Aliyah with teens | Imamother

chanchy123

Sun, May 19 2019, 2:45 pm

amother [ Aquamarine ] wrote:

It is so hurtful and ridiculous to hear that if you aren't charedi, then you aren't serious about Torah and Mitzvos.

Absolutely. Liking this was not enough. People really need to learn to appreciate other strands of Judaism (I know I've been on this site for well over a decade bit it still drives me crazy).

FranticFrummie

Sun, May 19 2019, 2:59 pm

Beit Shemesh has been calm for several years now. I have no problem walking around in Gimmel or Bet, and I look very "American MO". I ask for directions, compliment ladies on their dress or babies, and generally we all get along just fine. I've never had anyone snub me, or give me dirty looks.

Beit Shemesh is not Meah Shearim, with bochurim rioting in the streets and burning rubbish bins. It is so quiet here that in the evening you can hear a pin drop.

I know a family that moved from the US to Beitar, and their two oldest girls (10 and 12 at the time) had a bit of struggle the first year. After that, they found their groove and managed to thrive. The oldest girl just got married to a wonderful young man this year, and the other kids are all doing great. The change was a big shock at first, but now they all look back and see what a brocha is was to make the move.

Of course we are still in galus. Nobody is denying that. Until Moshiach comes, everywhere we go will be 50% bad and 50% good. The thing is, we have a choice - which side are we going to put our energy into? I choose to put my energy into living in Israel, and seeing the good here.

That doesn't mean I'm not realistic about the struggles of survival, community, and education. There's just so much beauty, history, and holiness in this land, I find that it's worth the price of admission.

amother

Aquamarine

Sun, May 19 2019, 3:02 pm

chanchy123 wrote:

Absolutely. Liking this was not enough. People really need to learn to appreciate other strands of Judaism (I know I've been on this site for well over a decade bit it still drives me crazy).

Thanks for the support. Sometimes it gets kind of lonely out here.

etky

Sun, May 19 2019, 3:13 pm

amother [ Aquamarine ] wrote:

Thanks for the support. Sometimes it gets kind of lonely out here.

I feel kind of 'lonely' when I hear over and over here on imamother that we are still 'in galus' here in Israel, as if that is the only legitimate and obvious way to look at it.
That is not the hashkafa that the stream of Orthodox Judaism to which I belong subscribes to and I actually find the lack of hakarat hatov that it implies appalling.

chanchy123

Sun, May 19 2019, 3:53 pm

etky wrote:

Yup. A better way would be to say "I also agree that we are still in galus". Such remarks remind me to be tolerant of Jews with other hashkafot since I rarely meet people in my real life who believe this.
I learned to save my breath after wasting many hours of life trying to explain such obvious truths to death ears in my earlier days on Imamother. Nowadays I just hold my breath.
ETA these debates are just not nearly as satisfying without FS.

etky

Sun, May 19 2019, 4:04 pm

chanchy123 wrote:

Or Sanguine Sad

amother

Apricot

Sun, May 19 2019, 4:26 pm

etky wrote:

Hi, can you explain your pov to me? I sincerely want to understand... aren't all Jews in galus until the Moshiach comes? How does living in Eretz Yisrael end the time period called galus? Thank you for sharing your perspective with me.

doctorima

Sun, May 19 2019, 7:46 pm

For those who have helpful recommendations that are addressed to OP, please continue to share them. For those who wish to discuss other aspects of the concept of Aliyah, please start a spinoff so that this thread doesn't get further off topic.

-Doctorima as mod, responding to a report

amother

Blush

Tue, May 28 2019, 6:31 am

My family made aliyah to RBSA almost 4 years ago with teens. I also homeschooled some of my kids for 9 years in the US. My points:

--Either the Gush or plain old Beit Shemesh is where you'd fit in great

--PLEASE don't homeschool. I can't imagine a worse way to try to get to know a new culture/language/society (see above: I am a former long-term homeschooler)

Hatzlacha rabab.

amother

Blush

Tue, May 28 2019, 6:33 am