strong>Dateline Jerusalem — Next step, get an apartment near either of the two Anglo Orthodox shuls (synagogues) in the town I have chosen to live.
It is near one of Israel’s many universities with great transportation, glatt kosher markets and restaurants, and a mixture of religious and secular living together in harmony.
Dateline Jerusalem — Things are settling down a bit.
One of the most important things I have learned is that I can communicate with people who do not understand English.
I just say “Ani lo medeberet Ivrit,” which means “I do not speak Hebrew.”
Between their broken English and my broken Hebrew (mine is so broken it needs to be fixed ASAP), I have been able to get much accomplished.
Dateline Jerusalem — What are the odds?
An appropriate title for all that has occurred since my last column.
Another strike.
This time the Ministry of Interior is on strike, and they are in charge of the preparation of some of my documents.
The saga continues. Where shall I begin? I opened a bank account with absolutely no problems. The clerk spoke English.
My ex-husband’s cousin Eytan and I then went back to the Post Office to see if the strike was over so I could get health insurance. Of course not! I commented to him “I guess they want me to die first.”
The postal clerk understood my English because I got the biggest smile from her as I started choking on my coughing.
[Editor’s Note: Here is the conclusion of a former Angeleno’s description of her complicated move to Israel last year, an essay that opened on Friday (“Making Aliyah Taught Me That ‘Bureaucracy’ Is Israel’s Middle Name”).]
When I arrived in Israel and we went through special aliyah processing, I noticed that there was no address next to my name on the list at the processing.
Everyone else had an address.
Aliyah. The word literally means “going up” in Hebrew. It is a term used to describe Jews returning to their ancestral homeland of Israel.
I had visited Israel a few times, always feeling like I was coming home. But since everyone has a fantastic time when they vacation there, I wondered what it would be like to actually live In Israel.
When asked to do this column, I thought of all the experiences I have had since moving to Israel last summer.
Misery definitely loves company because people were laughing at my attempts to adjust to life here. They were so amused that I could not help but laugh as well.
Therefore, another adage, laughter is the best medicine, for no matter what has happened to me here, I began to laugh at my life and felt a certain internal calm and peace.
