Four months to realize the desert is the Promised Land!

No-one could understand why I’d chosen the desert to make my “soft landing” in Israel. Actually, I wasn’t sure myself. But I’m slowly starting to realize that it was the best place for me to be. When I arrived, I looked at my living quarters (a little bigger than my study at home) and took in the view outside the Kibbutz and thought: “What on earth have I done?” Then I thought: “If I can get through six months of this, I can get through anything!!!” Well, four months down the line, I’m thinking: “Hey, I could get used to this!!!” And no-one could possibly be more surprised than I am!

From home to home!

Gold is an incredibly precious and valuable commodity, but in this story, it’s not the precious metal that has affected my life. Leaving behind one city of gold – Johannesburg – to make my life in another – Jerusalem – is quite symbolic. Egoli to Yerushalayim shel zahav – using the strong foundation of my past to build my future – gold on gold. What stronger possible building blocks could I wish to have.

Change and renewal - my Aliyah speech at the Kotel

I was one of two olim chadashim (new immigrants) from South Africa asked to make a speech at the Kotel at a special welcome ceremony on our arrival on July 5, 2009. The speech follows, and the video recording of it is at the end of this page or you can click here to see it.

Shalom, Hello, Sanibonani, Dumelang

“The decision to make Aliyah has to come from believing in the possibility of change and renewal.”
This is not a phrase I made up. I borrowed it from our former president, Nelson Mandela, although he was not referring to Aliyah. Mandela was referring to the defining characteristics of politics and religion. Making Aliyah - for me - is the possibility of “change and renewal”. The starting of a new life, the putting down of new roots, and the creation of new hopes and dreams.