My heart has been pumping on gratitude these past few weeks, and it’s been on my lips at night before going to sleep. I am bad at receiving. On top of that, I’m fiercely independent and tend towards people-pleasing. Giving … Continue reading Being Brave

I got to spend shabbos with the Werners, close family friends who I’ve known since age 7. They had a really difficult aliyah, harder than most people can imagine. Everything unexpected that could have happened did, and there were many … Continue reading Surviving or Thriving?

It’s been just two days since my last post, but things changed so immediately. Sometimes I wonder if surprise and spontaneity are part of the building blocks of Israel; maybe they’re just part of developing faith. Or maybe I’m growing … Continue reading In the Blink of an Eye

I spent Friday night with an old Moroccan couple down the block from me. Their house looked like it hadn’t been renovated for hundreds of years; there were domed ceilings and narrow doorways, and old menoras hanging on the wall. … Continue reading Moroccan Shabbos, Jobs, and the Gift of Friends

I think there’s no way to define insanity, because everyone has their own version of it. I always thought I was somewhat insane. Thank G-d, now I have the clarity and maturity to know with certainty that I am. I … Continue reading Settling Down, Finding Silence, and Other Updates 🙂

This jet lag is wacky! It’s 4am and you’d think I just drank 5 espressos. I got back from the states two days ago, where I was visiting for my little sister, Hadassa’s, wedding. It was not in the plans … Continue reading Wedding Celebrations and New Perspectives

The next big move of my life came suddenly and unexpectedly, but I guess that’s what I needed to push me past my fear. It was Thursday night when the call came in. “Hi Batya, it’s Hadas, from Mayanot (school … Continue reading Back to School and Inner Peace

What a year. What a year! I CANNOT BELIEVE I MADE IT THROUGH A YEAR! Had anyone told me how hard this year would be, I don’t think I’d have the courage to come, and yet, the challenge itself is what … Continue reading One Year of Discovery

(Pictures at the bottom of post!) It’s bizarre what 8 months can do. Last week, as I was unpacking my suitcases for the ninth time, I found some pajamas I hadn’t seen in a while. A foreign feeling surrounded them, as … Continue reading Building Eternity

The booths with the sign above them, sprinkled on every other corner of Jerusalem, scream, “Change,” and I, always obedient (most of the time…), obey. At first, I hesitated, but recently, I’ve been going at it head on. There’s something … Continue reading Change, Change, Change