Page 22 - HaMizrachi Pesach 5782 USA

Just Go For It!

Aliza Pilichowski:

The American Olah who became

Mayor of Mitzpe Yericho

Upon making Aliyah with her family from Florida in 2014, Aliza Pilichowski moved
to Mitzpe Yericho, a growing yishuv of 450 families overlooking both Yericho and

the Dead Sea in the Judean Desert. Four years later, Aliza became the mayor of
Mitzpe Yericho. We spoke with her to learn about her amazing journey.

Tell us about your background, and what brought you
to Israel.
I grew up in small towns throughout the United States, but
my parents’ dream was always to move to Israel. Wherever
we lived, my parents created a home of chessed. My parents
had an “FHB” policy, which meant “family hold back”, a
code my mom used when unexpected guests showed up at
our home to signal to the children that we shouldn’t take
food at the table right away, ensuring the guests would
have enough to eat. We spent many Shabbatot and chagim
at nursing homes where my parents led Shabbat for the
residents. With these values and dreams in my ‘backpack’,
my husband Uri and I built our home. We decided we
would help Klal Yisrael wherever it may take us – but ideally
we hoped to be in Israel. Before making Aliyah, we were Aliza and her husband, Uri.
blessed to live in Mevaseret Zion, Beverly Hills, and Boca
Raton, where we had the privilege of working with Rabbis tens of new families each year from all over Israel and the
Steven Weil and Efrem Goldberg. When presented with Diaspora into our community.
the opportunity to return to Israel, we jumped! We are
blessed to host thousands of guests in our home every
year, with whom we share the beauty of Mitzpe Yericho How does an olah from Florida become the mayor of an
and the Judean Desert. Israeli town? What drove you to take on this position?
When the yishuv interviewed us, they asked us why
What drew you to Mitzpe Yericho? we wanted to move to Mitzpe Yericho. I told them that
I wanted to be a chalutzah, a pioneer. The interviewers
We were looking to live in close proximity to Yerushalayim
and wanted to buy a single family home. Most importantly, chuckled and explained how the founders who first
we were looking for an opportunity to be a part of building came to Mitzpe Yericho were forced to live without basic
a community. Nefesh B’Nefesh has a fantastic website that amenities like electricity and running water. As the yishuv
helps people find their homes. After researching and visit- fortunately no longer has such struggles, I modified my
ing the yishuv, we realized it would be an ideal community goal to become a “pioneer of today” and we began our
for us, and we have been very happy here. We welcome journey in Mitzpe Yericho. I was invited to run for the city

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