When bayit becomes home

August 23, 2009 - 1:05 PM by

n505022728_1241730_1419Last week marked the third year anniversary of the aliyah of my sister, brother-in-law and three nephews, Beth, Ira, Natan, Gabe and Akiva. It’s hard to believe that three years have passed, particularly since we — the rest of my family — waited so long for them to move here. And what once seemed like an impossible dream [natch, Don Quixote] actually happened. We are all, that is, my three siblings and their families, and my mother, in Israel.

It’s a somewhat bittersweet anniversary given that my father, the original Zionist among us, died this summer after a long illness. In fact, he was diagnosed just one day after their arrival. But I’m still going to take this opportunity to look back on their three years, which I see as a real triumph, attesting to their sense of adventure, flexibility and unique personalities.

When they came, my nephews were 16, 13 and 9 years old. Akiva, the youngest, who has Down Syndrome, was the easiest to place in a framework and ended up going to the Feuerstein School, which has been a fairly good fit for him. Hebrew has also proven to be an easyish transition, as he’s got a knack for languages and now relishes using the vocabulary that he’s learned. Gabe is now 16 and as a former homeschooler back in Brooklyn, had a few false starts before he ended up at the Democratic School, a place where you may not do much formal learning, but where he’s learned a mean game of ping pong, made many friends and become a skateboarder. Natan, now 19, has probably had the sharpest learning curve, having started at Reut, a local middle/high school, spent his senior year learning ‘externi’ and then entered the army last fall as a ‘jobnik.’ He had a few false starts, including writing a blog for which he was reprimanded and had to stop writing, but he’s pretty happy, having ended up with a likable Druze commanding officer and a job that has its moments.

As for my sister and brother-in-law, they’re also finding their way, with the expected ups and downs of a major move when in your 40s. They both started out taking ulpan, which my brother-in-law has continued with, although I suspect he does so more for seeing his ulpan friends than for improving his diction. My sister has embarked on many a project, as is her penchant, including starting Shutaf, a ‘kaytana,’ the local word for daycamp, for special needs kids and their regularly-developing friends, which meets three times a year, on Chanukah, Passover and summer vacations.

Life isn’t perfect, in case I’m being too cup half-full. They have a tough landlord (“What’s wrong with a twenty-year-old faucet?”), the ongoing challenges of an extremely special needs son, professional travails and missing the very good chevre they had back in Brooklyn, as well as my brother-in-law’s family.

But I’m pretty sure they’re happy with their decision, and that if pushed, they’d do it all over again. Their new place has become home, despite the ongoing challenges of life in Israel. As my nephew Akiva likes to say, “Let’s go home to the bayit/house.”

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2 Comments on When bayit becomes home

  1. Gail Baron on Tue, Aug 25th 2009 12:30 AM

    2. Dear Jessica, What a heartwarming article of your sister and her family. Last year, my husband, Neil and I met Beth and Natan just outside Jaffe Gate in a sort of up-scale mall. We talked like we were old friends and found Natan charming and continue to love to read his e-mails. I know Camp Shutaf is Beth’s love and is doing everything she can to make it successful…and I think that has come. We plan to return to Jerusalem in 2012, and are looking into staying at Ramat Rachel, which I understand is not far from you.

    I am an active life member of Hadassah and will return to Ein Kerem when we go back. We have been to Israel twice — 2007 and 2008.

    I so enjoy the pictures on FB of your twins and family. All of you have beat and surpassed the challenges that it takes to make it a-go. Beth may remind you that we planted trees after you gave birth.

    Our best to you as we enter the most important time in the lives of Jews and may the New Year bring all of you experience good health, love, peace, and everything that HaShem wants for you.

    B’shalom,
    Gail and Neil

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