Four families from communities on the south shore of Long Island are moving to Israel this summer with nervous anticipation, holding on to an age-old dream while retaining a firm grasp on reality.

“There’s reality Israel and fantasy Israel,” explained Pam Moritz, who, with her husband Ron and five children will return to Israel in midsummer. “There’s moving there with rose-colored glasses on and then there’s reality, which can be hard to take, but we lived there before and we’re going with our eyes wide open.”

Three of the four families will be assisted by Nefesh b’Nefesh. All of the families have school-age children, and all have family connections of some kind in Israel.

Elkie and Shlomo Walfish will be going in August. They sold their Cedarhurst house seven and a half years ago and rented out the home they bought in Ramat Beit Shemesh for the past five years while renting a place in Woodmere. Several events led them to move this summer: Their Israeli tenant was moving out, their landlord here wanted to move in and their oldest child is entering eighth grade. The uncertainty in the presidential election in the U.S. also prompted them to take the step. “We dreamed about going all the time,” said Elkie.

They spent last summer in Israel with their four children. One night her son Yosef said, “I don’t want to live in America. I really want to live in Israel. I want to go to the makolet myself.”

Elkie noted, “the people who made aliyah from the Five Towns are really good people.” The Walfishes have family and friends in Israel. Elkie currently runs the office of Manhigut Yehudit from her house while Shlomo, a musician, does fundraising for the organization and runs his business, Aish Orchestra.

Elkie is looking forward to living in her home in Israel and to the new life there. She says she’s nervous about the change, about missing family and hoping the children will adjust easily to the new
schools and language. “But I’m more excited than nervous,” she added.

Dr. Herman Weiss is an OBGYN practicing in Suffolk County and lives with his wife Mia and six children in West Hempstead. The Weisses will be going on aliyah in July to Beit Shemesh. “We went the last few summers to Israel and wanted to move,” said Dr. Weiss. “We had a five year plan and a four year plan; a lot of people have plans. Fortunately, or unfortunately, our house burned down on January 11. We took it as a sign, it was a no-brainer; it was time to go.” The Weiss children attended an aliyah workshop through Nefesh b’Nefesh, “a good ice-breaker,” noted Dr. Weiss. He also said that he will “try to make parnassa there. Everyone is very excited and very nervous.” Both Herman
and Mia have close family there.

“It’s difficult leaving friends here,” stressed Dr. Weiss, “but the world is a small place and we’re not going to be that far away. We have very dear friends
that we made here. Hopefully they will join us.”

Both Motty and Penina Eichler have extended family in Israel. They have lived in
Cedarhurst for 11 years and are going in August. “We always wanted to live in Israel,” said Penina. “Our home was ideologically Israeli if not geographically. We went to Israel for Succot of ‘06. Israel drew us in at that point. The younger children are excited, the older ones are adjusting; they’re sad to leave friends. We made our son’s Bar Mitzvah in Israel so there are good associations, we had a good time.” The Eichlers and their four children will be moving to Nofei Shemesh with Rabbi Shalom Rosner. Penina is a human resources consultant
and Motty is a tax lawyer. Both expect to telecommute as well as have clients there.

“It’s a difficult decision, a brand new life going to the unknown, but the good outweighs the negative,” Penina continued. “We’re very excited to go to a new place. I personally feel a certain connection to Israel, there’s something that
draws you there, a feeling of belonging that you don’t get anywhere else. Moving to Beit Shemesh will be a softer landing with people like us who went
through the process before us. It makes it easier, there’s less culture shock.”

Pam and Ron Moritz went on aliyah 11 years ago but came back and currently live in Woodmere. They and their five children are returning to Israel this summer. Ron has a job there already and they will be living in Raanana. Pam teaches English at Yeshiva of South Shore and would like to teach in Israel. She also runs a women’s program on healthy eating without dieting and would like to do that there, too.

“My biggest concern,” said Pam, “is the klita [absorption into Israel] of my children. I want to make sure that each child acclimates and is absorbed as smoothly and easily as possible. They say that a mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child.”

Ron and their son, Barak, were actually born in Israel and Pam officially made aliyah in 1997. They are, therefore, actually “returning citizens,” noted Ron, not new olim.

“Ever since we came back, our desire was to return,” said Pam. If not for my husband’s zealousness we wouldn’t be doing it. Israel is always in our prayers and thoughts. Not everybody can go but those that can should try. We have mixed emotions, excited and reluctant. It’s difficult to leave friends.”

“We have to have emunah,” Pam continued. “Every day that Israel exists is nothing short of a miracle with the number of people dedicated to its annihilation. Not only that it exists but it’s thriving. We have to tap into that, to be a part of the nes [miracle] every day. That we have the opportunity to move there a second time in our lives is a complete gift from Hashem.”