Haaretz Hatovah

From America To Hashem’s Backyard Yosef Shalom Rabin, Shaarei Chesed, Yerushalayim I was born and raised in the “Goldene Medineh” (lehavdil!), America, and spent most of my years in Passaic, NJ. For seven years I was zocheh to absorb myself in the amazing Torah environment of Yeshivas Talmidei Telz in Riverdale, NY, after which I came to learn in Eretz Yisroel by [...]

  Accepted at Last Chaim Ekstein, Romema, Yerushalayim   The plane tickets for our move from Monroe, New York to Eretz Yisroel were booked well in advance, on Chanukah of 5780 (2019), before anyone thought about corona. The original date for our flight was July 1, 2020, but it was pushed off time after time due to coronavirus regulations. For [...]

          What Are We Doing Here? And Why?   Yechezkel Toporowitz, Shmuel HaNavi, Yerushalayim   I have my roots in Eretz Yisroel. My grandfather had come to Eretz Yisroel in the 1930's already as a bochur, as he felt that it was getting dangerous to stay in Europe. He eventually went to Chaifa, with the encouragement [...]

    Yes, It's a Reality Elisha Bruck, Ramat Beit Shemesh Gimmel I grew up in Boro Park and learned in local mosdos. I went to Chasam Sofer for high school, and for beis medrash I attended the Yeshiva of South Fallsburg where I learned by Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel shlita. I then came to Eretz Yisroel to learn in [...]

    Home Country Eli B., Ma'aleh Amos When I first came as a young bochur to Eretz Yisroel, I thought, no chance I would stay to live here. I was in a typical state of denial, convincing myself that back in “my” home country everything is better; there's nothing like America. I had two married brothers learning in Eretz [...]

        Stepping Stones  By Bracha Toporowitch CHT, Zichron Yaakov In my professional practice of Mind-Body Healing, I often tell people that difficulties can be looked at as stones. It is up to them to decide if they view these stones as stumbling blocks or stepping stones. Aside from the “sunny side” of living in Eretz Yisroel, my [...]

    Land of Opportunity Dr. Gabriel Joel, Rechovot We moved to Eretz Yisroel in 2014. It wasn't because of the finances; we were b”H doing fine in Cleveland.  It wasn't because of the chinuch; our kids were learning in Mosdos Ohr HaTorah, a very Chareidi place with about 75% of the student body coming from kollel homes or whose [...]

A Welcome Challenge Hershy Shmedra, Romema, Yerushalayim It was during Pesach, right in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak, that we finalized our plan to move from Brooklyn to Eretz Yisroel. I asked a shailah if we were allowed to pack up for moving to Eretz Yisroel during Chol HaMoed; yes! was the encouraging p'sak, so we packed and prepared. [...]