Old/New World Discourse: Anniversary special

On this Nth year anniversary of my family's aliyah, I share with you an edited version of one of the required essays I submitted, with my family's application package, to a popular aliyah organization. BH, we had a three month window from the time we discovered that we might be moving until we were Blessed to actually become Israelis.

While I believe that living here has made us less naïve, I hope my family never loses its awe of having been granted the grace to settle in this land.

Why Aliyah for Hannah Joy and Her Family

Dear [Officer of Aliyah Organization]:

In brief, I am a Yid. My husband, too, is a Yid, as are our four children; Missy Oldest, Boy-Getting-Taller, Missy Youngest, and Boy-Who-Needs-Books. As it is said in that important line from Sefer Tehillim, "If I forget thee, Oh Jerusalem...."

My family has experienced many life and death situations in the last ten years (death of a parent, pregnancy losses, etc).  We have relatives who know material abundance. We, ourselves, have known educational abundance. Yet, Computer Cowboy and I have learned that both money and social status are nothing in the face of what is truly important.

After our children were already in elementary school, we became fully Shomrei Mitzvot. Subsequently, we enrolled our kids in local yeshivot (The oldest, BH, was even on the Torah Bowl Team, the next oldest was even invited to study "extra" mishnayot with his menachel, and the two little ones, likewise, have been making us proud) and tried to contribute to our community. We engage in Hachnasat Orchim, try to help with shidduchim, aid our shul (Computer Cowboy is on the board), and participate in many, many other types of other social service/chesed (we just do what comes to mind without really making a list; it’s enough that Hashem Keeps track).
 
We bought a house that accommodates Shabbot guests (since we are often Blessed to have three tables full of people for most Shabbot meals. Hosting guests, in turn, allows us to perform additional mitzvot like introducing people to each other, building community achdut, etc.- our friends are from all of our community's shuls as well as from the part of our population not yet associated with shuls) and we bought trundle beds so that our out-of-towners could sleep over. In brief, we are trying to do as many mitzvot as we can as fully as we can (see the paragraph in Shema for explanation) while we are learning more about the halachot. That is how we try to live; we want to serve Hashem with everything.

Computer Cowboy's boss asked if we would be interested in relocating to Jerusalem. There is only one answer; yes!!!!!!!! We are waiting for Computer Cowboy's interview. We were told it could be days or weeks and that he might be expected to start work in Israel as soon as they make the offer. We were told that we would get half of his American salary and that he would continue to travel to India, as well as continue to travel back and forth to the USA.

We asked how soon he could have an interview. We are waiting.

Life is not about fancy things, although we are obliged to take care of our bodies as well as of our neshamot (souls). Life is not about being important, though as the sentence at the end of benching reminds us, people who give to others never find themselves or their children alone, even when powerful beasts are starving.

We pray that Hashem wants us to move to Jerusalem. We will do, b'li neder, everything we can (though I heard jumping into the Red Sea, up to one's neck, is a chilly experience during this time of the year). We are appealing to your organization, for help, as one of the many things into which we can invest our energies.

We are educated. We are resourceful. More importantly, we bring to Israel a love and fear of Hashem and a love and a need to continue to give to other Yidden. Right now we mail packages to friends and give tzedukah. We could do much more if we lived in Israel.

Please help us. It would be far better to plant our four little trees in the Holy Land than it is merely to send our money. It would be far better for us to live with other Israelis than it is merely to write about how wonderful such a life would be.

Sincerely,
Dr. Hannah Joy

Little Smile:

At the same time that I was composing the above note, I was also preparing the following letter;

Dear [Additional Contact Person at Aliyah Organization]:

My husband is currently in Bangalore, India. (He works for XYZ, an international company). If he does not fly home by way of Jerusalem, for an interview with his company's office there, he will be home, IYH, by Wednesday night. Thursday, early a.m., I am taking a train to Washington D.C. to present a paper at the Eastern Sociological Society meeting. I will be back in NJ, IYH, just before Shabbot on Friday. Thus, we will be able, finally, to connect with you, IYH, Motzei Shabbot.

To that end, the application I am faxing, as we discussed, is very incomplete. (I was waiting to hear from the shaliach, who I met at the March 6th pre aliyah meeting, of your organization, in Englewood, NJ to no avail). Meanwhile, my husband has all of our financial papers and has yet to fill out his personal pages. I completed the forms for myself and for our four children, though.

Thank you for your understanding. I hope I put the correct content on those papers. If my husband gets the Jerusalem job, his boss already told my husband that he should expect to receive half of his current salary. Toward that end, I hope we can qualify for some of your funding, at least enough to pay for tutors for all of the kids and for me, and to pay for getting our appliances hooked up. It would also be nice to receive money for moving costs not covered by my husband's company (I'm not even sure which of your grants to apply for; I just know that at twice the price, on half the salary, my family will be making economic adjustments.)

You can contact me at my email address or at home. I look forward to finishing all of the forms, getting our tik (file) filled out, and, IYH, making aliyah at the end of the summer.

Sincerely,

Dr. Hannah Joy

PS: All of us have passports.

PPS: Today, the shipping fellow, who has helped other olim from our neighborhood, was in our home for an estimate. My husband's, company does a lot of "hurry up and wait," so I hope we are taking the right paperwork steps with you.