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Olim Giving Back to Israel

Rebecca Rubin Seligson
Making Aliyah wasn’t an easy decision for me, and I was initially hesitant when my husband
expressed his desire to move here. But during my year in seminary I fell in love with the
lifestyle and people. Israel resonated with me in a way my home country couldn’t. I knew I
belonged here. Aliyah came with bureaucratic challenges, especially for our child with special
needs. But with support from family, doctors, and kind-hearted strangers, we navigated
the red tape. Our community and friends have become our family, providing unwavering
support. I learned to be assertive, to fight for my son even in broken Hebrew, and discovered
the power of using my voice. The Chinuch Meyuchad system has been a game-changer for
my son’s education, surpassing what we had before.
I noticed a lack of disabled representation in children’s literature, and so I decided to write
Wheellustrated Tales, a children’s book featuring a child in a wheelchair, to normalize
disabilities in children’s literature and fill this void. Exposure to disabilities at a young age
is crucial for promoting awareness and inclusion, and so I publish books and advocate for
disability inclusion. By introducing children to characters with disabilities, they become
more accepting. My latest release, The Adventures of Incredi-Wheels & Triple S: The Mysterious
Missing Book, is available on wheellustratedtales.com.
From my Aliyah experience, I learned the importance of speaking up, despite language
barriers. There’s still much to discover, like feeling comfortable hiking alone and exploring
nature’s beauty. Aliyah also grants me the most important freedom – the freedom to have
a homeland and to practice our faith without compromise and to be myself. As a descendant of Holocaust survivors, this significance is immeasurable.
Overall, this has been a transformative journey filled with challenges, growth, and joy.

Rabbi Yosef Ginsberg
My journey began with a gap year program at Yeshivat Hakotel in 2009. I became so enamored
with Israel that I stayed on and officially made Aliyah during my army service in April 2012.
The early years were challenging; I left my family and lived entirely on my own. Being a middle
child of seven and, until recently, the only sibling in Israel, the transition wasn’t easy. I’ve learned
that the only way to grow is to face and overcome challenges rather than complain about them.
This journey instilled in me passion, perseverance, and independence. Living in Israel has been
transformative and enlightening, almost akin to being reborn. I found this land to be a place
where I could truly thrive.
I’ll always remember a defining moment early in my army service. During basic training, I was
laying down flat in the Jordan Valley in the pouring rain, reflecting on the remarkable growth
and maturity that just one year in Israel can foster. This realization became a cornerstone of
my journey.
One important lesson I’ve learned is to actively create the change you want to see. In a small,
well-networked country like Israel, it’s truly possible. I’ve discovered an extraordinary sense of
spiritual connection, experiencing how clearly G-d can be found here every moment of the day.
In 2015, I co-founded NCSY Israel to meet the challenges that Anglo teens face in adapting and
integrating to life in Israel. Now, we are the premier youth movement in Israel dedicated to
connecting, inspiring and empowering English-speaking teens through the values of Zionism,
Torah and tradition.
Ultimately, making Aliyah and being in Israel is not just an accomplishment, but a key to freedom and self-discovery.

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