Page 48 - HaMizrachi Chanukah 2021 - USA

ALIYAH DIARIES

Making a Difference

or Mal<lng Aliyah?

Ariela Davis

T wenty-eight years ago, I felt most alive when I taught about our own family simchah. With so few

received "Forever My Jeru-
salem" for my Bat Mitzvah, what I loved most. Orthodox Jews in our community, we
had to work together in a thousand dif-
But when it was time to leave Israel
a memoir by Puah Shteiner ferent ways to build and maintain the
after these trips, I felt like I was sever-
about her experiences as a young girl community infrastructure. Leaving our
ing myself from the place where I was
living through the siege of Jerusalem community would be akin to ripping
so obviously meant to be.
during the War of Independence. I our family in two.
picked it up on a whim and found Aliyah was a subject of constant dis-
myself gripped. Between her powerful cussion. Objectively, we were living At the same time, living in such a small
story and the infectious love for Israel a deeply meaningful life in America. community meant that our own kids
that my grandparents had always My husband was the rabbi of a shul he didn't have a "normal" social life and
shared with me, I decided I wanted to loved, and I was the Judaic Director of a the opportunity to be friends with
make Aliyah at 12 years old - before I school, working with teachers who had other religious kids their age. Our
become like family and with students daughter was graduating eighth grade,
ever stepped foot in the country.
who were engaged and hungry to learn. and there was no Jewish high school
Once infected with the Israel bug, it We lived in a beautiful home in one of in our area for her to attend. We had
only got worse. My first email address the most beautiful cities in America, come to a fork in the road. Should we
was Zionist15. As a 16-year-old, my where I walked along the beach on send her away? Find a new pulpit? Or
dream was to be Prime Minister. I idyllic sunset walks. was it time to make the jump and fulfill
was the girl who everyone knew was our lifelong dream of Aliyah?
Material considerations aside, we
making Aliyah.
wondered if Aliyah was even the right If we moved to Israel, how would we
It just took a lot longer to get here than choice. We were accompanying so support our family? We had followed
planned. many people on their Jewishjourneys, our hearts when choosing our profes-
many of whom had little knowledge sions; the job prospects in Israel for a
The problem with being an idealist is
of Judaism when they'd started but pulpit Rabbi and a Judaic studies prin-
that I was driven to share my passion
had since come so far. In a place like cipal were dim. We knew that even if
with others. My Israel obsession fol- Charleston, where it isn't easy to pro-
lowed me into adulthood. As a teacher, cure kosher food, where the mikvah we were lucky enough to find jobs in
I taught hundreds of students about the needs to be filled and drained with each Israel in another profession, the work
IDF's daring bravery. As a Rebbetzin, I use and where Shabbat observance is wouldn't be as fulfilling as what we
spoke about the great gift of our beauti- uncommon, we were deeply inspired by were doing in America.
ful land and led trips to Israel in which the sacrifices our congregants made to Our intellects warred with our emo-
we explored, hiked and connected with begin observing mitzvot. Each wedding tions, warning us that we would be
our birthright. I loved to teach, and I and birth in the community felt like crazy to move.

48 I HAN!IZRACHI