What was it that transformed me - a lover of Israel who had no interest in making Aliyah - into someone who knows in his heart, mind and soul that he must make Aliyah with his family as soon as possible?
And what lessons can be learned from this that perhaps could help others who don't yet have the urge - or think they don't have what it takes - to make the move of a lifetime?
To answer these questions, it is important to examine the events that led to my decision.
The first practical step my wife and I took toward our Aliyah was moving to Baltimore, Maryland from the New York area just a few years ago. Mind you, this move was not for the purpose of making Aliyah, but nonetheless, it turned out to be a key development, because it taught us we could leave the proximity of our family, on whom we had relied heavily during our marriage and early parenthood. Also, once in Baltimore, we started hearing about Aliyah as a practical topic of conversation, unlike New York, where our Israel conversations centered on visiting and vacationing.
While our New York experience had given us a love and appreciation for a country where Jews are the majority, it took moving to Baltimore to gain a true understanding of the historical, biblical and Messianic significance of mass Aliyah to the Land of Israel in our time.
In essence, moving to Baltimore enabled our love of Israel to mature.
Following the move to Baltimore, there have been several events that have provided momentum for our decision.
One such event was a "solidarity mission" in which I participated during October 2001. In addition to the usual political briefings, holy site visits and shopping expeditions, our group spent an afternoon in Rechalim, a small yishuv in the Shomron (Samaria).
The Rechalim visit opened my eyes to the privilege our generation has of settling the Land, just as our ancestors did. We spoke with the residents, dined with them and watched their children in the classroom. And then I realized it - these people have much loftier goals than we do here in the US.
Their goal is to do their share in building the Jewish state. The next step was clear to me.
Upon my return from that trip, the first words I said to my wife were, "We have to make Aliyah."
And from then on, we've focused our energies on making it a reality. To put it simply, we removed Aliyah from the "dream" realm of our hearts and minds, and placed it at the top of our "to do" list. And once something is on that list, once it becomes a practical imperative, roadblocks are much more easily cleared.
We went on our own pilot trip with our children. We spent a few days in an apartment, focused on understanding if we could live like Israelis. We knew there would be no 4,500 sq. ft. home for us in Israel. Our living quarters would be much more modest. We wanted to experience that. And, upon our return to Baltimore, when it was clear that we would be making Aliyah, we sold our large house and rented (by renting, we felt even more temporary as Americans) a simple one, one that we felt better reflected Israeli living.
We became Internet junkies, listening to everything Nefesh B'Nefesh, Tehilla and the Arutz Sheva "Aliyah Show" had to say about the process. How much would things cost? What was my employment potential? How does education in Israel differ from the United States? And what were we to make of the "Green Line?"
Our day-to-day conduct reflected answers to those questions. For example, my career took a backseat. Better to focus on making a solid living while pursuing spiritual goals rather than career goals.
We began discussing our plan with our family and friends. While our families were miserable when we first told them, they've certainly come around in more recent months. They've transformed as well. For them, it has gone from "nightmare" to reality.
We've held many conversations with our children about Aliyah, and built it up in their minds as something we would be doing, rather than a family dream. We've explained to them that we're moving to the place about which they sing, and about which we pray. "U'vnei Yerushalayim ir hakodesh bimheirah v'yameinu" ("And build Jerusalem the holy city quickly in our days" - from the daily prayers) - we tell our kids that we will now help set the stage for that.
So what is the key lesson? Our transformation has taught us that as long as Aliyah is a dream, it will sit idle in that domain. But if you can turn the dream into a practical goal, it will become real.
Dreams are nice, but you have to be sleeping to experience them. The only way to make Aliyah a reality for yourself is to wake up and make it so.
And what lessons can be learned from this that perhaps could help others who don't yet have the urge - or think they don't have what it takes - to make the move of a lifetime?
To answer these questions, it is important to examine the events that led to my decision.
The first practical step my wife and I took toward our Aliyah was moving to Baltimore, Maryland from the New York area just a few years ago. Mind you, this move was not for the purpose of making Aliyah, but nonetheless, it turned out to be a key development, because it taught us we could leave the proximity of our family, on whom we had relied heavily during our marriage and early parenthood. Also, once in Baltimore, we started hearing about Aliyah as a practical topic of conversation, unlike New York, where our Israel conversations centered on visiting and vacationing.
While our New York experience had given us a love and appreciation for a country where Jews are the majority, it took moving to Baltimore to gain a true understanding of the historical, biblical and Messianic significance of mass Aliyah to the Land of Israel in our time.
In essence, moving to Baltimore enabled our love of Israel to mature.
Following the move to Baltimore, there have been several events that have provided momentum for our decision.
One such event was a "solidarity mission" in which I participated during October 2001. In addition to the usual political briefings, holy site visits and shopping expeditions, our group spent an afternoon in Rechalim, a small yishuv in the Shomron (Samaria).
The Rechalim visit opened my eyes to the privilege our generation has of settling the Land, just as our ancestors did. We spoke with the residents, dined with them and watched their children in the classroom. And then I realized it - these people have much loftier goals than we do here in the US.
Their goal is to do their share in building the Jewish state. The next step was clear to me.
Upon my return from that trip, the first words I said to my wife were, "We have to make Aliyah."
And from then on, we've focused our energies on making it a reality. To put it simply, we removed Aliyah from the "dream" realm of our hearts and minds, and placed it at the top of our "to do" list. And once something is on that list, once it becomes a practical imperative, roadblocks are much more easily cleared.
We went on our own pilot trip with our children. We spent a few days in an apartment, focused on understanding if we could live like Israelis. We knew there would be no 4,500 sq. ft. home for us in Israel. Our living quarters would be much more modest. We wanted to experience that. And, upon our return to Baltimore, when it was clear that we would be making Aliyah, we sold our large house and rented (by renting, we felt even more temporary as Americans) a simple one, one that we felt better reflected Israeli living.
We became Internet junkies, listening to everything Nefesh B'Nefesh, Tehilla and the Arutz Sheva "Aliyah Show" had to say about the process. How much would things cost? What was my employment potential? How does education in Israel differ from the United States? And what were we to make of the "Green Line?"
Our day-to-day conduct reflected answers to those questions. For example, my career took a backseat. Better to focus on making a solid living while pursuing spiritual goals rather than career goals.
We began discussing our plan with our family and friends. While our families were miserable when we first told them, they've certainly come around in more recent months. They've transformed as well. For them, it has gone from "nightmare" to reality.
We've held many conversations with our children about Aliyah, and built it up in their minds as something we would be doing, rather than a family dream. We've explained to them that we're moving to the place about which they sing, and about which we pray. "U'vnei Yerushalayim ir hakodesh bimheirah v'yameinu" ("And build Jerusalem the holy city quickly in our days" - from the daily prayers) - we tell our kids that we will now help set the stage for that.
So what is the key lesson? Our transformation has taught us that as long as Aliyah is a dream, it will sit idle in that domain. But if you can turn the dream into a practical goal, it will become real.
Dreams are nice, but you have to be sleeping to experience them. The only way to make Aliyah a reality for yourself is to wake up and make it so.