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| North America: 1-866-4-ALIYAH • United Kingdom: 0800-075-7200 • Israel: 02-659-5800 |
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The rite of return
Clevelanders will soon call Israel home through Nefesh B’Nefesh aliyah program
By ARLENE FINE
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The Passover promise of Next year in Jerusalem will ring true for 41 Clevelanders on Aug. 3, when they board an El Al flight bound for Israel under the auspices of Nefesh B’Nefesh. These olim (new immigrants), who will settle in a variety of Israeli communities, share a profound Zionistic passion and a belief in Am Yisroel Chai! The Jewish nation lives, the people of Israel live!
Rutgers grad (see T-shirt) Jeremy Davis is ready to begin a new life in Israel, where he will join friends on Kibbutz Tiryat Tzvi. |
Davis: fulfilling a dream
“Zionism is in my DNA,” says 23-year-old Jeremy Davis, with a laugh. “All my close relatives are ardent Zionists, and my parents Howard and Eve Davis were among the early founders of Fuchs Mizrachi School.”
Even as a young student, Davis took Fuchs Mizrachi’s Zionist mission to heart. “My teachers made me understand the importance and joy of being a Jew living a Jewish life in Israel,” he says. Davis’s connection to Israel was further reinforced by his active participation in Betar and B’nai Akiva youth groups and from spending a year in Israel after high-school graduation.
Last month, after Davis received his degree in political science and communications from Rutgers University, he was ready to roll. “This is a perfect time for me to make aliyah,” says the Beachwood resident. “I’m free to go into the army without worrying about having to attend college.When Davis arrives in Israel, he will spend four months living on Kibbutz Tiryat Tzvi as part of the Garin Tzabar program for incoming IDF soldiers. Participants in this program improve their Hebrew, work on the kibbutz, bond with other new Israeli citizens, and receive assistance with opening up a bank account and even getting a cell phone.
“The kibbutz will also be a place I can return to on weekends or my days off,” says Davis. “I’ve already had two great meetings in the states with other Americans who will be joining me at the kibbutz, and many of us have already bonded. I’m looking forward to this great adventure.”
But as eager as Davis is to get on the plane and head to the Middle East, he will miss his closely knit family. “I’m hoping my family will visit me often,” he says. “The support and guidance I have received from my parents has been the reason I am making aliyah now. I’m fulfilling their dream to live in our Jewish homeland.”
The Mandelbaum family, top row: Yonatan, Sherilyn, Josef, bottom row: Danielle, Eliana and Atara are eager to move to Ra’anana. |
Mandelbaum: Action louder than words
Although Sherilyn and Josef Mandelbaum wanted to make aliyah eight years ago, a family medical crisis put their plans on hold.
“I was diagnosed with colon cancer six years ago, and I had to wait the magic five years past my chemotherapy before we could make this move,” says Josef, 43.
As soon as Mandelbaum’s oncologist gave him a clean bill of health, the family set their sights on Israel.
“We wanted to move while our children were still young and adaptable,” he says. The Mandelbaum’s son will finish his senior year at Fuchs and then join his parents and sisters, ages 7, 10, and 13, in their new home in Ra’anana, a northern suburb of Tel Aviv.
“My wife and I feel it is our turn to step up and do our part to make Israel and the Jewish people stronger.”
Josef Mandelbaum |
“We already have a number of friends from Fuchs living in Ra’anana, and it will feel a little bit like Beachwood,” says Josef. “Out of the 100,000 residents, roughly 30% are Anglos, and that should ease the transition for our children.”
Mandelbaum, CEO of American Greetings’ intellectual property group, will continue in that role in Israel.
“We have offices around the world, and I travel a lot now,” he says. “American Greetings has been very gracious with this arrangement, and I plan to come back to Cleveland once a month on business.”
Sherilyn, a yoga instructor, plans to teach yoga in Israel.
Although the Mandelbaums sold their Beachwood home quickly, they admit the move has not been effortless. “I’m a native Clevelander, so this move is very uprooting for me,” says Sherilyn. “There is an ache in my heart for what I am leaving behind. I told our children to pack items that have sentimental value because as the walls around them change, they will need something familiar to hang onto.”
What keeps the Mandelbaums packing is their certainty they are doing the right thing. “Fuchs has provided an outstanding education for our children, but actions speak louder than words,” Josef explains. “If you believe that Jews must live in Israel, you can’t do that from the sidelines or let someone else take your seat. My wife and I feel it is our turn to step up and do our part to make Israel and the Jewish people stronger.”
The Epsteins, clockwise from top left, Malka, Aron, Miriam, Yocheved, Yehuda and Sarah are setting their sights on Ramat Beit Shemesh. |
Epsteins: Several pilot trips
When Aron Epstein, 43, told his boss Rabbi Pinchas Hecht that his family was making aliyah, he did not have to worry about job security.
“I’m the financial officer for Fuchs Mizrachi School, and making aliyah fits with the school’s Zionist mission,” Epstein, 43, explains. “As an ‘electronic commuter,’ I’ll do my job online. I’ll also make frequent visits to the school during the year. This arrangement ensures continuity and gives me time to find something in Israel.”
Aron’s wife Sarah (Frank) Epstein, a technology teacher at Gross Schechter School, expects to find a similar position in Ramat Beit Shemesh, the community where the family will settle.
“Even though we sold our house in Cleveland Heights quickly, we did not have the type of cash needed for expensive housing in the city of Jerusalem,” says Epstein, a third-generation Clevelander. “We looked at many areas and decided Ramat Beit Shemesh, a beautiful predominantly Anglo community near Jerusalem, would best fit our needs.”
Four of the Epstein’s five children, ranging in ages from one to 13, will move with the family. Their oldest son, who is attending a yeshiva, will join the family later. “As Mosdos parents, we realize our children are ready to make this move,” maintains Epstein. “We don’t want to delay it any longer.”
As prepared as the family is for the move, Epstein says adapting to a different culture can be challenging. “I’ll have to learn how to navigate my way through the complicated, confusing Israeli bureaucracy,” he explains. “But our family has already made several pilot trips to Israel, and we are confident we can handle whatever is thrown our way.”
Epstein is looking forward to living in a country that follows the Jewish calendar. “In America, Friday is just another working day,” he says. “But in Israel, the whole week revolves around Shabbat. We are confident that our life in Israel will be true to the Torah and help us lead a more authentic Jewish lifestyle.”
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