NBN Blogger Network

For the past few years, my husband and I have decided to divide our kids’ summers between the small southern Yishuv in Israel that we live in and a 2-3 week visit to their grandmother in Beachwood, Ohio.

This story is about the first time I fell in love. I knew from a very young age that this love would be one I want to spend my life developing.I grew up in the center of the country, in a small Yishuv right between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Even though I loved growing up there and only visited the South occasionally on school trips or family vacations, I had this image in my mind of the South as a place with warm, friendly people.

Shavuot is one of those holidays that Israel does so well. Fine, you’re right, they are all kind of rocking here... but Shavuot is definitely a highlight. Clever dairy product ads start popping up, everyone getting their finest whites ready, and Israeli florists are gearing up to make sure homes are adorned in our country's most beautiful, natural decor.

I won’t speak for all olim. But for my family, the Negev is home. Like many North American immigrants to Israel, when I made aliyah in 2011, I moved to Katamon, Jerusalem. It was comfortable and easy. In fact, sometimes I forgot I lived in Israel.

This Yom HaAtzmaut I am reflecting on how living in Israel has affected my life over the past six years. I left California, where I was born and raised, and moved to Israel to study at seminary right after college. In California, I lived a relatively sheltered life so I wanted to experience living in Israel before making the commitment to make aliyah.

The holiday of freedom is here! Pesach is our favorite holiday (ok, they are all kind of our favorite) to spend in Israel. The entire country gets ready for the chag together- you are greeted with cleaning supplies at the grocery store, everyone is preparing for a week of unadulterated time with family, outdoors, and eating good food.

I have had the privilege of (basically) getting three degrees at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Be'er Sheva. Just after I made Aliyah, I started my master's in social work, which included two years of bachelor’s level work and an internship, all of which I completed in 2016.