The last flight of Nefesh B'Nefesh's (NBN) busy summer 2008 season touched down at Ben-Gurion Airport this past Monday, carrying dozens of single Jewish men and women, as well as young families from North America, eager to begin their new lives in the Holy Land.
 Since its debut as a private grassroots organization in 2002, over 15,000 new immigrants from North America and the UK have made aliyah via NBN.

    On July 11, 2007, Zeev Stepsky, along with his wife Avril and three young children (Victoria, Leah and Simon) disembarked from an NBN flight that had originated in London, England, and headed to the new city of Modiin,  less than 20 minutes away from the airport. The Stepsky's adjustment to life in Israel was made easier by the fact that Zeev's parents had already moved to Modiin a few years earlier.

    In England, Zeev owned and ran a chain of pub/bistro restaurants in the metro London region, so it came as no surprise that  he explored Modiin's fledgling restaurant culture.
 "After substantial research, I discovered that the growing numbers of religious people in the area were missing a quality Mehadrin Oriental restaurant. No one wanted to schlep anymore to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv in order to enjoy sushi or noodles," Zeev told the Jewish Press.

     After months of dealing with Israel's stifling bureaucracies, Zeev successfully opened the Modiin region's first glatt Mehadrin Oriental Restaurant, dubbed "Met Su Yan", in late August. It should be noted that the posh sushi bar/ restaurant -  which highlights dozens of Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese dishes  - features a level of kashrut that surpasses glatt kosher establishments in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Said Zeev, " The challenge to open the restaurant was incredible. The menu had to be adjusted several times because we wanted to use original recipes. But when you can only use Badatz Mehadrin products you have to adjust accordingly."

 

 

 

    And then there was dealing with the Israeli business mentality. "Many Israelis have a bad habit of setting up meetings and then never showing up. And if you are not a Sabra (born and bred in Israel), they think you've come from another planet, which makes you a target for all kinds of shenanigans," Zeev recalled. "After awhile, you begin to understand and learn the routine. So the minute you are able to stand-up and shout back at them in Hebrew, then they begin to respect you and are ready to do business."

   The restaurant's staff is composed of a harmonious mix of Israelis and English-speaking immigrants, which blends in well with the city's growing population of Sabras and Anglos. "Anglos and Israelis have reacted well to the restaurant. We have a wide range of clientele, from secular Israelis to haredim," Zeev stated. "We try and cater to everyone's tastes, and the reaction to the way we've designed the restaurant has been nothing but positive."

      When there's a bit of lull during the course of the day, Zeev's wife Avril and the children will pop in to say hello to daddy and enjoy a quick lunch. "You know my wife was totally against making aliyah and had no interest in moving to Israel, "Zeev shared. " But now, if you were to offer her a free return flight and her house back, she would refuse it. My kids love it in Modiin, even though they left lots of friends behind in London. They are almost fluent now in Hebrew and have adjusted nicely. And of course, they've made new friends. My wife now loves being in Israel. This is our country and our land!"