Saturday, August 19, 2006

What is Aliyah?


A new phase of my life is unfolding. On 22 August 2006 I am moving to Israel.

In Hebrew, Aliyah means ascent, and ascent to the land of Israel is amongst the 3 main components of Judaism. There is the God of Israel (the words of whom were passed on to Moses on Sinai which he transcribed as The Torah) the People of Israel (Jews), and the Land of Israel (Israel). The religious, nationalist and cultural identifications that galvanized my move are not mutually exclusive, they are a interconnected. My identity, the one granted to me by my parents, mixed with the identity I have with the Jewish community and finally, the identity I have built for myself work together to fuel a passion for Israel, it's people and it's teachings.

So Why are you Making Aliyah?
My culture is one of history, right up to my parents. It's a history of mixed blessings. We hold a culture of deeds that celebrates life, justice and peace, but with our beliefs comes a strange hatred that has infected nations throughout our history.

In the wake of the latest Holocaust, Jews had to establish a secure place for themselves. The world agreed when they allotted us a small portion of Palestine through the United Nations. Unfortunately, the surrounding Arab nations had no interest in such a move and have been trying to immolate the Jews of Israel ever since, finding every grievance on God's green Earth and even some in heaven and hell to wage war instead of building up their own countries with the most basic infrastructures. For the past 65 years, many of these nations have spent their national treasures in this destructive persuit and for the most part, their efforts have only united the Jewish nation. And that's where I come in.

I'm a modern 21st century Jewish American guy. My family tree, however, goes back to Lithuania, Egypt, Iraq, and Poland, all places of Jewish persecution in just the last hundred years. The history culminated when my parents met around the time of the Yom Kippur War. They met in the Israeli Army, an army that hasn't exhisted in 2000 years, and the outcome gave me life. In my heart, call me narcisistic, but I do believe that there was divine inspiration in the creation of the world's greatest person - me. =) We lived in Israel until I was 5 and then we moved to the Boston suburbs. My brothers and I have always dreamt of returning and so far, they both have done it,.

In part, I am making this move for my own sake - I'm going to the place I feel most welcome and comfortable in this world - but I'm also moving for my community and family's sake - enforcing my belief that Jews are in fact responsible for one another, and should be in Israel - and in case anyone is upstairs, it doesn't hurt that I'm doing what He wants me to do, at least, so far as I know. =)

11 Comments:

Blogger Abu Teddy said...

Behatzlaha Ronn,
Yisher Koah and Mazal Tov.
-REBoston
http://hezbollahwar.blogspot.com/

8:41 PM  
Blogger Lori said...

Nice post! Good luck with the move.

6:47 PM  
Blogger Jersusalem Photography said...

Thanks guys

8:07 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I left another comment somewhere else on your wonderful blogsite. On this one, I must tell you that you are a Godsent man in the family of God who has promised that land to the Hebrews and it shall be so. I am very happy to share a few words with a man of god who lives in the apple of His eye. Jerusalem forever. Ezekiel and other prophets tell us the outcome of all this World War III mess. Hang in there, my man.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Fields
VeteransNewsColumn@gmail.com
VeteransNewsExtra.blogspot.com and
WorldwideVeterans.blogspot.com
We love you, man.

7:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am age 50 soon and thinking of coming home to Israel also. Thanks for your encouraging photos and writing. Kol Hakavod.

David

7:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I left another comment on your blog. Your pictures are great! I read through your entire blog. Very interesting and honest. I, too am almost 50 and want to make aliyah. I lived and worked in Israel in 1984-1985 and have wanted to go back ever since I left. Lucky you!

4:39 PM  
Blogger Jersusalem Photography said...

Richard, I'm just a guy with some faith, nothing more. I wrote this article a year ago, and if I could change anything, I would say that WWIII should and can be avoided.

If you do nothing but bless the Jews and follow the Noahide laws on your end, and I follow the 613 commandments on my end. If we both treat everyone we know with the utmost respect, with Gd's help, humanity will follow suit.

This is not a blanket policy of pacifism and I don't condone, in the words of our great sage, the Rambam "the mercy of fools in which justice is lost" - but in the clinging itself to Hashem's attributes, both to Jews and non-Jews, we can connect to the Source and do that which he wishes. This requires learning about Him in His books and in the commentaries of the sages.

Despite the horrible smut that's published all over the internet, there is information abound about the work which we all must do on this Earth. Seek it out and eschew the trash, and in this way you will be awakened to heaven on Earth as Gd wishes us all to enjoy.

Best,

Ronn

5:12 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

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2:59 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

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1:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love your pictures! I bet you could even make the Israeli Internal Ministry look pretty. I also started a blog because of my passion for Israel - http://aliyahsurvivalblog.wordpress.com/

It's more personal writing, but in a bit of a funny and cynical tone - you know like an Israeli's sense of humor! I hope to keep seeing other bloggers sharing their experiences in Israel.

11:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

6:48 PM  

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