Leaving America, Landing in Israel!
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From the start, our plan was to leave on the earliest flight possible. Our reason was that we wanted to get to Israel earlier in the summer so we’d have as much time as possible to adjust before school began. We knew that if we had the summer to get practical things done and to get used to our new surroundings, both we and the kids would feel more comfortable when the school year started.
The lead-up to leaving was a little wacky. Since we had already sold our house and had a date we had to be out, we left our house and stayed with my brother in West Rogers Park for a week. The soonest Aliya flight we could get was July 8th and our choices were either out of New York or Florida.
Florida made the most sense. It gave us and the kids one more chance to see all of our family there Jessie’s parents, Auntie Rachie and Uncle Mark, and my dad AND it gave us a home base to get ready to come to Israel.
Our lift had already gone at the end of May. Since Pesach, we've been getting rid of things little by little. At a certain point, we couldn’t afford to wait for people to come buy things we just needed to get rid of them. Except for the junk guys who took what they could, it really did feel like most of the things we got rid of ended up finding the right home.
Leaving the house was emotional. We spent four years there when we came, it felt so foreign, and when we left, it felt like home.
We thought sending the lift at the end of May would be perfect timing; early enough so it would arrive soon after we did, but late enough that we could still live comfortably for a few weeks. We figured we could survive on what we packed in our suitcases. Every Sunday, we were putting tons of things by the curb. In the beginning, we tried to sell the big things, but by the end, it was all about clearing out.
We finally left our house at the end of June and spent five days with my brother. During that time, my other sibling came for a surprise Shabbat visit. It was really special, the three of us together, our kids with their cousins. Those 4 years in Chicago were such a gift. Honestly, that was the hardest part of leaving. I keep thinking about that moment sitting around the table Friday night, and then again at Havdalah, lots of tears. Tears of sadness at separating for now, but also tears of joy for what we got to experience together.
By then, we were down to just our suitcases. Getting rid of almost everything; house, cars, furniture, belongings was humbling. It reminded us that what really matters is family and health, and that if you need to, you can part with everything else.
When you make Aliyah, there are 3 flight options: group flights, cluster flights, and the famous charter flights, where the whole plane is filled with new olim. The charter flights land with music and celebration, usually at the end of the summer. We thought about doing that, but knew we’d be better off going earlier. Our ideal was July 2nd, but by the time we got the go-ahead, that flight was booked. So we chose July 8th out of Florida.
Getting to Florida wasn’t simple either. Every time we had to deal with our bags, it was an ordeal. The airport shuttle could barely handle us, I tipped the guy so much money and STILL had to help him jam all our bags in the shuttle. Has anyone ever flown with 14 bags plus four booster seats and two strollers domestically? (I don't recommend it!)
The time in Florida itself was great, more family, more goodbyes, more packing and re-packing. Then came Miami airport. We had our Aliyah shirts (Thank you Daniella Swartz!) and headed to the airport. The whole day was a mix of disbelief that it was really happening and focusing on the practical: checking bags, managing carry-ons, answering kids’ questions.
One moment stood out. Just before boarding, I was davening in the airport. An Israeli guy came up and asked if he could wear my tallit and tefillin. I said yes, and then he asked if I had a kippah. I gave him mine and put on my hat. It felt like Hashem was giving us a little sign, reminding us that what’s ahead is the chance to live among Am Yisrael. And then it was right back to gates, kids, logistics.
Finally, it was time to board. We got on first. At first, it felt like any other family trip. Then it hit us: this was a one-way ticket. Every time that thought came up, Jessie and I got emotional. The kids were thrilled about the endless movies and didn’t sleep a minute.
The flight attendant figured it out right away that we were making Aliyah. He asked how we wanted to celebrate and brought over drinks (a scotch for me) and he wanted to make a “L’Chaim.” with us. The crew pampered us the whole flight. Extra toys and snacks for the kids, cappuccinos for us in the morning etc.
Then... finally, we descended over Tel Aviv. Jessie and I were definitely emotional. The kids, not so much. They’d never been to Israel and didn’t really get what was happening. The plane landed to a round of applause, and we tried to show the kids how big this moment was, but they were in their own world and obviously couldn't fully appreciate the magnitude of what was happening.
We went through the Nefesh B’Nefesh processing room coffee, food, coloring sheets and after some waiting, they called our name and handed us our temporary teudat zehut cards. After years of needing an ID number for forms and documents (for professional networking, and the building of our house), now we were holding cards that said we were Israeli citizens. It was surreal!
And then one of the kids had a meltdown. That’s how the day went deep emotion, and then right back to real life.
Once processing was done, we went outside to wait for rides. One by one, they called out destinations: “This van to Efrat, this bus to Beit Shemesh.” Then: “Merchav Am.” Hilarious! An entire coach bus just for us. Our family of 7, on a private ride to Merchav Am. To make it even more special, my mom met us at the airport. She had been waiting a long time for this.
When we arrived in Merchav Am, the welcome was really special. The teens made a big sign, the gan kids came out and were waving Israeli flags with music. We got out of the bus and sang and danced for a bit; the kids though were passed out on the bus, so some of them missed the moment. We felt lucky, not just to arrive in Israel, but to arrive to a community.
We made it!
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