Page 57 - HaMizrachi #33 Sukkot 2021 USA

ALIYAH DIARY

Through Our Children’s Eyes

Batyah Cohen

enji and I met in Israel. We year of high school with plans to go for For Benji, whose family lives locally
were both in different pro- a gap year and make Aliyah (which he near us in Chicago, our move is signifi-
grams and through an odd eventually did in the summer of 2019). cantly more impactful. Even during the
Bseries of events, we were Pelah and Meir asked to be allowed to height of the pandemic, we got together
introduced, started dating and eventu- finish high school in Chicago. Benji regularly with his mom and siblings
ally got married. Returning to Israel has and I readily agreed, as everyone says, outdoors. While some in the family
been a focus of conversations through- “don’t move kids in high school.” That are thrilled to have an “excuse” to visit
out our marriage, but it was never “the left Naomi (entering 7th at the time) Israel, others have feelings of loss. It’s
right time” for various reasons. and Danya (entering 2nd grade). been important to acknowledge all the
In January 2013, before our eldest’s Bar By this point, Naomi had already powerful feelings involved in this deci-
Mitzvah, we took the whole family to expressed her desire to live in Israel sion and to speak about them together.
Israel. For us, it had been a long fifteen and we began to look into high school When deciding to make Aliyah, we
years since we had been there, and it options for her. We also realized that knew that some of the people we are
was our children’s first time in Israel. we’d have to move before Danya closest to would not be coming with us
Seeing the land through our children’s entered high school (7th grade in Israel) and that we would not be able to attend
eyes, witnessing their wonder at being to make it less traumatic for her. Once every future simcha. These are diffi-
in the place where our history comes Naomi firmly decided to attend Ulpana cult realities. But we also remember,
alive, was deeply inspiring. It made us Amana as part of the Naale initiative, as challenging as these decisions and
realize that fifteen years was simply too it became time to shift from Aliyah “in conversations are, that we are making
long to be away from home. theory” to practical preparations. Pelah Aliyah so that our children won’t have
graduated high school earlier this year, to make these challenging choices in
and Naomi completed her first success- the future.
ful year at Amana, so it was finally time
for us to come home.
Everyone’s family dynamics are dif-
Seeing the land through our ferent and how and when you choose The Cohens
children’s eyes, witnessing their to include them in the process is
wonder at being in the place different for each family. Similar to
where our history comes alive, was any significant life event – marriage,
deeply inspiring. It made us realize having kids – the fact that you’re
that fifteen years was simply too making Aliyah shouldn’t be a surprise
long to be away from home. to your family. Benji and I have been
talking about Aliyah for years, and it
is no secret that it’s been our dream.
We only waited four years for our Once we decided to commit to a date,
next trip. In 2017, we spent the entire we told our families about a year in
summer in Israel and celebrated our advance to give them time to absorb
daughter’s Bat Mitzvah there. Our kids our leaving and to be able to include
went to various programs and we saw them in the process.
them bloom and feel good about them- For my family, the pandemic brought
selves as Jews, living in a society that a silver lining as it prepared them for  Adapted from the ChicagOlim Chronicles
supports our religion unapologetically. our move abroad. My family does not feature of Kol Shabbat, the weekly email
After that trip, we began serious family live nearby, and so when the Covid pan- newsletter of Mizrachi–Religious Zionists of
discussions and created a timeline for Chicago.
our Aliyah. demic arrived I began regular FaceTime
sessions with my parents and siblings. Batyah Cohen made Aliyah in August 2021
Our kids were teens, and so they It brought us closer and made us realize from Skokie, Illinois to Modi’in with her hus-
needed to have a voice in these discus- these sessions can continue no matter band Benji and their five children: Tzadok (21),
sions. Tzadok was entering his senior where we are in the world. Meir (19), Pelah (18), Naomi (16) and Danya (11).