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ALIYA BENITA LEVIN
Looking back at our first year
as ‘olim hadashim’
BENITA LEVIN
A man running with a wine bottle on his
head during the Tiberias Marathon on
January 5
AS I write this article, my family of four
is getting set to celebrate exactly one year
as olim hadashim (new immigrants) in
Israel. Clichéd as it sounds, the past 12
months have flown and the experiences
have far exceeded any of our expectations.
The words “If I’d known then what
I know now” come up often when people
ask about our first year as immigrants in
a new country. Here are some of my top
observations, after what many said would
be a difficult and tumultuous year.
If you give a child the freedom to be –
they’ll grab it with both hands
Up until the time we made aliya, my then
10-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter had
never walked or cycled alone anywhere. On
the second day of school in a new country,
they walked home together. No hesitation.
I have learned that if you give a child the
freedom to move around – without adults
in tow – they’ll take it on, without looking
back. They cycle to friends, walk in the
park and make their own arrangements, day
and night. It seems completely natural to
them. As a South African mom, I celebrate
it and often have to pinch myself when I
think about the incredible independence
they have at such a young age. The fact that
they’ve learned to speak a new language so
quickly is also a huge factor for young children,
as they immerse themselves in a new
social environment.
Our culture should be celebrated – and
so should our differences
We were warned about the culture shock,
when we arrived here. I now believe that
South Africans are among the most polite
people in the world. As a generalization, it
seems we have no problem waiting in lines
and we tend to voice our opinions diplomatically.
That isn’t always the case here! People
seem to be far more assertive and opinionated.
During the past year, we’ve met
people from around the globe – religious,
secular and atheist. How exciting to smile
at our differences and keep learning about a
range beliefs, customs and traditions.
South Africans support each other – no
matter where they find each other in the
world
There is no doubt, one of the hardest
things about immigration, is leaving your
family and your inner circle. So, the move
to Ra’anana was made that much easier,
by the close-knit South African and Anglo
community here. The welcome is overwhelming
at first – reconnecting with people
you haven’t seen in years, invitations to
people you’ve never met and regular messages
and visits from fellow olim. These
friends soon started to feel like family…
Must have – a healthy sense of humor
I truly believe that we all get to decide
how we respond to certain situations – we
can choose to get upset, let go of a situation
or … simply laugh. There have been
countless situations in the past year, in
which I just shrugged, smiled or both. The
time a woman ahead of me in the supermarket
line had a melt-down over a grocery
“issue,” the moment a shop assistant
whispered that we should try a competitor
because they had a “better deal” and the
time a coffee shop owner told me he didn’t
have any change in his cash register, so I
should just come back and pay the next
time I’m in the area.
An attitude of gratitude – le’at le’at
(slowly, slowly)
I have no doubt, no matter when one is in
the world, an “attitude of gratitude” helps
one each and every day. Every country
has its pluses and minuses. There is not a
day that goes by that I am not consciously
grateful for the way things have turned out
in a short space of time. My favourite saying
continues to be “le’at le’at” – slowly,
slowly. Aliya has taught me that you really
don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow.
I do know, we will mark our oneyear
anniversary here eating a shawarma
in a beautiful place with some very special
people.
Word of the week
- Magniv – cool, as in very nice!
Smile of the week – Watching thousands
of runners at the Tiberias
Marathon along the shore of the
magnificent Lake Kinneret – and
spotting one running with a bottle
balancing on his head. (I have
photographic evidence!)
THE JERUSALEM REPORT FEBRUARY 5, 2018 35