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12 things I like about living in Israel Assignment



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BeershevaBubby




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 06 2007, 5:23 am
Someone whose blog I read posted the following to her blog and I thought it was an interesting assignment. Please note, it is for those of you who moved to Israel... and it's why you LIKE living in the country...

From an email from Dudy Stark of Nefesh B'Nefesh

This coming Shabbat, the Torah portion , Shelach, that recalls the sin of the spies, is read. These were the 12 men that Moshe sent to scout out the Land of Israel before entering. When they returned, their reports were distorted and negative and caused a 40 year delay before the Children of Israel could enter.

Today despite the challenges that come with living in Israel, we are witness to all that is good and special about living here and it is in our ability to tell our family, friends and neighbors abroad what those things are.

Nefesh B'Nefesh is initiating a simple project this week called "12 to 12". We are asking every Oleh to compose a list of 12 great things you appreciate and love about living in Israel and email your message to 12 (or more) friends abroad.

If you send this out to your friends, please CC 12to12@nbn.org.il when you send it out.

Please send out your letter before Friday June 8.

So here are my 12 things in no particular order:

1. No matter where you go in Israel, chances are something historical happened there.

2. The Shuk! I mean, where else can you find radishes the size of baseballs?

3. Affordable Yeshiva education... need I say more?

4. Not worrying about which ONE day of Chol haMoed Sukkot/Pesach you can get off from work to do something with the family.

5. Speaking of Pesach... ONE seder!

6. Access to the wonderful diversity of Judaism that comes together in this tiny country.

7. People can pronounce Chanie and Chaim correctly.

8. Batei Knesset (shuls) in the mall, the central bus station, the shuk... and calls for Minyan over the loudspeakers...

9. Mezuzot on almost all doorways.

10. Not having to worry about getting around the social etiquette of shaking hands with members of the opposite relations.

11. The half a dozen mohels that visit your hospital room and leave a business card when you've just had a boy.

12. The Kotel and Mamma Rachel and any number of Tzadikkim being a busride away.
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HooRYou




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 06 2007, 5:49 am
So Kmelion where is your list?

I haven't given it to much thought but here are a few quickies.


    [li] Kippas, tzitzis, bedika cloths, etc are available at the grocery store.[/li]
    [li]echpatiyut- it might make us crazy but when you are stuck, lost etc. everyone will help you![/li]
    [li] Family and children are important and accepted almost everywhere[/li]
[/list][/list]
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BeershevaBubby




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 06 2007, 5:55 am
That is my list.
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shalhevet




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 06 2007, 6:01 am
1. My kids speak Hebrew, which means they can learn Chumash, Navi and everything else to a much higher level than I could.
2. It's normal to be Jewish.
3. My kids aren't exposed to non-Jewish holidays, symbols etc.
4. Before Shabbos and yom tov you really feel how everyone is buying things and getting ready, even if they aren't mitzva observant.
5. Ein Torah k'Toras Eretz Yisrael - there is no Torah like that of EY.
6. Mitzvas hateluyos ba'aretz - mitzvas dependant on the Land of Israel, such as taking trumos u'ma'asros.
7. My daughter went on a tiyul (trip) with her class yesterday and they saw the mountain which David Hamelech cursed should not have anything growing on it, after Saul and Jonathan died there.
8. On YK there aren't any cars driving around.
9. Even if you go to some out of the way place you'll always be able to find a good selection of mehadrin food in the local makolet (grocers).
10. When you're pregnant you get wished B'sha'a tova from perfect strangers and mazel tov after you have a baby.
11. The scantily dressed woman you meet throws in Baruch Hashem and im yirtze Hashem to her conversation. If she should notice you're frum she'll start telling you how she's a good Jew and believes in Hashem also.
12. I'm living in the palterin shel Melech - the King's palace.
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shalhevet




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 06 2007, 3:04 pm
I'm bumping this up because I think it's such a great thread, Kmelion, and it's got lost over the day. 8)
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supermom




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jun 07 2007, 6:38 am
SHalhevet your number three and ten bothers me a bit. In israel I do see non jewish holiday decorations ALL over. And when I was pregnant in America I did get mazal tov's and beshaa tova.
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Ima'la




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jun 07 2007, 5:01 pm
No energy for 12 right now, but here's what came to mind (besides many already posted) and maybe I'll add as I think of them:

When dd was 4 or 5, one of her best friends went with her family to Yam Kineret. She came back and described the trip to dd in great detail...and for weeks, dd was begging me to take her to Yam Kineret. I hope she'll get to go one day, but it isn't about to happen for our family....but I remember when I was a kid begging my mother to take me on a wonderful trip like my best friend's trip - to Disney World!

I'm happy that even when dd is begging for s/t she can't have right now - it's Yam Kineret!


Oh, here's another one (a bit similar to s/t shalhevet wrote)...that my daughter is taught limudei kodesh on such a high level in pre-school...sometimes I read her daf kesher and say, "I remember learning that - in high school!" And sometimes something happens or I say something and she quotes a relevant pasuk or Chazal! (She's 6!) I once overheard a conversation between her and her younger brother. She was teaching him a Rashi from Parshas Beraishis (that was relevant to something they were looking at)!

sorry this was ramble-y! Kmelion, I like this thread! Thanks for bumping it up, shalhevet!
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Seraph




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 08 2007, 2:32 am
1. My husband is here
2. Going to tachana merkazit on sukkot and seeing everyone walk around with a lulav and esrog.
3. The shuk. Need I say more?
4. The potential to visit so many holy places, such as the kotel, kever rachel, mearas hamachpela, meiron, amuka, etc.
5. That the streets aren't just 1st ave, ave J, etc, but rather special names. Suchas "Ahavat Yisrael" or "Eretz Chemda" or "Sulam Yaakov."
6. Being able to visit/see the places talked about in tanach and gemara.
7. Israeli cucumbers
8. People in israel have an awareness that "Jewish" doesn't just have one look- chinese, indian, black, sfardi, ashkenazi jews.
9. Cheap health insurance.
10. Hashgacha pratis in israel is much more apparent- you can almost constantly see yad hashem in israeli money matters.
11. "Mipnei Sevah Takum" on a public bus.
12. Finding kosher lipesach food in the middle of nowhere (we found on a trip to Neve Dkalim a few years ago in this little gas station in the middle of nowhere.)

And more.
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 08 2007, 3:44 am
supermom wrote:
SHalhevet your number three and ten bothers me a bit. In israel I do see non jewish holiday decorations ALL over. And when I was pregnant in America I did get mazal tov's and beshaa tova.


I think that shalhevet meant that the chagim here are THE national holidays and I am not really sure what you meant by that you saw non jewish holiday decorations all over. I have been living here for almost 5 years and I have never seen any non jewish decorations anywhere and no, Smile I do not live anywhere near mea sharim:)
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supermom




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 13 2007, 5:18 am
By a non jewish holiday you drive through talpiot and towards town boy you see it all.

I have to agree with walking on the same stones that the avos walked on. I feel it is something special.
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 13 2007, 5:32 am
supermom wrote:
By a non jewish holiday you drive through talpiot and towards town boy you see it all.

I have to agree with walking on the same stones that the avos walked on. I feel it is something special.


supermom, I dont know, I have never seen those things, ever in israel, maybe at the tachana merchazit in tel aviv, but never in jlem.......
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zz




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Jun 13 2007, 7:15 am
Just for the info, get to the center of the country (Petach Tikva, Rishon etc) and you'll get a good selection of x-mas trees and lights in dec.

But, there still are so many great things to add to the list!
As a first shot:

1) The country lives by the rythm of the chagim (even commercially)
2) You can eat with your colleagues at work (the same food)
3) No need to take off your kippa (for those who lived in Eurpoe) and go to work with a kissuy rosh without nobody wondering why.
4) Wherever you go, you will find out how you're related to your bus ride neighbor.
5) Writing down this list, gazing through the window and look at the palm trees, blue sky..... aint such landscape in northen Europe!
6) When I gave birth, my neighbors came with food during one whole month and my shul organized a shabat.
7) Accomplishing the dream of previous generations by living here.
8) Calling your bosses, university teachers etc by their first name (total shock when I first came here) and their personal approach.
9) The fact that I live in a place by choice and conviction.
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Motek




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Jun 14 2007, 3:30 pm
Although many of the points mentioned are nice, many are experienced in places other than E.Y.

I've encountered this before when reading similar material. A big deal is made of something that is indeed heartwarming, but ... it's not exclusive to E.Y. as being able to observe the mitzvos ha'tluyos ba'aretz are!
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supermom




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Jun 17 2007, 12:21 pm
Maaser and shmita
You can feel the holiness in Israel
Visiting the places where history was made. I love walking around and saying hey I just learnt that in navi.
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