tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post112162975890448316..comments2023-04-15T08:41:31.897-04:00Comments on A Whispering Soul: Conclusions Leave You Breathless: The Aliyah DilemmaMC Aryehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15391548803569665725noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1137990791446920272006-01-22T23:33:00.000-05:002006-01-22T23:33:00.000-05:00Miriam - Thank you for visiting and for sharing yo...Miriam - Thank you for visiting and for sharing your story. I am amazed at how connected you are to Eretz Yisrael without every having been there! Maybe it is just hardwired into the Jewish neshama, and you are just more conscious of it than most? Very inspiring. The first time I visited Tzfat, I knew I could not go back, because I felt I would never leave. It took 4 years before I returned to MC Aryehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15391548803569665725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1137361728523349302006-01-15T16:48:00.000-05:002006-01-15T16:48:00.000-05:00Totally understand your reservations... Did you r...Totally understand your reservations... Did you realize that our blogs have basically the same name?SShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14757423096055614154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1137084815448725582006-01-12T11:53:00.000-05:002006-01-12T11:53:00.000-05:00MCAryeh, your post really resonated with me... tha...MCAryeh, your post really resonated with me... that (family) is exactly why we too are not in E"Y.<BR/><BR/>A little over a year ago, we found that our little out-of-town community had deteriorated to the point where we were no longer comfortable raising our kids in it. So we looked around at the options, and seriously considered aliyah.<BR/><BR/>Now this was not something we had ever consideredmiriamphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14339767447913960853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1137080169401065872006-01-12T10:36:00.000-05:002006-01-12T10:36:00.000-05:00ss- Please don't put your foot in your large intes...ss- Please don't put your foot in your large intestine - that sounds painful! I am sure you are correct that once the grandkids come, it will be hard for them to stay away, but it will also likely cause them even more heartache that you are so far away, so I am not sure that is a total plus as far as the Israel/parents issue is concerned. As to the kind of girl I am looking for, I don't think I MC Aryehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15391548803569665725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1137021075771074072006-01-11T18:11:00.000-05:002006-01-11T18:11:00.000-05:00"Each year since coming back from Israel, I look a..."Each year since coming back from Israel, I look at the Nefesh B'Nefesh website, feel a pang of heartache watching the videos of families making aliyah,.." <BR/><BR/>- HEY TREPPENWITZ, am I imagining it, but didn't you make an appearance in the 2003 video? As I was watching it, I thought I kept recognizing people that I knew or have seen before.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps, my vision was just blurry, ... Is the Window to Our Soulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04510255608269038123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136988399709185942006-01-11T09:06:00.000-05:002006-01-11T09:06:00.000-05:00I feel like I missed the whole discussion, but I d...I feel like I missed the whole discussion, but I do want to say that I made aliya when single, and my mother and stepfather were upset that I hadn't decided to live down the street. But, they know that this is where we want to be (although planning our wedding was a big fiasco), and my mom has even come to visit a couple of times. Once the grandchildren start coming, well, they can't stay away.SShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14757423096055614154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136969175597814612006-01-11T03:46:00.000-05:002006-01-11T03:46:00.000-05:00Ezer - Thank you for the kind words and the beauti...Ezer - Thank you for the kind words and the beautiful bracha. Glad you stopped by.<BR/><BR/>Jack - Heading Shackward right now. Looking forward to reading it.<BR/><BR/>Jameel - You have been very blessed. I am happy it worked out for you. I know many more who were not able to make it without parental support, and had to return to the states. I guess if someone is meant to be there, HaShem makes MC Aryehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15391548803569665725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136927707371792432006-01-10T16:15:00.000-05:002006-01-10T16:15:00.000-05:00MCA: I "made it" in Israel with zero financial hel...MCA: I "made it" in Israel with zero financial help from my parents. (and I made aliya with $50)<BR/><BR/>We built a wonderful home...there's food on the table, kids have clothes and shoes. OK, I still wear sweaters I bought 19 years ago, but I like them.<BR/><BR/>Mirty is right that parnassa is very important, but you can do decently with a whole variety of parnassot here.Jameel @ The Muqatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15890095633246557332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136923168346559372006-01-10T14:59:00.000-05:002006-01-10T14:59:00.000-05:00MCA,FWIW, I finally blogged about this over at the...MCA,<BR/><BR/>FWIW, I finally blogged about this over at the Shack.Jack Steinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16625864271071630940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136901966604627152006-01-10T09:06:00.000-05:002006-01-10T09:06:00.000-05:00MCA: I just wanted to say that the respect you se...MCA: I just wanted to say that the respect you seem to hold for your parents is amazing. So many people today speak so disrespectfully of their parents. Obviously, they did a great job. You bring them much nachas by speaking about them with such respect and understanding. I hope that whichever path you choose, it is the one that brings you satisfaction as well as peace of mind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136898508710073262006-01-10T08:08:00.000-05:002006-01-10T08:08:00.000-05:00Dutch Girl - Thank you for your comments on Jameel...Dutch Girl - Thank you for your comments on Jameel's blog. In response to your points: 1.Good to hear there are so many religious women out there in Erezt Yisrael. I only date women in the states who are open to living in Eretz Yisrael, because I know that if both partners do not want it, it does not happen.<BR/>2.I am not willing to be stuck in a miserable career in order to be in Israel - MC Aryehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15391548803569665725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136838899805526532006-01-09T15:34:00.000-05:002006-01-09T15:34:00.000-05:00Excellent, thought-provoking post and comments. N...Excellent, thought-provoking post and comments. Nothing more to add right now, but this has inspired me to think about this topic for my own blog.<BR/><BR/>Adding you to my slowly-growing blogroll. And thanks for your past comments there.Eliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15979263918394127210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136787430237981342006-01-09T01:17:00.000-05:002006-01-09T01:17:00.000-05:00A few comments from other places which add to the ...A few comments from other places which add to the discussion. Dutch Girl's comes from Jameel's post and Mirty's from an e-mail (with permission to quote):<BR/><BR/>DUTCH GIRL said...<BR/><BR/> As someone who has struggled/is struggling with the same issues, I would like to address McAryeh's post. I would have done it on his site, but you have to be a registered "blogger".<BR/> 1) marital MC Aryehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15391548803569665725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136786134058361222006-01-09T00:55:00.000-05:002006-01-09T00:55:00.000-05:00Chavaleh- Thank you for your comments. I appreciat...Chavaleh- Thank you for your comments. I appreciate that life is difficult no matter where you are and who you are with. Flights are frequent, but expensive, and less and less possible as a family grows in size. The decision I make does not have to be the right one, but I think it is good to keep your last point in mind - nothing is irrevocable - at least until it is. <BR/><BR/>David- 1.True, youMC Aryehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15391548803569665725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136756540862606672006-01-08T16:42:00.000-05:002006-01-08T16:42:00.000-05:00I empathize with the position you are in, MC. You...I empathize with the position you are in, MC. You bring up very valid points, on both sides of the issue and the tug-of-war has got to be so difficult.<BR/><BR/>Your longing to be where you are not is palpable.<BR/><BR/>You could always try it, MC, and make a change if it simply does not work. <BR/><BR/>Best wishes to you as you sort out the best way to live the life you were born to live.Staceyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05548101428086781420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136752660086058192006-01-08T15:37:00.000-05:002006-01-08T15:37:00.000-05:00What a post. I'm hitting six years next week, and ...<I>What a post. I'm hitting six years next week, and often, I wonder why I bothered: it is so very tough, and almost all the reasons I originally made Aliyah were in retrospect not in any way connected with my daily life, all figments of the Sochnut's mighty propaganda machine.</I><BR/><BR/>Purple Parrot...You bring up such difficult questions! What draws us to Israel in the first place? Is it Jameel @ The Muqatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15890095633246557332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136752015437411762006-01-08T15:26:00.000-05:002006-01-08T15:26:00.000-05:00Mcaryeh... OK, I'll take you at your word (why sho...Mcaryeh... OK, I'll take you at your word (why shouldn't I?), but I should clarify a few things:<BR/><BR/>1. "<EM>...nowhere in the U.S. is a day's travel to New York. At most we are talking 4 or 5 hours by plane"</EM>. Let's be realistic. The ticket costs more to Israel, but if you are going coast-to-coast in the states you better plan on killing a day in transit. Some of that day will be treppenwitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10469868535926628214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136745017334773472006-01-08T13:30:00.000-05:002006-01-08T13:30:00.000-05:00AWS,Its never an easy question. Its something we a...AWS,<BR/><BR/>Its never an easy question. <BR/><BR/>Its something we all struggle with - those who are here with our families, those who are here without our families, those who are not and wish they could be, and those who know they are probably better off being a diaspora Jew. <BR/><BR/>Just know that the world is small, and that flights between Israel and the US are frequent. <BR/><BR/>And Babkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09446999604697289543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136740302538624242006-01-08T12:11:00.000-05:002006-01-08T12:11:00.000-05:00Jameel- Always happy to get long e-mails. Looking ...Jameel- Always happy to get long e-mails. Looking forward to you response to TAFKAP<BR/><BR/>Mirty- Thanks for the comment, and for the e-mail. You raise a number of good points, and I would like to quote from your e-mail when I have a bit more time - hopefully later today. Your comments are always insightful...<BR/><BR/>Eshet- Do you really think this situation is so common? I wonder. I agree MC Aryehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15391548803569665725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136739293998992002006-01-08T11:54:00.000-05:002006-01-08T11:54:00.000-05:00EC- not sure how much being a single woman has to ...EC- not sure how much being a single woman has to do with anything. Its a hard place to live, whoever you are.<BR/><BR/>McA- I think I'll be writing a post about this too sometime soon. See what you (and Jameel) have started? Aliya Posts Epidemic!tafka PPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17166682612446711810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136739096605457682006-01-08T11:51:00.000-05:002006-01-08T11:51:00.000-05:00Boy, this is a topic that hits so close to home I ...Boy, this is a topic that hits so close to home I cannot begin to really express it well.<BR/><BR/>There was a time in which I physically ached to be back. I couldn't stand that I was back in LA but I couldn't figure out how to overcome many of the obstacles I felt that I faced.<BR/><BR/>To a certain extent I have to admit to taking the path of least resistance and accepting that I would make theJack Steinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16625864271071630940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136730570030264052006-01-08T09:29:00.000-05:002006-01-08T09:29:00.000-05:00Seems like everyone's sending long emails to MCA t...Seems like everyone's sending long emails to MCA today...Jameel @ The Muqatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15890095633246557332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136714633536750542006-01-08T05:03:00.000-05:002006-01-08T05:03:00.000-05:00MC Aryeh and Purple Parrot: I'm back. So there...a...MC Aryeh and Purple Parrot: I'm back. So there...actually, running into another meeting which should give me another hour to think about what to reply to the Parrot's comments...Jameel @ The Muqatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15890095633246557332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136713442551898732006-01-08T04:44:00.000-05:002006-01-08T04:44:00.000-05:00Jameel - First, mazal tov on the aliyah anniversar...Jameel - First, mazal tov on the aliyah anniversary. In many ways, I think it is much easier to make aliyah right out of college, and had I done that, I am sure many of the issues I struggle with now in terms of aliyah would not be factors. Sorry for the lack of advance notice, but you were likely sleeping when I decided to post this!<BR/><BR/>As far as the MEME, I think you are reading too much MC Aryehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15391548803569665725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13298778.post-1136711624072857172006-01-08T04:13:00.000-05:002006-01-08T04:13:00.000-05:00What a post. I'm hitting six years next week, and ...What a post. I'm hitting six years next week, and often, I wonder why I bothered: it is so very tough, and almost all the reasons I originally made Aliyah were in retrospect not in any way connected with my daily life, all figments of the Sochnut's mighty propaganda machine. <BR/><BR/>What I will say (at risk of being shouted at by Jameel) is that if your reservations (justified or not) so tafka PPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17166682612446711810noreply@blogger.com