Yesterday, Shabbat, a lot of neighbours and friends suddenly appeared in our garden. Our amazing, wonderful, fantastic, etc etc etc children ran around Friday and Shabbat after shul, to invite them (and others, apologies to anyone they missed) to celebrate that dh and I have been in Israel for 25 years.
Ds1 baked cakes and made whipped cream, and together the kids prepared a huge poster of 25 photos of us and themselves in various places in Eretz Yisrael.
Our silver aliyanniversary - 25 years in Eretz Yisrael. Significantly more than half our lives. We have studied here, married here, done sherut leumi and army, broken our teeth till we feel totally comfortable speaking Hebrew (though no one will ever think we were born here), hiked, visited almost every museum, voted in local and national elections, campaigned, demonstrated, attended Tanach-song concerts, given birth, sent to school, read Israeli children's books and sung Israeli nursery songs, and are now preparing to send our children to sherut leumi and army...
We have so much to be grateful for, in these 25 years, that I cannot even begin to count.
First and foremost is our health. We have a wonderful health care system here, computerized, with excellent doctors, nurses and hospitals.
We have our fruit trees, with which we can keep mitzvot that aren't even discussed in many sifrei halacha, because Jews could not imagine them becoming relevant again. We learn from our set of Aruch HaShulhan Ha'atid, filling in what is missing from the Aruch HaShulhan. These fruit trees are described in the gemara as אין לך קץ מגולה מזה - there is no sign of the End (of Galut) as obvious as trees bearing fruit in our Land, which lay barren for over 18 centuries, waiting patiently for all of her children to begin their return.
First and foremost is our health. We have a wonderful health care system here, computerized, with excellent doctors, nurses and hospitals.
We have our fruit trees, with which we can keep mitzvot that aren't even discussed in many sifrei halacha, because Jews could not imagine them becoming relevant again. We learn from our set of Aruch HaShulhan Ha'atid, filling in what is missing from the Aruch HaShulhan. These fruit trees are described in the gemara as אין לך קץ מגולה מזה - there is no sign of the End (of Galut) as obvious as trees bearing fruit in our Land, which lay barren for over 18 centuries, waiting patiently for all of her children to begin their return.
We have our jobs, in which we are zoche to lead the world in technological advances.
And and and
And, we have our wonderful neighbours and friends, who are as family to us.
And our family, our siblings, our cousins, dh's parents, and our children, who are here in Israel, keeping in touch, spending time together, writing this exciting chapter in Jewish history.
Thank you, HaShem and thank you to all of you.
May we be zoche to celebrate our Golden Aliyannniversary with all our family and friends, in a building of gold, in the city of gold.
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