In honor of Aliyah Day, which is marked today (Friday), Arutz Sheva-Israel National News visited Carmay Hanadiv, a new, young neighborhood in Kiryat Malachi which is home to many Olim who immigrated to Israel.
During the coming week, Arutz Sheva will feature a special video series with the stories of the Olim of Carmay Hanadiv.
Carmay Hanadiv resident Tanya Marantz-Botschko told us, "It's amazing to see how this community is growing. We are now receiving many Americans, many people from Europe who want to join here. We know that many, many immigrants are planning to come to Israel. We're expecting in the next coming months dozens of families who plan to arrive here in Carmay Hanadiv. And I feel very excited about it. It's amazing."
Another resident of the neighborhood, Hillel Gorin, said, "We are really privileged and excited to be able to have made aliyah. My wife and I, when we were dating, we only wanted to go out with people who wanted to make aliyah. It took us a few years to make it here, but when the dream is there, it's possible."
His wife Geula added, "Something I always wanted to do since the first time I came to Israel when I was 12 years old: I really wanted to make aliyah. My parents always instilled in me that it is very important to make aliyah."
"We wanted to come somewhere that we'd be able to be part of the community and help the community form. We came here not knowing anyone," she noted.
Hillel said, "And when we came, the community [of Carmay Hanadiv] welcomed us and it was really beautiful. So many people stepped in and offered us help."
"We've been invited to many Anglos in the community and we've been invited to many Israelis in our community. We've had an incredible time by both," he added.
Tanya said that "everybody's happy to receive new families from abroad, and I personally feel this is the answer for young families who have to educate their children, to be here in Israel, in Carmay Hanadiv. The location is wonderful. We're not far from Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), and very close also to the most beautiful beaches in Israel."
"When a new family comes to Israel, to Carmay Hanadiv, we really make sure that they will straight-away feel part of a community and that we are happy that they arrive and we will see that everything they need, we will be able to help them," she said.
Geula told us, "Everyone's been very welcoming and we've been really feeling like we've been part of the community. Whenever we needed anything, everyone has been willing to help us. They've been jumping like, 'No, I want to help you. 'No, I want to help you.'"
According to Hillel, "One of the absolute best parts of Carmay Hanadiv for my wife and I was this balance we were looking for of life in Israel and also having a community that we're able to immediately integrate with. The Israelis here have been incredibly patient with us in our Hebrew and have been helping us learn a little bit. At the same time, I have a core group that I'm able to speak with in English and have my native tongue and be comfortable with an Anglo community here. It gives a unique experience."
Geula recounted, "When October 7th happened, I was pregnant with my baby Adira, and we were thinking, 'Maybe we should push this off.' In the end, we decided that it would be the right time to go, and we're even stronger in this hard time and we need more Jews to come to Israel in this time. And it was very important to come now."
Hillel added, "Coming here at this time specifically, when Israel is at war and there's so much of the community around us and the people around us who are sacrificing in so many ways to live here, it's just beyond incredible and inspiring to see around us. It was an amazing opportunity to come make aliyah at this time."
"It's just really incredible, watching the building of Israel right in front of us every day. It's just so amazing to see more incoming. Coming to Israel is definitely challenging, but it's incredible, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's able to do so. It's a dream come true."
Geula stated, "We've dreamed for thousands of years to come back to this land and now we're dreaming with our eyes wide open that we're going to be able to settle this land, take it back, live like it was said in the Torah that we're going to live here and we're going to be prosperous. And we're really excited. Part of that is being able to come to new communities, to build it up. We're really excited for all types of people to come and to help build our Eretz Yisrael."
Tanya said, "As we say here in Hebrew, 'Yachad l'natzeach,' which means that we need you together, one big family, all here in Israel. This is really, I think, the answer for victory for the Jewish people. We're waiting for you."