From a comfortable vantage point in North America, making aliyah can seem as daunting as climbing Masada. Luckily, at Masada, there's a cable car... and for aliyah, there's this blog, and other great resources.
I'm in Canada right now sitting shiva for my brother, but I hope this article will be helpful in deciding whether this move is the right one for you. Its writer, life coach Yehudit Yosef, M.S.W., A.C.C., E.F.T.-CC, made aliyah from Chicago to Jerusalem in 2000.
Aliyah is the term used to express when someone moves to Israel.
1) Is it for you?
If this question applies to you, the only way to answer it properly is to have a chat with yourself. Sounds crazy doesn't it? What I'm referring to is to get quiet with yourself and meditate; think/ponder/play with the idea in your mind.
You can also get really crazy and ask yourself for a sign, a message that will help you to
know if this is the right step for you. Your inner self knows your truth.
2) If yes, then, where to start??
IF the answer to number one, appears to you or becomes clear in some way
or message in your life. What to do next? Your entire life is set up where you
are now. What about your spouse, kids, job, community? Well, you asked yourself,
and got your own answer.
So, is it time to buy a plane ticket? Not necessarily.
Now, it might be a good time to write down all the reasons worth making the move.
How will you and your family benefit? What helped you to "see" your answer for
yourself or get clarity?
What value will this move have for you/your family?
1) Is it for you?
If this question applies to you, the only way to answer it properly is to have a chat with yourself. Sounds crazy doesn't it? What I'm referring to is to get quiet with yourself and meditate; think/ponder/play with the idea in your mind.
You can also get really crazy and ask yourself for a sign, a message that will help you to
know if this is the right step for you. Your inner self knows your truth.
2) If yes, then, where to start??
IF the answer to number one, appears to you or becomes clear in some way
or message in your life. What to do next? Your entire life is set up where you
are now. What about your spouse, kids, job, community? Well, you asked yourself,
and got your own answer.
So, is it time to buy a plane ticket? Not necessarily.
Now, it might be a good time to write down all the reasons worth making the move.
How will you and your family benefit? What helped you to "see" your answer for
yourself or get clarity?
What value will this move have for you/your family?
3) Maximizing your resources?
Once you are clear about your desire and values associated with this decision,
how to begin to bring the dream to fruition?
This might be a good time to begin to gather information to your situation.
There are specific organizations which assist with the Aliyah process.
They have websites and meetings.
- www.nbn.org
- www.jewishagency.org
- www.jafi.org
at: http://www.authentichappiness.com which has a survey called the VIA which allows people to get a clearer picture of their character strengths [NOTE: I think this link is now broken; sorry!]. It consists of 240 questions which can help one determine their 24 greatest strengths. Equipped with these strengths, you can now apply your greatest assets to accomplish the more technical details of making the move.
4) Defining your dream?
Once you have gathered some information and have begun to gain clarity
about how others have successfully completed the process, it is an opportune
time to become specific about details such as community, employment and schools.
Our subconscious mind cannot differentiate between reality and fantasy.
By taking time to get quiet once again, and this time, visualize with purpose how you
want your successful Aliyah to look, feel, smell, taste, and sound. You are building and
enhancing your relationship with your subconscious mind. As you visualize this picture
and the circumstances of your ideal Aliyah situation, you are explaining to your inner self,
our spiritual connection, what shape you would like your reality to take/reflect.
5) Focusing your efforts?
It is normal for our dreams to be intercepted and negated by our inner
critical messages. For example:
"You want to do WHAT??"
"You can't do THAT!"
These messages need not hinder us in ANY way.
As we have been working to develop the relationship with our inner
self/subconscious mind, here too, we can show ourselves a new way of thinking.
When those messages crop up and they do, in a variety of forms, we can take
active steps to let go of them and the need to hold on to them.
There is a very popular technique known as EFT, Emotional Freedom Therapy,
which addresses just that.
There are other techniques as well.
6) Taking positive steps?
Prepared with a well thought out plan and making use of all available resources,
such as the various Aliyah organizations and support systems, now, it might be
time to set a date and take care of all the physical, financial, legal, and family
and community issues which you have organized towards embarking on your journey.
Here is yet another area where utilizing your stronger character traits in creative ways
will bring about a smoother transition.
7) Staying open/flexible?
Throughout this process and for an undetermined amount of time, it will be of great value
to maintain a positive attitude. To regularly focus on "what is working", and not on the
bumps in the road.
One easy way to do this is to keep a daily gratitude list.
Simply by recording daily, morning or evening a list of 3-5 items which are functioning
and working well, can provide just the needed reprieve from frustrations and irritations
during the move and subsequent klita/absorption.
Lastly, an attitude of being open to the miracles and amazing "small" things in life
which occur all around us, all the time can remind us to be flexible about those things
over which we may have no control.
If you're thinking about aliyah, what other big questions are you asking yourself these days?
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