12 to 12

This morning, I was tagged by Rafi G with the following message:

Today I received an email from Dudy Stark of Nefesh B'Nefesh:

This coming Shabbat, the Torah portion, Shelach, that recalls the sin of
the spies, is read. These were the 12 men that Moshe sent to scout out the Land
of Israel before entering. When they returned, their reports were distorted and
negative and caused a 40 year delay before the Children of Israel could
enter.Today despite the challenges that come with living in Israel, we are
witness to all that is good and special about living here and it is in our
ability to tell our family, friends and neighbors abroad what those things
are.Nefesh B'Nefesh is initiating a simple project this week called "12 to 12".
We are asking every Oleh to compose a list of 12 great things you appreciate and
love about living in Israel and email your message to 12 (or more) friends
abroad.If you send this out to your friends, please CC 12to12@nbn.org.il when you
send it out.

-- Though there were only 10 spies who brought back negative reports, and the remaining 2 were positive, I will list my 12, in no particular order, to be consistent with other jblogs.
Anyway, here’s mine (Shlomo):

1. Witness the hitchalta d’geula, and hopefully the geulah itself (speedily in our days) first-hand as opposed to while watching CNN from the other side of the world. One of the things that got my thinking about Aliyah is when my friend, Aharon Wexler, illustrated a scenario of Wolf Blitzer broadcasting the coming of Meshiach in Jerusalem. Did I want to be there or here?

2. Connect our illustrious Jewish history with the present and future of Am Yisrael. Nefesh b’Nefesh’s old slogan was, “Our past, Our future. Your Present”.

3. Hebrew: Lashon haKodesh is the basic vernacular. When in college, I once spent a Shabbat in the Machpela Cave in Hebron. At the time I was fresh off the boat, but since my tiyul mates came from Italy, France, Russia and Uruguay, our common language was that of our forefathers and heritage.

4. Shabbat. Shabbos. The Sabbath. Shabbus (if you’re Canadian). No matter what you call it, a Shabbat in the Land cannot be compared to that of Chu”L (outside the Land). Walking through the streets on the 7th day, you can feel the holiness and serenity. Even in Haifa, where the buses are running, it’s simply a different atmosphere.

5. Jewish education: My daughter Shalva learned more about Judaism and Torah as a 3 year old in her gan in Israel than she has during our year in Chicago in a 4 yr old program. And that’s only pre-school! It seems that Mesechet Baba Batra 158b was correct when it said, “the air of Eretz Yisrael makes one wise.”

6. Jewish education II: Tuition. “The most successful form of birth control in the Jewish community in the US has been Jewish education.” Heard of that one? So sad; people can’t afford to send their kids to these outrageous tuitions for day schools, so instead they have fewer kids. Day school education in Israel is but a fraction and even college tuition is (still) affordable.

7. The country encourages the study of Torah: when learning in the kollel in Bar Ilan, I was one of thousands who received government spending towards that learning.

8. The Chayalim: the tragedy of the destruction of Jewish homes in Gaza and Amona notwithstanding, seeing, receiving protection from and experiencing a tekez hashba’ah (swearing in ceremony) of a Jewish army that stands to uphold a Jewish state is simply incredible.

9. Hummus: I’ll admit that the stuff that you can get in Jewel in Chicago has improved over the past few years. But, c’mon, can we really compare?

10. A sense of belonging: Our Nation in Our Land. Exile and Diaspora? Been there, done that.

11. Holiday times: no more explaining to the kids who Santa Claus is or why their neighbors are putting up jack-O-lanterns. Instead, the fruit stores are putting up Tu B’Shvat baskets and Shavuot cheesecake recipes appear on the back of your cream cheese containers during the right seasons.

12. Yearning: throughout our tefillot, benching, literature and liturgy, we have been begging to come Home. Now, we finally can and have done. we would welcome YOU ALL home too.