Finally Here!

October 11, 2003

Alison on Aliyah: Finally here!

I’m here. I’m finally here. I stepped off the plane at 4:00am yesterday morning, arrived at my apartment at 7:00am, bought food for the weekend, unpacked, cleaned the floors, and walked the dog. All things considered, the flight went surprisingly well – I was convinced that either the plane would crash from the weight of my oversized and bulging luggage, or my dog would whine so loud the flight attendants would throw both of us off the plane. But we were both fine, and she has actually acclimated herself rather well so far (I suppose we both have). Indeed, I already find myself wondering when the other shoe is going to drop. Everyone has been preparing me for the worst – they said I’ll be lonely and scared and depressed and get lost and hate everything and want to go home and think I made a huge mistake… I know it’s only been two days, but I have to say, I feel so calmed by finally being here. The past two months have been nonstop stress and back pain and lost sleep and painful goodbyes – and now that that chapter is over, I’m just so relieved to start another one. I’m really just happy to be here. And I’m starting to wonder if maybe this chapter doesn’t have to be so difficult.

Within two hours of being in Jerusalem, I had already received my first invitation for dinner, my second within an hour of that. I am completely overwhelmed by the hospitality this city has already offered me. Honestly, from the moment I entered the airport in New York, I have encountered nothing but friendly faces and willing smiles (except for the cab driver after he saw how much luggage I had). There seems to be something special about making aliyah, especially at this moment in Israel’s timeline. Whenever I tell people I am an olah hadasha (new immigrant), I am met with such warmth, and pride, and even a twinge of gratefulness. Then there are the inevitable offers of help, anything to help, do you need any furniture, do you have a place to have dinner, where are you spending the holidays?… It’s just so different from the reaction I received so often in America – that unmistakable mix of disbelief and concern for my sanity. It’s just so wonderful to be here, in the one place in the world where I don’t feel crazy for wanting to be here.

I’ve been to Israel so many times, and I never get tired of (and never get used to) the feeling of true belongingness I am filled with when I realize I am not one of the minority here. I grew up in a secular family in a non-Jewish neighborhood, and I was always the only Jew, or one of very few, in my schools. I spent most of my childhood pushing away from my Judaism with both feet, because I didn’t want to be different and I didn’t understand its relevance to my life. I have spent most of my young adulthood trying to figure out my place in the Jewish faith, religion, and culture. Now that I am here, in Jerusalem, I know I am exactly where I need to be. The beauty and spirituality of this city overwhelms me on a minute-to-minute basis. And although I still have a lot more to figure out, and a lot more to overcome in my aliyah process, I know that my most powerful ally is the land itself, and its people, and its spirit. As I sit here in my courtyard, typing on my laptop, petting my dog, and intermittently looking up at the Jerusalem sunset, I am truly thankful that I am here, and I cannot wait to see what more is to come.