“THE LIFT” is the most anticipated event for anyone making aliyah. Your whole life is packed into a forty foot container (or crammed into a 20 footer). About four weeks before the big day a truck pulls up to your door, some guys jump out and proceed to package and cart away everyone of your earthly possessions, or at least the ones you want to take with you.
If you forget to put it on the lift, you’ll have to squeeze it into the two bags and one carry-on per passenger that you’re allotted on the plane. So whatever you erroneously left off, it better be small.
As the lift backed into our driveway my girls squealed “it’s SO big!” but I knew better. OMG, I thought, I must be taking too much. All of our stuff will never fit into that big/little space. But Ilan, the owner of Strand, our overseas moving company, assured me that lots of people have taken more. Is that a consolation? I happen to know that we’ll be moving into a place half the size of the one we’re leaving. Never mind fitting into the lift – will we be able to squeeze all this into our new home? Hubby said our curb in Israel will have more furniture than our house. Guess he also agrees we overdid it, a bit.
So right now, the kids think it’s cool to camp out in sleeping bags on the carpet in their rooms. When we get to Israel, we’ll be lift-less for about a week and a half. Let’s hope the kids won’t tire of sleeping on the floor – are we having fun yet?
Now we’re in it, enough with the announcement tease and episode, this is the nitty gritty of aliyah and you are officially along for the ride.
Watch our 20-hour lift day condensed into just five minutes on the latest Joy of Aliyah webisode.
Love having you with us!
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Mark your calendars with our Episode Guide
Premiere Date: Tuesday June 26 7:00pm EST
Premiere Date: Wednesday July 11 7:00pm EST
Premiere Date: Wednesday July 18 7:00pm EST
Premiere Date: Wednesday July 25 7:00pm EST
Premiere Date: Wednesday August 8 7:00pm EST
Premiere Date: Wednesday August 15 7:00pm EST
Premiere Date: Wednesday August 22 7:00pm EST
First 48/Welcome to Israel Episode
Premiere Date: Wednesday September 5 7:00pm EST
The Israel Lift Teaser
Premiere Date:Wednesday September 12 7:00pm EST
Happy New Year from Israel Episode
Premiere Date: Wednesday September 19 7:00pm EST
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thank you SO SO SO very much for writing here — I have been saving this comment to reply to when I had a moment and I still don’t have a moment but am procrastinating now so writing you back! I brought lots of Ziplocs bc you scared me and am very much enjoying my new treat here in EY — low fat iced coffee from Holy Bagel in RBS — where is there good sushi here? Waiting for the bilungual part– will be patient 🙂 best!
love this episode! I never thought about what goes into making aliya and I’m glad I’m getting to see it firsthand. Love how you got movers to pack everything up for you – way to go! Looking forward to the next episode.
Jamie, I never write on blogs but as a former Monsey – Grandiew Ave person – YSV, Ateres etc.. (we made aliyah last year) I can tell you that you are making the right choice. Say goodbye to Wesley Kosher, Bubba’s and Shopper’s Haven, 306 traffic and snow days. Your children will only thank you. Our children are basically bi-lingual in less than a year. You are doing it at the right time for them. They will adjust very easily. We also settled in Ramat Beit Shemesh and we are very happy. Just give yourself a treat and get yourself one more godzilla roll from shelly’s II before you go! Saw you did Costco, way to go, long live Ziploc – no such thing here. The best of luck and perhaps we’ll meet on this side. It is just a matter of time before everyone else gets here!
Kol hakavod, Geller family!
This video makes me so glad that I made aliyah when I did — single, with only a few duffel bags’ worth of possessions!
Jamie, you’re right that the sacrifice is worth it. That seems to be the theme of aliyah. 🙂
My family made Aliyah back in 1990 when I was a (young) teen and I still remember it being an exhausting yet exhiliarating process.
I don’t envy you the bureaucratic side of things and getting all the T’s and I’s crossed and dotted but at the end, it’s worth all the hard work and frustrations that may occur along the way.
Wishing you and your family the very best of luck! May the transition period be painless and joyful and the years ahead full of happiness and successes.