O7 also never left after seminary. “I just love the way Judaism is a culture here,” she explained. “Even in Tel Aviv they’ll say ‘Boruch Hashem.’ It’s just so beautiful that everything and everyone is Jewish. It’s the kind of place I want to raise my kids.” And she’s available, for any guys who are interested.

For many NBN olim, the move is an inevitable culmination of their life. “I always knew I was going to make aliya,” said O8. She’s visited many times and was active in increasing awareness of Israel’s realities when in college in Canada. “And now, after I finished my associates, was the right time,” she concluded.

Many students have similar stories. “I guess I was always building towards this,” said O9. “I went on this two-month program in high school and loved it. I hadn’t known about Israel and this was a real eye-opener. I knew I wanted to move to Israel. But then I got a full scholarship and decided to go to college here first.” Still, she was active in encouraging other students in college to go on Birthright. But it bothered her that she was still on the wrong side of the Atlantic. “Then I was complaining to my uncle that I keep sending other people to Israel and I’m still here in the USA,” O9 said. “He was in front of the computer at the time and was like, ‘Well we can change that.’” The two logged on at Nefesh B’Nefesh and started working on her aliya. Four months later, here she was.

“Similar story,” said O10, who was standing nearby. “I came on MASA and loved it. I started pushing other students to visit Israel. When I graduated I couldn’t find a job and I figured, hey, I might as well be jobless in Israel than here.”

O11 was my seminary roommate. Having grown up in France (she made “pardon my French” a reality for me), the one thing she knew was that she didn’t want to live there much longer. So as soon as she got married, she and her husband picked up and moved to Bayit Vigan where half of young, Jewish France has set up house. Her apartment on Uziel has a wall of picture windows with a view that stretches to the YMCA tower near the Old City. “Wow,” I said, eyes glued to the view.

“Would you like to see the twins?” she asked. Cough cough.

“Oh yeah, sure,” I said, tearing myself away from the window. “Of course.”

One thing about Israel – it’s pretty easy to find real estate with an eye-popping view. My aunt, with whom I spent my two days in Yerushalayim, has a view that stretches to trans-Jordan.

“Yes, that’s the Dead Sea over there,” she told me while I gaped. “And that’s Jordan.” Having worked as a real estate agent after moving to Israel, she didn’t have much trouble finding  a gorgeous apartment with a view.

O12 didn’t exactly make aliya… yet. An old friend from Touro, she took off to Israel when New York City became too stressful, ostensibly for six months studying in Neve. The six months became a year, and the year became a year and a half…

“I love it here,” she said. Actually, she said a whole lot of things in a torrent of enthusiasm, but that just about sums it up. The most important point is that she’s met a Prince Charming who learns in Tzefat.

“And I’d never have met him if I stayed in Brooklyn,” she points out with the starry-eyed look of the almost-engaged.