Gathering Resources

I hope this doesn't wind up becoming a tedious step by step series of events but I promise it will get more interesting with time.

We are gathering our resources now and plan to get in touch with Nefesh B'Nefesh as well as other organizations to help us plan this out.

Our time line for making Aliyah is 2-3 years. I know that may seem like a long time but I think that once we arrive on the ground in Israel, we will be glad that we took our time planning it all out so that we don't miss any major steps or details. For example, we plan to already have a bank account open and ready to use with a large amount of savings in it before we ever arrive, as well cell phone service who we found out that we can get started with a sim card from Talk 'n' Save This way we can contact family and friends to let them know we've arrived safely.
We also plan to have a place to live secured and a job ready and waiting for my husband. We will also try to get a car secured ahead of time if at all possible.

Shortly after we have arrived we also plan to file for name changes. I will be changing my name to my Hebrew name which is the name that you see here on this blog. We will also change my husband's name to his Hebrew name (both first and last names), my eldest son's last name, and my middle son's last name.

Ahead of time, we plan to get rid of and sell most of our things that we know that we do not plan to keep or take with us. Anything that we want and cannot take with us on the day of our departure, we plan to have someone trustworthy to us ship the rest of it to us. We will have it all boxed up, addressed, and ready to go ahead of time so that that designated person/party will only have to drop them off to be shipped. We will even provide the money to them so they won't have to pay out of pocket.

My husband, children, and I plan to take a "pilot trip" to Israel either in 2011, or 2012. We'd prefer to see the area and confirm our choice of where to live ahead of time. Not to mention so that the kids can see where we will be moving too and hopefully to ease any anxieties that they might have at that time. We also will be visiting the schools while there so that both we and the children can see what school will be like for them over there. This way they can get a first hand taste and feel of what life is like over there. Luckily, it's become very Americanized in Israel and so there will be several things that our kids should recognize which I hope will help make acclimating to such a new place to live, a little bit easier.

Another important part of planning Aliyah is realizing the enormous language barrier that needs conquering. So my husband and I are both beginning to learn Hebrew and hope to be fluent in speaking it by the time for our departure day arrives.

I also want to mention that the things that my husband mentions on his blog are also things that cross my mind quite often. Especially with regard to our children and what we hope that they will grow up and accomplish. I worry about their ability to be successful in this world. Especially when they can't even manage to put their own clothes into their laundry bin instead of throwing it into the floor. I also worry about their safety at school and in public as they get older. If anyone was to find out what religious preference our family keeps, it might not bode well for their safety nor ability to get jobs and such. I figure it's only a matter of time before people around here figure out what we are and begin to demonstrate their ignorance and hatred of Jews. Especially since my husband wears a kippot and I cover my head with head scarves(tiechels) and snoods(cauls). It's bad enough that we get dirty and confused looks every time we go anywhere. I suppose they think we're muslim or something. I don't know.

Living in Israel will prevent all of that and will ensure the safety of our family. As well as the freedom to observe our religious traditions and preferences.

Our beginnings to planning Aliyah.

For those of you who have found my blog and have chosen to share in our journey by reading each entry, I am happy to have you along for the ride.

I am a thirty year old Jewish woman and am married to the most wonderful Jewish man. :) (Whose blog is attached to mine which you will see on the right hand side of this page below followers and such.) We have 3 children, all sons, ages 13, 10, and 5 months old.
We have recently been researching and contemplating making Aliyah to Israel. After much debate we have decided that it's what is best for our family in the long run. Even though I'm sure that the actual trip to Israel itself will be chaotic. I myself already have a passport as does my oldest son. We will be applying for one for my husband and other two children. I've begun putting a list together of everything that we need to get in order for the beginnings of our plans. This is literally day 1 of our great journey so please bear with me.

My own feelings about making Aliyah were that of apprehension, uncertainty, and yet excitement. I feel that living in Israel among our own kind will help us to have more resources and accountability. I do have my concerns though of course. My oldest son is autistic with a diagnosis of PPD. Which fortunately now has become more like AS (Asperger's Syndrome) than anything else. As I have come to find out they have excellent resources and help for children with special needs such as mine. One uncertainty I still have though is how he will handle the transition from the type of customs and ways of life that he is used to and has known since he was a little baby. But we are hoping that with good communication along the way that he will not have such a hard time of it.
As for the my family as a whole, I want a better life than what living here in Georgia, USA, has to offer. Not to mention the frightening realization that the President which my husband and I voted into office has turned on us and we feel that we can no longer trust where this country will be even in 2-4 years time. As well as our financial survival. Whereas things are far more stable in Israel and much safer for us as they will never come after us for being Jews.

I myself, desire to live an easier and more stable and wholesome life around those who understand us instead of, for example, looking at me strangely in the grocery store for having my head covered. This is the beginning and first days of our journey to a new land and a new life. :)