our Kupat Cholim. They also gave him our debit/credit cards and our checkbooks. Yay! Now we can start writing checks from an empty account! (We haven't quite gotten around to transferring money yet.) When R came back, he was really happy that it had been so easy - 20 minutes in and out! We then went to Ashdod for our appointment at the Ministry of Absorption (remember that post?). We made it on time, and got out relatively quickly, and were able to spend some time in the Crazy Slide Park before coming back to get Leah. After more afternoon unpacking, the Spolters from Beit Shemesh came. It was great spending time with them, too. The kids all went with Simcha to bring back pizza. I wonder how long it will take for that novelty to wear off.
It is now Tuesday at 2:49 pm. R went to Orot today to meet people and see where his office is. While he was away, I spent the morning cleaning out the washing machine. We opted to buy used, and R went to get it from Ramat Beit Shemesh last Friday. Evidently, the woman who previously owned it did not read the part in the manual about maintenance and cleaning out the soap dispenser. Not fun. In the middle of that, I was back and forth on the phone ordering a fridge and an oven. We went with the Amcor 550 Liter fridge (We get a special discount if we buy Israeli-made, and that was the largest size of the only Israeli brand) and an Electrolux self-cleaning oven. When that was done, Bezalel, Petachya and I walked to the Moatza (offices of the regional council) to give them our bank account for property tax (they take the money directly out of our still-empty account). Then we gave Petachya's ID number to the nursery school department so he can be completely registered, and then we walked over to the school. I had several things to take care of there. First, we went to the office to give our bank account number again, and pay for the books that the school orders for everyone. The secretary told us we were in the wrong building, but we could give her the ID numbers that I didn't have when I registered the kids. I had heard from someone that we could request people to be in the same class with our kids, so I did that with her as well. I had also heard that since there are about 5 kids in the school with hearing aids, there is an accoustically designed classroom and a special hearing teacher who works with those kids. So, I asked about meeting with her, but, evidently I have to go through a whole process to see if Bezalel is officially approved for hearing services. I just left my name to make an appointment with the principal, and went to the other building. The woman was very happy to take my check and bank account number, and we were in business. One small issue - when I got back from all my errands, Simcha had taken a message from the appliance place, which is closed until 8pm. I really need to get a cell phone.
This afternoon, we are going to Yair and Pam. One small problem - our car only seats 5. So, Yair came to get Leah to play with his girls, and she's going to sleep over tonight. I'll go get her tomorrow.
So, sounds like a pretty productive week so far, doesn't it?

Our Stuff is Here! (and other stories)

Yay! So, here's how it went: On Monday, R went to the shipping office, and Annie (pronounced ah'nee) told him that our stuff would get here Thursday the earliest, and Sunday the latest. So I called her: "It's not right, can't work like this, we really need our stuff - the kids are bored, etc." On Tuesday, she still wasn't budging, but our neighbor told us we need to call twice a day, so we did. The hardest part was that Annie was really sweet, so I felt a little bad nudging her so much, but we really did want to get our stuff. By Wednesday morning, Annie said she was not able to get a truck for us, but we would get it Thursday. At 1pm, I was at a neighbor doing laundry, when Simcha came in to tell me that our stuff was coming at 4. At 2:45, I got a phone call: "Hello, this is your mover - we just got into Yad Binyamin. How do we get to your house?" So, things were a bit hectic and crazy, but we got our stuff. Yay! I was afraid that we had used up our brownie points with that going so smoothly. Read on and see what you think.
We had an appointment this morning at 10:30 with our Absorption advisor at the Absorption Office in Ashdod. We left five minutes late, but would have been on time, if the office had been where map website said it would be. We had Bezalel, Leah, and Petachya with us, and, thanks to the kind and trying-to-be-helpful residents of Ashdod, we got quite a city tour. After stopping at the recreation office of the area, an absorption center, the new central bus station and the City Council building of Ashdod (which, by the way, is closed on Thursdays in the summer), the kids spotted a really cool park with the craziest slides you've ever seen. Since they had been relatively good during the drive, we opted to stop and let them run around. On the way from our parking spot to the park along a strip of shops, we passed (you guessed it!) the Absorption Office! We ran inside, knowing we were 1 hour late, and our kind advisor said that she would take us . . . after her regularly scheduled appointments. We decided to reschedule, and hope we'll be on time for our Monday 11am appointment.
On the way out of Ashdod, we stopped to add me as a second driver on the retal car contract. I must say, I handled myself very well - pushing in front of 4 burly Frenchmen who were trying to bargain with the woman behind the desk. That enabled me to drive to Gedera this afternoon to sign up for health insurance. The first step involves going to the post office and getting a stamp with a receipt of some kind. We did that yesterday. Well, actually, first R went to try to sign up the whole family, but I had to go again and sign up myself and the kids. Since it's socialized medicine here, the health insurance office is also a doctor's office - kind of hard to explain. That's where I went today. I spent two hours filling out forms (some that I didn't even have to fill out!) and figuring out what the Hebrew ailments were on the form to see if we have them or not. We now have our temporary health insurance cards. I just have to get another form stamped by the bank and return it to the health office, and R has to go sign himself up, since he wasn't on my form. Let's just stay healthy!
That's all for now, folks. Shabbat Shalom!

The Israeli Business Model

I can't say enough about Nefesh B'nefesh. Yesterday we attended a "fair" where they brought us in to give us our teudat zehut (Israeli ID cards without which you don't exist here), but also brought in different banks, health insurance companies and the like to compete for our business. So, armed with the Teudot Zehut I headed this morning straight for the shipping company to release my lift and hopefully get our stuff. The lady at the shipping company was really nice. She took all our information, helped me fill out the forms - she was really great. But when I asked her when we'd get our stuff, she said, "Oh - Thursday maybe, and by Sunday at the latest." What? It seems that I have to pay for every day that the shipment is in Israel longer than four days. Apparently the shipment arrived last Wednesday, but no one really knows. At the same time, I got my Teudat Zehut in record time, came immediately to release the lift the very next day, and now I've got to wait until the tax people decide to release my lift. But they get to charge me for every day that they hold onto the lift until they decide to release it. When I told my brother about this little catch-22, my brother said, "Welcome to Israel."

Official Israeli Citizens

I started today taking care of stuff that needed to be done here in Yad Binyamin. There is a social worker in the Regional Council who is in charge of olim (new immigrants), and that was incredibly helpful. She actually said that we are the best organized of the olim she has seen. Yikes! I can't imagine how they manage. She took me to the offices I needed, so the kids are now all registered for school and we are registered as residents to pay the necessary taxes. Evidently, a big phrase here is "hora'at keva", which means that many necessary expenses (i.e. tuition and property taxes) are taken directly out of your bank account. Smart on their part.
After I did that stuff, we left to go to Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). Nefesh B'Nefesh, the incredible group with which we came, was conducting a fair of various service providers, and would also be handing out our teudot zehut (ID cards), which are the Israeli equivalent of Social Security numbers - you can't do anything official without them.
So, we left our house a little after 12 to walk to the bus stop right outside our community. We then took the 40 minute bus ride to Yerushlayim, and switched at the central bus station to go to the Nefesh B'Nefesh offices. We got there at about 2:30. The kids were great. After we got all our stuff, we walked around a bit and popped into a coffee shop for some "lupper". The boys wanted hot chocolate, so I said they should order in Hebrew. They were very proud of themselves. We had arranged to rent a car for the next two weeks until we can get our act together enough to buy a car. However, since this is peak car rental season, we were only able to get a small 5-seater. Also, it was not 5:00, and the rental place closed at 6, and we wanted to go to the Kotel (Western Wall) before leaving town. So, I took Leah and Petachya to the Kotel on the #2 bus (which I think stopped at every bus stop in Yerushlayim on the way), and R took the older boys in a taxi to the car rental place in the King David Hotel. Unfortunately, he first went to the Kings Hotel, so they did some fast running and all turned out well. Meanwhile, Leah, Petachya and I were thinking up as many tefillot (prayers) as possible in front of (almost) the holiest place on earth. Leah's high point, though, was seeing a bride and groom taking photos at the Kotel.
So, then it was time to go home. We decided to split up this way: I would take Petachya back on the but to the Central Bus Station and then home, since we didn't have his car seat with us to put in the rental car. On the way to the bus stop, we met people we knew, so I got a little flustered and got back on the #2 bus. As I handed my bus card to the driver for a stamp, I asked him if the bus goes to the Central Bus Station. He stamped my card, and then said: "the number 1 does, but I go real close - just a five minute walk)." So, Petachya and I enjoyed another detailed tour through Chassidic areas of Jerusalem before we ran off the bus (someone told me it was my stop as the doors were opening). We got up to the ticket counter, and I asked for the bus to Yad Binyamin. This was a little after 8. She said I had to ask "Information", the booth next to her. I asked the "information" woman to write down the number and time of the next bus to Yad Binyamin, and she wrote "437 - gate 10 - 21:00." I was naturally disappointed that we would have to wait so long for the bus, so I asked if that was it. "No - there is also one at 9:30."
Then, I went back to the ticket booth to buy a ticket. "You have to pay the driver the 17 shekels directly for Yad Binyamin" (it's a stop on the way to the "real" destination of the bus). I only have a large bill, and I want to get Petachya a snack for the way, so I asked if she had change. She proceeded to give me a receipt for 17 shekels and change. Go figure. R was thoughtful enough to pick us up at the bus stop, thus saving us a 15 minute walk home.
All in all, a good day.
Tomorrow we go to release our stuff from customs.

So Much to Say; Where Do I Start?

I guess it's by saying that this aliyah week has been an amazing experience. Nefesh B'nefesh transforms what could, and rightfully should be an exhausting, frustrating transition into a exhilarating, uplifting event. It really was amazing, having so many friends, family and others around to share in our aliyah. I'll just share different thoughts that struck me as we experienced this week.

• After the ceremony I went upstairs to deal with the Ministry of Absorption. What a pleasure! They had a number of offices open, each with a listing of names (divided equally among them), so that the wait was rather short. I walked into the office, and the woman already had our information printed out, and I just had to sign a couple of forms and she handed me our teudat oleh. Then she gives me an envelope with a bunch of money in it. All I could think was, "Wow. Here I am moving to a new country, and not only do they make me a citizen; they give me a bunch of money to get started." What does America, known as a country built on immigrants and immigrati on, give to its olim chadashim? Nothing. But if a Jew comes to Israel, the country has an entire infrastructure dedicated to my integration and acclimation. Wow.
• My brother Yair took me shopping for a bunch of small appliances near his house in Kiryat Sefer. After leaving the hardware (actually, it was more of an "anything you can think of") store, I was really hungry having missed lunch. But next door was a bakery selling among the cakes, great borekas with cheese and soy dogs. I bought a couple, heated them up and had a great snack, and all I could think of was, "In the US when I leave the hardware store and I'm hungry, they have a hot dog stand there, but I can't eat anything. Maybe some chips. It's an incredible thing to be able to take for granted the fact that there's kosher good food pretty much everywhere. I know that it's a small thing, but coming from a place where you had to make a trip to get a doughnut, that's saying something.
• My sister-in-law got us some groceries, among which she bought whole wheat cereal without added sugar. (I checked, and it's got maltitol. Yummy.) Because of my no-sugar diet, I haven't eaten breakfast cereal in over four years. It's almost impossible to get whole grain cereal without added sugar in the US. It's just cereal, but it's a big deal to me.
• People here in Yad Binyamin have been great. The kids have already found some friends, Simcha and Leah being the most active, and Leah in the most demand of course.

As you can obviously tell from this post, our internet (and phone) are up and running. It took two days. (My uncle, who moved here in 1972, didn't get a phone until he was here for six months.) There's something of a funny story there. The guy came and installed the modem, but we couldn't get the computer to connect to the network. So he tells me: "I just tried switching the modems, and I've never had two modems be bad at the same time. So your computer must be broken." OK, I'll check the computer. I take the computer to a local computer store - great guy from Gush Katif runs the store - and he plugs it in and it starts up immediately. So the computer is not the problem. When I go back home and look at the modem, I can see upon visual inspection that some of the wire connectors are bent out of shape. So, with a screwdriver and small piece of wire, I performed minor surgery on the modem and lo and behold - it works! Sure, it was the compter. Baloney. Telling my brother about it later, he tells me, "Get used to it. It's always the other guy's fault."
After I solved that problem, it was all uphill: the router worked great; I plugged in our Vonage phone and it worked right out of the box. It's pretty crazy to make local phone calls in America from halfway around the world. I remember my first year in Israel. My mother allowed me to call home once every three weeks. It was a real event that you schedules. Yesterday while speaking to her she was in the middle of something so she said, "Can you call me back in ten minutes?" Sure, no problem, but it's a different world than it used to be.
In any case, it makes a great impact to be connected - to be able to freely call family and friends back in the States. So getting connected was a big deal, and I glad we were able to do so so quickly.
I'll wrap up. But please write back. We love hearing from you. Shabbat Shalom to all!

Homecoming

Well, we're connected, so I can finally blog. And we're here! What an overwhelmingly amazing experience! Baruch Hashem, the plane ride was uneventful. Leah watched Peter Pan three times - once in English and twice in Hebrew - since it was the only kids' movie available. El Al has sure come a long way - you can watch what you want when you want, and play games, too. That was the focus for the kids. The Ministry of the Interior was on the plane, so they came around collecting our passports and confirming information. That way, our documents were ready for us when we landed. As you probably already know, we wore the T-shirts on the plane, which everyone loved. It was also an easy way to spot everyone at the airport. Before we landed, they announced over the PA system that the largest welcoming group to date came to greet us at the airport - almost 900 people! The Zacks' (which was great for Simcha and Bezalel), Zvi Fass (with Naama via cellphone), Jeffrey Schreiber, the Friedlanders, Tobi and Zvi, Lippy and Maureen, and the entire Spolter crew from Kiryat Sefer (which was great for Leah and Petachya) all came to greet us with signs, snacks, small toys, and many hugs. So many people came over to us and said: "This is the best thing you will ever do with your life." Wow! After the ceremony, which was very moving (I hope you saw the part about the woman who was on the Exodus!), R went upstairs to get the documents (travel and health insurance vouchers as well as an envelope with shekels from the Ministry of Absorption) and I went to get the luggage. Thanks again to Pam and Yair who stayed around until we got into a taxi. Actually, two taxis, since we had so much stuff. The drive to Yad Binyamin was very straight. When we got to our street (Slav), the driver started looking for our house number (32a). On the left we saw numbers 35, 33, and 31, but on the right we only saw houses in early stages of construction. The driver turned to me and asked: "Are you sure your house is ready?" Sure enough, after we passed number 15 on the left, 32 showed up on the right - complete!. We live in a small cul-de-sac with 8 houses, all numbers 32, letters a-h. Ours is the first, so we have our own private driveway, which is kind of cool.
Since we've come, so many people have stopped by to say hello. Our first night, we were given dinner by the welcoming committee in Yad Binyamin. Yair brought us a small fridge from his in-laws, which has been incredibly helpful, as have the many groceries, the electric kettle and last nights' dinner sent from Pam. Yair also took R shopping yesterday to buy a toaster oven, microwave, hot water pot for Shabbos, etc. He first took Leah and Petachya back to his house, so they had a fantastic day. Simcha and Moishie were left here to play with Simcha and Bezalel, and they all spent a few hours shooting hoops at the outdoor covered basketball hoop.
Oleh Chadash (new immigrant) story of the day: Petachya spilled yogurt on one of Ruby's shirts, by mistake, so Ruby went to buy detergent yesterday so we could was his shirt in the sink. He bought a laundry booster that you use with regular detergent instead! I tried it, though, and it still worked! I hung the shirt outside on the enclosed clothes line, and it was dry in two hours!
Our communication situation: We had our phone and internet installed this morning, as you can tell. Our Israeli phone number is: (077) 501-1327. If you're dialling from the US, you dial 011-972-77-501-1327. Our phones are still charging, so you might want to wait a bit before calling so we don't get cut off (it's now 5:07pm Israel time).
Our Shabbos plans: We are invited out for all 3 meals - how cool is that!
I have lots more to say, but I'll spare you for now, and save it for my 3am post, if tonight is anything like last night. We miss you and love you all in the US!

T minus one to D-Day

It's now almost midnight, and we're going tomorrow. Wow. It doesn't feel as climactic as I thought it would. We are all excited, though. I wasn't able to be so much help with packing today, since it was a fast day. Kudos to R for all your hard work! Thanks also to Ima, Abba, Chavi and R for taking care of the kids today! The bottom line is, that's why I'm up at midnight instead of sleeping - I'm doing my part now. Packing and re-packing to make it all fit. I ruminate again on the amount of "stuff" we have.
As far as the van goes, we may actually have a buyer. He's bringing his mechanic by tomorrow morning to take a look at it. Since we need it to get to the airport, though (mainly to carry all our stuff), he's not going to come take it until the evening. Thanks again to Abba for helping us take care of that!
Shabbos was absolutely beautiful. My grandparents and aunt came, as well as my sister, brother and sister-in-law. The kids had a great time. Ima made it all look effortless, and did an amazing job of cooking and serving. Thanks:)
Pam (my sister-in-law in Israel) called and said the shipping company called and said the lift should get there Wednesday. We need a teudat zehut (the equivalent of a Social Security card) to pick it up. They will hold it for free for four days, and then start charging us. The problem is that NBN gives us the cards on Sunday. So, I called them, and they said they would do what they could to expedite the process they already expedite by having the Ministry of Interior on the plane. Isn't that amazing!
Okay, enough procrastinating. I'm going to go do some more repacking. Don't forget to watch us land at 12:30am EST on Tuesday, July 22 on the live Nefesh B'Nefesh webcast!

Our American Number in Israel

It's official: We now have a Vonage account which we cannot yet access, because we have yet to hook up our phone. To do that we'll need to get our lift, take out our computer, set up our internet, get a new plug adaptor for our router and Vonage box, and then plug in the new phone. Then you can call us. But you'll need our new number:

It's 248-246-1545, or BIT-AIM-1-KIL, or CHU-AGO-1-LIK

(if you figure out a better one, let me know.)

We're In New Jersey: Last Week Part 1

It's hard to believe, but we've reached the last stop on the American leg of our journey. It's kind of hitting home that from here we head to the plane in just a week. Exciting, exhilarating and scary all at the same time.
It has been a long time since the last post. We were tired, I guess. So sorry for the long post, but here goes.
Last I left you, it was Sunday afternoon and I was waiting for some computer files to finish copying. I finally left shul for the last time (and surrendered my keys) at about 5pm, and headed home to wrap everything up. Someone bought two of our three couches at the last minute (we gave the third one away), and we were running around the house packing, throwing things away, cleaning, preparing food, giving other things away. A kid across the street got an entire computer (minus the hard drive). It seems to have been so haphazard.
While we originally planned on getting out midafternoon, that didn't happen. So you start making deadlines in your mind. At five I figured we'd get out by seven. At seven it had to be eight. At eight I finally said to Rena, "You know, it's pretty late. Why don't we just get out tomorrow morning." She looked at me and simply said, "No, we're leaving tonight." It was too much. One of the reasons that it took forever to leave was that people kept coming by to say goodbye, wish us well, and just talk for a few minutes. It was wonderful and touching, but made it rather difficult to get anything done. And by the time they did leave I forgot what it was that I was doing, so I'd just start another task.
For the first and last time, we loaded some bags on the roof of the car. (By some miracle, they didn't fall off on the way.) The car was so overloaded - the floors, the trunk, between the seats and the children - that although someone had asked us to bring a small suitcase to Silver Spring, there was simply no way to fit it in the car. Literally. So we called them and they quickly came to pick it up. Sorry about that.
Finally, at 10pm, the car was loaded, the kids bathroomed - and we headed out. When we finally got on the road, while I thought that we'd be totally exhausted, Rena and I had such nervous energy that we just talked. I think it was the first time that we really talked to each other in weeks. We finally stopped in a motel and collapsed for the night.
Both Rena and I found leaving Detroit bittersweet. We will miss greatly the close friends that we made, and feel tremendous fondness for the shul and its members. Leaving weighs heavily upon us all, as we close one chapter in our lives and begin yet another.

To be continued

The TShirts that We Made

So Long, Farewell...

I'm sitting at my desk in shul. It's 4:30pm on Sunday afternoon. Yes, we were supposed to leave this morning, but life got in the way. Anyway, I'm waiting for the final files on my computer to copy over, so I've got a few mintues to write.

It was a very meaningful Shabbos. I gave a speech about Optimism - click here if you want to read it - and the power of positive thinking and the future of the shul that I think came out well and was very well received. I also davenend Shacharis for the amud. Simcha did Anim Zemiros, which he had prepared to the tune of "l'shanah haba-a-a, l'shana haba-a-a, l'shana haba-a-a b'yeru-sha-la-yim". (If you can't get the tune in your head, ask him to sing it for you.) Anyway, I often stand up with the kids on the bimah to get the people quiet for anim zemiros, and somehow all the other kids (Leah, Bezalel and Petachya) were standing there with me all together, and when Simcha finished, the shul started actually singing l'shana habah for real - and it was pretty emotional for me. It was a great feeling.

Also, the shul threw a kiddush in our honor, which was a surprise that we kind of knew about anyway. Rena had these t-shirts made up with "four questions about the Spolters' Aliyah" on the back, and a sort of Spolter Aliyah 5768 Logo on the front - and we all had them. So we put on the shirts after davening before the kiddush which everyone got a big kick out of. It was really nice and touching -- people saying goodbye, wishing us well.

It's interesting, because on Shabbos afternoon before minchah, I gave a shiur (kind of based on the parshah) on the struggle between the needs of community and one's own personal and familial needs, and the difficulty of finding a balance between the two. I used Moshe and Aharon and the difficulties that they had in interacting with their children (Moshe specifically) as examples of the struggle. (It was a good shiur. I should write it up. I'll add it to the list.) In any case, I spoke about how pretty much every time we'd try and go on a family vacation, someone in the shul would die, and we'd have to delay, postpone, find a way to squeeze in the funeral.

Lo and behold, Shabbos ends and the phone rings.

A member of the shul died - and would I be willing to officiate at the funeral? What could I say - "No, I'm sorry that your loved one who I knew well died. But I've got to go?" So I said yes, and the funeral took most of the afternoon. (It's the first funeral I've ever been at where they didn't dig the grave long enough, and had to pick the casket back up and widen the hole while we were all waiting. I guess when you think you've seen everything...)

In any case, I think it's gotten to the point where the members of the shul want me to leave already, because every time I plan to go someone else dies. Maybe the next rabbi will be luckier.

I feel like this is sort of a kaparah. When I first got here and we were planning on going on vacation, a woman who was the parent of a member - and herself a member of the shul - died on Friday. Go figure. We were leaving on Sunday, I was a recent arrival, didn't know the woman all that well, and wasn't asked really to officiate at the funeral. So I figured that it wouldn't make a difference if we stuck around or not, and we left to go on vacation. Big mistake. The family was really mad, and I'm not sure if I ever made it up to them.

So I guess this should be my penance for that time so long ago. It's a fitting end to my rabbinic career here in Michigan - trying to be there for people, taking care of their needs, and often putting myself second. It's the nature of the job, and to be honest, I'm sure that I'll miss it.

Funny Story of the Day

We didn't send the Pesach dishes on the lift, but we sent our empty duffel bags!

I'm Cleared!

After several phonecalls and much pleading, I was cleared this afternoon at the Connecticut DMV as well as the national database. Yay! That meant that we were able to go back to the Secretary of State's office and get my drivers' license renewed in about 35 seconds, thanks to the pass they gave me after waiting yesterday. They didn't even give me a hard time about my hair covering! So, we are again planning to leave on Sunday.
Several people came to see the house today, and two even filled out applications for rent, so there's some hope that things will be settled here before we leave the country. If not, there's always e-mail . . .

Kapparah Number Two (a.k.a. the DMV)

So, today we were supposed to go to the library, because they were organizing a scavanger hunt, which sounded like fun. On the way, I decided to stop at the DMV (here it's the office of the Secretary of State) and renew my drivers' license, which expires on my birthday of this year. That's July 29 2008, exactly one week after we arrive in Israel. Why, you might ask, should I renew my license now, if I am just going to get a new one in Israel? Well, the way I understand it, if you have a valid US drivers' license, the process for getting an Israeli license involves one lesson with an instructor and the driving test. If you don't (which I won't, if I can't get appointments within the first week, which I probably won't), you have to take a written test in Hebrew, and if you pass that, several (read: about 20) lessons with an instructor, and then the driving test. All you who made aliyah can confirm or refute that understanding. Be that as it may, I decided to renew my license before we leave. I waited until today, because it was one of those things that could wait until the lift left. So I thought. Anyway, at the SOS you have to first wait on line to get a number, and then you can sit and wait in a chair until they call your number. After I got the number, the kids and I went next door to Kmart and bought a deck of cards so they would be occupied during the waiting period. I was number 11, and they were still on 85 (they go up to 99 and then start over), so we started a heated game of "Go Fish". When I next looked at the digital display, it read "06", but the lady behind the counter called out "14". I missed my number. Fortunately, "14" was really nice, and let me go. That was about 1 hour and 15 minutes after we had arrived. When I got to the counter, the woman informed me that I have an outstanding ticket in Connecticut, so my license can't be renewed until that is cleared up.
So we came home.
And I started calling the DMV in Connecticut. After 3 department transfers and an hour of total time on "hold", I was informed that since we had never returned the license plates from the Geo Prism when we moved, my license had been suspended in Connecticut in 2002. A year after we left. Mind you, I had already renewed my MI license after that time, but now I can't. I had to FedEx a check and a piece of paper asking them to cancel the license plates to the DMV in Connecticut (who have a ZIP code on their web site that doesn't exist, accoring to FedEx and the US Postal Service) so they can change their records tomorrow. However, since it's a holiday weekend, the changes will not be in the national system until next week Tuesday or Wednesday. We're leaving Sunday. Oh, and I cannot renew by mail, since I already did that last time. So, I called my friend the criminal defense lawyer. Let's see what strings she can pull to allow me to renew from out of state. Let it be a kapparah.

Bezalel's Lohan Test

Bezalel wanted me to write about it, so here it is. Last Friday, he had his last day at the Chinese School for Martial Arts, where he's been taking Kung Fu for the last two years. He was promoted steadily through the ranks, and was recently accepted into the exclusive Lohan group, where they wear black uniforms with yellow sashes. The test is one of endurance, so the sifu (the guy in charge of the place) has the kids doing things like: jumping jacks for 3 minutes, uncle willies for 3 minutes (staying at the top of a pushup, but with elbows on the floor) and other masochistic activities. Needless to say, there is a reason why the sifu does not recommend the parents come. However, as a sign of support for Bezalel, I came. And left soon after I got there. Anyway, we're all really proud of him. He has worked very hard, and even passed the Lohan test!

How we are managing this week without our stuff

You might be wondering what we're doing this week. Well, even though all the stuff is gone, there is still lots of things that need to get done:

1. Collect copies of medical records from what seems like 4 million doctors.

2. Clean up the house every time the realtor calls.

3. Go out to lunch with all the people who wanted to have us over for Shabbos and never quite got around to it - yum!

4. Declutter the house when the realtor calls.

5. Raid the library and take out all the books that Leah says we have in the house, but Petachya reminds her are on the train to Israel. (They are currently on the train, and will then be on a boat, please God. Although, if you ask Petachya how HE's getting to Israel, he'll simply say "oh, driving and walking.")

6. Quickly throw everything in the empty kitchen cabinets and closets when someone calls to say they might want to rent the house.

Notice a trend, here? Not that there are so many takers, but there are a few potential possibilities. Today, I came up with a new reality game show idea - how fast can you declutter the house? That could, of course, lend itself to a spin-off of - for how long can you keep it looking like that? Who knew we'd still have so much stuff after the stuff we had all left on the truck > train > to boat trip across the Atlantic?

Everyone has been so helpful. We are set up for so many meals during the week - either invitations out or people bringing in - that I had to say "no" to some people to make good on our promise to the kids that we'd be eating out. Our neighbor lent us a really good Calphalon milchig pot so I could make macaroni tonight. I think I'm going to have to keep the pot. She also brought over a box of toys for the kids when she saw them wrestling on our front lawn. That has been incredibly helpful. Thanks!
Tomorrow we are set to go to the Toledo Zoo. We're trying to get in last-minute area attractions. The weather is supposed to be good. Yay! More later.

The Pesach Dishes - They're Still Here!

Where do you store your Pesach dishes during the year? Why, in the closet under the stairs of course. That way they're really out of the way during the year, where you don't need them.
So out of the way, in fact, that you might totally forget about them when your movers come to pack up your lift. So out of the way that you totally forget about them even when you run through the house one more time to make sure that they got everything.
That's right. Our Pesach dishes are not on the lift. Yikes. We're not that worried about it -- they've got eight months to make aliyah. But it's just frustrating, because we had a really large container sitting in our driveway, happy to take all the boxes we could fill it with.
And we left them here.
It should be a kaparah.

Moving Day Part 2

For some reason, the keyboard on our desktop is not working, so I wasn't able to write about yesterday until now, when I have the laptop. So, here goes.
Wow! The movers arrived yesterday at 7am to finish packing as much as they could before the container arrived at 9. By 8, I felt really bad that I kept having to shoo the kids out of the way, so I took them to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. That was so fun! Then I got them bagels to take to camp, too. Double whammy. When we got home, Simcha, Leah and I took a walk to return some DVDs to someone (it's amazing how much stuff we have that doesn't belong to us), and by the time we came back, the container was here. It was huge. When the men had come for an estimate, they said we had enough stuff that we would be a little over a 20-foot container. The problem was that we didn't know what "a little over" meant. So, we ordered a 40 foot container. When they started filling it, they saw that they did not need to pack it tight, so by the time they were done, the entire container was filled to the back. They didn't stack things so high or take apart the metal storage shelves we have, but it looked like a ton of stuff. Whatever doesn't fit in the house in Israel is up for grabs, folks! So far, the moving company is great. The men worked very hard, and the salespeople are readily available to answer our questions. The movers packed our towels, though, so I had an excuse to visit Bed, Bath, and Beyond again and use those great coupons. Actually, I first returned some linen napkins I got as a gift, and didn't even get to use the coupons on the towels - I got a $12 credit! I guess I have cheap taste in towels.
Amazingly enough, Ruchie took the kids again, and they didn't come home until 8. That was really good for everybody. The empty house was a bit wierd for them (and for us), but they quickly forgot any misgivings as soon as they realized that the den seems to amplify their voices about 2500 times. Petachya immediately launched his rendition of a Shabbos morning drasha (go figure) and "ayzoh wee", his version of Anim Zemirot. We borrowed these really neat and comfortable folding mattresses from two families here (and pillows), and had a great night's sleep.
By this morning, our routine was pretty much back to normal. The kids went to camp, and I spent my time at home putting everything away that we had put aside from the movers. Bezalel has a friend sleeping over tonight, who thinks it's really cool that our house is so empty. So, phase one of the move is officially over.

Sigh.

Rena Got a Job! Hoooorraaayyyy!

Congratulations to Rena on her getting a job teaching two mornings a week at Midreshet Moriah in Yerushalayim for the coming year. I knew that she could (and would) do it, and we're very excited about it. It will be great because it will keep her in the classroom and also be a nice amount of time to be out of the house the first year.
Yay Rena!

Moving Day - Part 1

Yes, it's finally here - the day the movers are coming to pack us up. Amazing thank you to Ruchie Kresch, who just picked up the kids to take them to camp and occupy them for the rest of the day, if all goes well. It took me a while to accept help from people, but I'm so glad I did! Now we have to get ready. R's now taking videos of the stuff in the house - we figure if anything goes overboard, it's the best way to keep a record of everything. Smart thinking! We also have to pack and figure out all the stuff we're not taking with us. Yes, it's a bit overwhelming. Yes, it's really happening. How cool! We're living the dream!
More later.

Come Greet Us at the Airport

For those of you who will be in Israel, we got the following email from Nefesh B'nefesh:

Dear Olim,
Your Aliyah date is fast approaching and we are very excited for your Aliyah!
We would like to encourage you to invite friends and family to greet you as you step off the plane on the date of your arrival.
In order to register for the Aliyah Ceremony, your friends and family can access the online registration form at www.nbn.org.il/ceremony or you can call Abi at 02-659-5563.
We are anxiously awaiting your arrival and are looking forward to greeting you along with your friends and family.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Petachya's Torah

This morning we were cleaning up the basement -- the downsizing seems to go on and on -- and Petachya saw me putting away his stuffed Torah. He said to me, "Abba, can I take the Torah to shul?"
I said, "No, it's for Simchas Torah."
He said, "No, it my Torah."
"I know, it's for Simchas Torah."
Now he started getting upset. "No Abba. It's not Simcha's Torah. It's my Torah."
OK Petachya. It's your Torah.

Happy Birthday, Ruby!

Today, in honor of Ruby's birthday, we sent off our visa applications. Just kidding. I mean we really sent them off, but not in honor of Ruby's birthday. I had to fill out 3 copies of the application for each member of the family. Additionally, the children's had to be notarized. The only problem was that there was no place on the application for the notary seal! Thankfully, our notary was very resourceful, and only covered up part of the statement we had to sign. As soon as I got to Kinkos to FedEx it, I realized I left the address at home, but the guy behind the counter offered me to use his cell phone, which was really nice of him, so I didn't have to go all the way home to get it.
Petachya and Leah are sitting here singing "Shalom Aleichem". I think they think it's Shabbos tonight. I guess they're having a long first week in camp! Seriously, though, they are loving it. So am I, even though I didn't think I would. I am actually getting stuff done - surprise, surprise!
There is a chance I have a job! I got an e-mail from a seminary in Israel saying that some of their teachers have changed their plans, and would I be interested in teaching a few hours a week. Would I?!
We had our last garage sale on Sunday. We didn't do as well as the first one, but I guess all the good stuff had gone the first time around. One guy said he'd come back on Monday to look at the house, but he never came. Oh, well, I guess that means the emunah (faith in God) just has to get stronger! Our realtor doesn't think we should sell now, since the market is so bad. He says we should rent for two years until things pick up, and then try to sell. We haven't decided what to do yet, since we have no potential buyers or renters. We're still going, though!
The kids have all made contact with children their ages in Yad Binyamin, so they are starting to get more excited and less scared. Leah even found a girl who loves Polly Pockets - go figure!
That's all for now. I have to go clean up for the realtor, who's coming tomorrow.
Sweet Dreams!

I'm not sure what to title this

Two days ago, we celebrated our last chag in chutz la'Aretz! Our last until Rosh HaShana! Actually, it's everyone's last until Rosh HaShana, but once Succos comes along, then we can really talk. That's aside from the fact that in Detroit, yom tov ended at 9:53pm. Just enough time to finish Laura Ben-David's book, Moving Up: An Aliyah Journal. If you haven't yet read it, I highly recommend it!

The school year is coming to an end. Yesterday, after school, one of Simcha's friends (and his mother) made Simcha a surprise party. Simcha was truly surprised! They gave him an "Akiva" sweatshirt with his name on the back and a siddur (which he already used to daven minchah). It made him sad to realize that he will not see many of his friends for a long time, but he was so happy to feel that people care about him so much. Even his teachers came, which was a big highlight for him.

I'm a little in a panic, because I haven't yet applied for an aliyah visa. It has to be signed by both of us on each of the kids' applications (they had to be filled out in triplicate) and notarized. We're having a hard time coordinating schedules. I hope we'll be able to do it tomorrow.

Tomorrow I just have to go to school to enter my grades, and then go to the teacher appreciation lunch. Then I turn into an official SAHM. Weird, but good!

New Shipping Date

On Friday, I got a call from Uri at the shipping company - the container he was going to send to us is supposed to get to Israel before us, so we're moving things up (? back? - I never know which is which) and not getting packed up until June 23, and loaded on June 24. The new container should get there on the day we do, July 22, or so the shipping company says. Truth be told, I never heard of anyone whose lift actually got there when it was supposed to. I mean, I guess it always gets there when it's supposed to, but not necessarily when we thought it was supposed to.

We're Approved!!!!!!!!!

Well, it's official - we've been approved for aliyah by the Jewish Agency. I had thought that this was already taken care of, but they had been missing some minor elements from our application - namely our birth certificates. Anyway, Baruch Hashem we can now move forward to the next step, which is applying for visas.
We also chose a shipper today. The lucky customer (or, should I say "customee", since we are technically the "customer") is HK Shipping, who will ship our stuff out of Chicago. The packers will pack us up on Sunday, June 15, and the container will leave Detroit on Monday, June 16. It is scheduled to arrive in Israel on July 24, 2 days after we do, which sounds perfect. Emphasis on "sounds". It is my understanding (thanks to Tobi and Zvi) that these things don't always work out as planned or as promised. Flexibility is the middah of the day!
My new challenge is deciding about appliances - what to buy where. Even though we are renting, we need to buy all our appliances. However, the space is only available for small Israeli-sized appliances. Therefore, the plan right now is to buy second-hand, until we know our long-term plans. We will still be allowed 2 more lifts over the next 3 years as olim, so we can always ship larger appliances later, if we want them.
That's all for now. Feel free to post comments on the blog - I do check for them, and I am interested in what you have to add or suggest.

Petachya's Growing Up!

OK -- This isn't about Aliyah really, but it is about "moving up" in the world. Do you notice anything different about Petachya? If you don't in the first picture, what about the second?
Today we got an email that the Frogels have friends that might be on our flight. Rena says that she has the sense that it will be a popular flight, which I'm sure it will, as it's before the Nine Days, and the reason we wanted to go then was to give ourselves some time to get settled before the kids start school.
Good Shabbos.
Ruby

Us at the shul dinner

FAQs

Hi! Since a bunch of you have expressed interest in our aliyah plans, I thought I'd just post it all on this blog. Thanks so much for your continued support and concern!

FAQs about the Spolter aliyah experience:

1. When are you going?
Iy”H, we will be on a July 21st flight out of the NY area
2. Are you going to be on the east coast to see family at all before you go?
Definitely! We will for sure be there after July 4th, and Rena and the kids might even go before – still up in the air (we’re not big on advance planning)
3. Do you have a place to live?
Yes. We will be renting half of a 2-family house in Yad Binyamin. It is, of course, smaller than what we have now, but it does have 4 bedrooms – one of them is waiting for you!
4. Where is Yad Binyamin?
At the intersection of 3 major highways – 6,3,7. It is about 15 minutes south of Rechovot, 20 minutes west of Beit Shemesh, and 40 minutes to Yerushalayim. Simcha and Efrat Friedman are already living there, and we are so excited to be close to family!
5. Do you have a job?
Ruby has a job at Orot, an Israeli teachers’ college that has a one-year “seminary” program for girls from the US (like Michlalah). Since there were only very few students for next year, the administration decided to close the program for next year, and hire Ruby to build it up again. Therefore, he will be travelling to the US periodically to recruit students and promote the new program.
6. What about Rena?
Rena will be keeping the job she has had for the last almost-11 years (it will be 11 years on July 5/30 Sivan). It is perfectly transferable to Israel, Baruch Hashem.
7. How do the kids feel about the move.
Pretty much the same as we do – excited and nervous. Simcha and Bezalel have very strong Hebrew and are good students, and Leah and Petachya are young enough that they’ll pick it up fast.
8. What school will the kids attend?
There is a great Mamlachti Dati Torani school in Yad Binyamin, called Broyer’s, that the kids will be attending. It is separate boys and girls on the same campus. The boys currently go up to 8th grade, but they want to add a high school. I’m pretty sure the girls go up to 6th, but we have a while until we have to deal with that. The school is very accommodating to olim, and offers ulpan as early as 1st grade. Petachya will be in a Hebrew-speaking gan. For those of you familiar with the Israeli educational system, he will be in “trom trom chova”.

I’m pretty sure that covers all the questions people here have been asking, but if you have any more, feel free to ask.