One of the best parts of aliyah has been making new friends.
In our community, there are lots of "older" couples like ourselves (I use the quotation marks because in this community, if you are, say, close to 70, you are the absolute oldest person around - and for those of you who don't know it, 70 is NOT OLD AT ALL - I mean it used to be old, but it isn't anymore...but I digress) who moved here because their kids are here, so we automatically have a lot in common.
First of all, we have the guilts about leaving our kids who are not in Israel. And of course knowing that even if we see them once or twice a year it is definitely not enough.
Secondly, we have made a huge change in our lives after living for decades in one community or city.
Thirdly, our Hebrew is wretched.
I had dinner last Friday night with one couple who arrived sometime last year (yay! we're not the newbies anymore!) and with whom we immediately became besties.
We laughed ourselves silly (and no, this was not due to the bottle of wine we consumed) over our own embarrassing moments and shared frustrations:
1. Using the wrong Hebrew word - and sounding (say it with me, people) like an idiot
2. Dust. Everywhere. All the time.
3. Not being able to find _____________[ oh just fill in anything here ] in the stores
4. Driving
5. Parking
6. etc. etc.
But the best part of the evening was when we shared our joy. The woman told me she'd never had any Zionist feeling growing up and never in a thousand years imagined herself living in Israel. But, she said, "You know what? I could never live anywhere else."
Her husband agreed and asked me, "Did you ever think you could be this happy? That your life could have this much meaning? That you could feel so right, so much at home?"
We both had that "I coulda had a V-8" smack-oneself-upside-the-head feeling that we should have been here years and years ago, that we should have raised our kids here.
We then had the usual olim discussion about our friends and family living outside of Israel and how much we miss them and how hard it is to explain this feeling to anyone.
We just wish they'd come and live here with us. We want to share this with them, this deep, nothing-was-ever-so-right feeling that this is where we are supposed to be, where we were always supposed to be.
It's not that it's easy, it's that it's simple.
In our community, there are lots of "older" couples like ourselves (I use the quotation marks because in this community, if you are, say, close to 70, you are the absolute oldest person around - and for those of you who don't know it, 70 is NOT OLD AT ALL - I mean it used to be old, but it isn't anymore...but I digress) who moved here because their kids are here, so we automatically have a lot in common.
First of all, we have the guilts about leaving our kids who are not in Israel. And of course knowing that even if we see them once or twice a year it is definitely not enough.
Secondly, we have made a huge change in our lives after living for decades in one community or city.
Thirdly, our Hebrew is wretched.
I had dinner last Friday night with one couple who arrived sometime last year (yay! we're not the newbies anymore!) and with whom we immediately became besties.
We laughed ourselves silly (and no, this was not due to the bottle of wine we consumed) over our own embarrassing moments and shared frustrations:
1. Using the wrong Hebrew word - and sounding (say it with me, people) like an idiot
2. Dust. Everywhere. All the time.
3. Not being able to find _____________[ oh just fill in anything here ] in the stores
4. Driving
5. Parking
6. etc. etc.
But the best part of the evening was when we shared our joy. The woman told me she'd never had any Zionist feeling growing up and never in a thousand years imagined herself living in Israel. But, she said, "You know what? I could never live anywhere else."
Her husband agreed and asked me, "Did you ever think you could be this happy? That your life could have this much meaning? That you could feel so right, so much at home?"
We both had that "I coulda had a V-8" smack-oneself-upside-the-head feeling that we should have been here years and years ago, that we should have raised our kids here.
We then had the usual olim discussion about our friends and family living outside of Israel and how much we miss them and how hard it is to explain this feeling to anyone.
We just wish they'd come and live here with us. We want to share this with them, this deep, nothing-was-ever-so-right feeling that this is where we are supposed to be, where we were always supposed to be.
It's not that it's easy, it's that it's simple.
Yep. Exactly. I'm grateful every day that Hashem agrees that we can stay here. Even though there are frustrations. Even though.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your blog, however, I see things a bit differently.
ReplyDeletehttp://myexperiencesinisrael.wordpress.com/
I love reading your blog, and I have a question for you. My 75 year old father will be making aliyah (g-d willing) in a year from now. My mother sadly passed away from cancer a few years ago. Do you think that he'll be able to find English speaking friends like himself?
ReplyDeleteHi, Ima! Where is your father going to live? In most places where olim our age settle, he will be able to find English speakers. You can email me at leibtag@gmail.com if you want to continue this conversation, I'd be happy to be in touch.
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