The paperwork took about a month to fill out, and it was a lot, but I did it almost robotically, just driven to let this process happen, and not let my fears get in the way. I sensed deeply that this was where I was meant to be going. Some small issues came up, since I was born in Israel, and both Nefesh B’nefesh and the Jewish Agency could not understand how I wasn’t a full-fledged sabra. (My parents registered me as an American at the American embassy in Israel.) I also lost one of my old passports, but it … Continue reading How it started, part II

To be honest, the idea was not to make aliyah. I only meant to save up money so I could go to Israel as soon as I got the chance to. But, that wasn’t meant to be. It was a Thursday night in October, the night of the annual challah bake, and my mother called the whole family into the living room. She had just been sent a video from a close friend and felt it was ultra important to show us. She waited until we settled down on the couches. It didn’t actually hit me until I heard it translated … Continue reading How it started, part I