“Me, my husband, and my 1.5-year-old son have been living in Tel Aviv for almost 3 years now. Whenever I traveled from the states to Israel, I had always spent most of my time in Jerusalem, but Tel Aviv has a really special vibe to it: a beach, a work hub, culture and also tons of history.

The old people and the old shuls are my favorite in Tel Aviv because they have literally been here since 1948. We live next to Rav Lau’s shul, the one he led before he became the Chief Rabbi, and the elderly that attend shul there are the heart of Israel. These people are Holocaust survivors, soldiers who fought in the independence war, they have fought for their loved ones, and yearned for independence. These are the people that have built Israel for me and my family.

How I ended up here is a whole other story. When I turned 12 my family took a trip to Israel for my Bat Mitzvah. I had never been on a plane before, which was very clear because after we landed and clapped for the pilot, I thought this was a normal occurrence. Fast forward to 14-year-old me clapping for the pilot when we landed in Miami Florida and everyone thought I was nuts.

On my first trip to Israel, I fell in love. I knew after that trip I wanted to raise my family here, whatever that means for a 12-year-old girl. Many years later after college, I was working for NCSY and took a trip to Israel. Long story short, I met my Texan husband who had made Aliyah already while on this trip, and about a year later I made Aliyah myself.

I currently work in marketing at a law firm in the heart of the business district of Tel Aviv. I can go from running on the beach, scootering to work, and grabbing kosher food from the mall food court – all in under an hour.

It can seem hard to make a successful Aliyah, finding a community and work that is fulfilling. I won’t lie, it is not an easy task. But, it is possible and many of us have done it! Wishing this pandemic over soon so we can get back to exploring this beautiful country as we once did.”