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Rabbi Jon Channah Rabbi Yonaton
Singer Speigelman Behar

I hirty years ago, on July 14, 1991, my came to Israel when I was 24 years old, though

can’t help but feel a little dishonest in writ-
ing this piece. I made Aliyah from Toronto in
husband Ushi and I, along with our two
I knew I would make Aliyah from the time I
August 2010, six days before my 20th birthday;
small children, boarded an El Al plane to
was 13. I grew up in the Betar Movement and
by the time I was “in my twenties” I was of
was indoctrinated early on to love the land
make Aliyah. We had not been to Israel
course a grizzled veteran Israeli!
It was an immense zechut that my first home Tsince our shana ba’aretz (gap year) and I and people of Israel, hearing stories about the
we arrived without having done a pilot trip and
sacrifices of Jabotinsky, Trumpeldor, and the other
as an Israeli was Yeshivat Har Etzion. Beyond without jobs (we planned our move during the Betar heroes, who were not religious Jews. Yet
being an incredible institution for Torah learning, Gulf War). But having grown up in Bnei Akiva they put their lives on the line, drained swamps
“Gush” gave me a framework where I could learn and Camp Moshava, we never questioned our under the threat of malaria and stood up to the
Hebrew, prepare for the army, and later serve decision; we had faith and a fire burning inside us threat of the Arabs. It made a powerful impact
alongside my new Israeli friends through the that kept telling us to seize the moment and go. on me.
Hesder program. Although it definitely was not We moved to Ra’anana, where I found work I came to Israel shortly after the 1982 Lebanon
unheard of then, going through Hesder as a as a “Morah Olah” in an elementary school. We War. Some of the rabbis from Merkaz HaRav
lone soldier was not nearly as common as it finished our paperwork, got our drivers’ licenses organized a hitnadvut (volunteer) program in
has become today. I had to figure out ways to (but had no car), I became pregnant with twins, which they brought over a thousand young
manage Israeli society on my own. we didn’t understand what the bank meant students from abroad to volunteer because all
One way was to refuse to let Israelis practice when they told us about “overdraft” (though of the soldiers were in Lebanon and there was
their English on me. I would claim that I simply now we certainly do!) and that winter was the a manpower shortage. The fruit was rotting on
didn’t understand what they were saying unless worst and coldest Ra’anana had seen in over the trees, and they needed people to help pick
they would switch back to their mother tongue. 25 years. them. Ultimately, I ended up at Yeshivat Machon
“Mah? Lo hevanti,” I would insist in my heavily- But we were home. Meir for a while, and also helped start El-David,
accented Hebrew to an undoubtedly convinced We welcomed each holiday with a “Chag a new yishuv near Tekoa named in memory of
native. Sameach,” bought many white shirts (the Eli Pressman, who was killed in Lebanon, and
Ultimately though, despite ups and downs, dress code here is different!) and we began David Rosenfeld, manager of the tourist site
there has never been any doubt that moving to searching for a home and community to raise at Herodium who was murdered by his Arab
Israel was the right decision. “After all,” as I was our family and where we could be impactful. 30 employees [Ed. Note: Today the yishuv is called
quick to tell anyone who dared wonder why I
would pick up and leave the comfort of life in years later, we have 6 amazing children, live in Nokdim]. They needed people to camp out there
Canada, “isn’t 2,000 years long enough to wait?” Chashmona’im and on every Shabbat and chag in sleeping bags!
our house is filled with the noise and bustle of When I came here in my twenties the
our children and grandchildren. country was empty; I remember driving from
As we watch our children raise their own Jerusalem to Tel Aviv and it was barren most
families and build wonderful lives and reflect of the way! Now, it’s all towns and cities – an
on our Aliyah journey, we know our dreams have absolute miracle!
come true.

Rabbi Jon Singer is the Rosh Beit Midrash and Edu-
cational Director for Mechinat Ruach Hanegev, a Rabbi Yonaton Behar is originally from Queens,
gap-year program located in the Negev that strives NY, and lives in Har Bracha, where he translates
to cultivate a new generation of strong and inspired Channah Spiegelman has been the Rosh Moshava many of the writings of Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Eliezer
Religious Zionists. at Camp Moshava I.O. for over 15 years. Melamed.

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