Page 7 - ChicagOlim Chronicles

re-email me the results. Got them… but wait! The date was wrong! These were her results from before summer
camp, not from last night. Another phone call. Got the correct dates and results. B”H - all negative!! Filled out
the preflight form. We’re golden!

Then Benji and I ran a last-minute errand and an engine light in our van went on. Benji was unconcerned and
felt the car would make it to the airport the next day. I, on the other hand, was very concerned. We went to bed
and tried to sleep - after all, this is THE night before we make Aliyah!

Benji got up and went to shul. I was still nervous about the car and had nightmares about it breaking down on
the way to the airport. After shul I asked Benji to pick up some coffee at Dunkin. On his way back… in the
middle of Dempster, the car dies. Completely. Luckily, it was in the neighborhood. Saved again by HaShem!
Now it was time to phone one friend to take us to the airport and another to take care of the car. Baruch
HaShem for good friends. We made it to the airport, checked in with minimal fuss, made it to Canada with
plenty of time for our connection and then finally… we were on the plane to Israel.

That’s when I cried.

Despite what I kept telling my family and friends, about how sure I was it would all work out, until we actually
boarded the plane to Israel, with all the bumps, curves, and breakdowns, I don’t know if I believed Aliyah was
actually going to happen.

Helpful Hint #7 Fake it ‘till you make it and believe in HaShem with all your heart. You have to keep
believing aliyah will happen. My Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN) advisor kindly told me she didn’t think we’d be able
to go when we had wanted as we were still missing approvals and visas two weeks before our planned date. The
Jewish Agency assured me we had plenty of time. I wasn’t sure in whom to believe. So, I trusted in HaShem as
I had through the whole process. I called anyone and everyone I knew with connections at NBN and the Israeli
government. I was told at one point that Rav Yehoshua Fass, founder of NBN, got involved in our case and
helped move things along. The process can be discouraging at times, you have to keep pushing through. Even as
things “went wrong” along the way, I was able to “see” HaShem’s help and guidance. I kept reminding myself
that Avraham Aveenu went through ten tests… why should we have to do less?