TNL in Jerusalem #47 - Words from the Wise: Advice from Veteran Immigrants to New Immigrants

the Land of Israel calm and Israel national TV present aria bran woods and Jeremy in town it's Tuesday night why in Jerusalem Shammi welcome to Tuesday night live in Jerusalem every night we gather here we try to encourage people to reconnect to Israel to make aliyah and tonight we're going to give some practical tools we've given context we've given a history we've given heroes to modern our selves after but tonight we're going to give people practical tips and advice on how to make the transition from the Exile to Israel but first I have to make a confession I have an unhealthy relationship with shawarma you know it's the meat that spins around and there's the meat and the layers and then the the fire burns the meat and then the the the fat uses are on the meat it's that stuff will kill you and you know it looks like I mean growing up in America Jewish food always sounded like something you didn't want to eat like would you like some kreplach or some Kugler kanay dough and then Jews fighting or being envious over other Jewish foods or you guys go bras oh I wish my family it go bras I come to Israel and it's like shawarma and that stuff will kill you if you've made aliyah stay away from it because once you start you can't stop I'll test do it it's a cyclical abusive codependent relationship he has I can't even see it it's it's it's wrong but the reason why seriously why am I telling you all this because someone moving to Israel whether they're observant or non observant it's a leap of faith Israel always seems impossible it seems like we can't how could we possibly survive in a sea of enemies economic challenges and to make a successful transition you need to not only penetrate the illusions of the exteriors of Israel but you need to penetrate the inner essences of your soul and reconnect to your identity because only with a strong Jewish identity and a real sense of mission and purpose can you live your best life in Israel I [Applause] believe that Israel and Jerusalem is specific is undoubtedly the international capital of unsolicited advice I'll tell you there's so many Jews that are living in this in this city in this place called Israel that have left their biological families behind come alone to the land of his own almost instinctively the people of this land pick up the slack and they fill that void with invitations for Shabbat with perpetual interruptions with lots of advice and other family-like behaviors now I'll tell you when I first was acclimating into my life here in Israel I was going through that same bureaucratic hazing process there really is is almost a rite of passage for so many people in this country so many immigrants and while they're getting better it's still known to be a nightmare I spent more time standing in lines than being out of them and right as I was about to lose it and just declare I'm an illegal alien resident and I just don't care about any offices a friend of mine came and gave me a piece of advice that I'll never forget he said to me he quoted from us had brought in the Talmud tractate Bravo he says there are three things that are acquired only through hardships only through pain Torah the Land of Israel and the world to come he said every hardship every line you go through every trouble and tribulation you're acquiring a portion in the Land of Israel and that really I really put into perspective for me because anywhere else in the world you get a jaywalking ticket tough luck you have a jaywalking ticket but in Israel when you're paying that jaywalking ticket you are acquiring your stake in the land your portion of the Land of Israel and you're giving money to the Jerusalem municipality how bad could that be we're giving money to Jerusalem yeah and as long as we're talking about jaywalking tickets let me give my piece of advice if indeed God forbid you do I get approached to give to get a jaywalking ticket forget every last bit of Hebrew that you know look the policeman in the eye and sincerely authentically respectfully say to him Annie Peron I'm a pencil I need to pull off that that could work too I'm an Apple that works that could get you out of the ticket so now come with us as we turn the show over to the Jews of Jerusalem the veteran alene who are all too happy to share their own advice to our beloved new arrivals hear what they have to say come with us to downtown Jerusalem where you can meet the streets now beat the street with are you Jeremy so you're a veteran Ola what would your advice be to all the new Oh Liam that have now arrived and take it easy they will be our Heidi's route guys but they'll get fewer and more for between and it's just enjoy unbelievable what advice would you give isn't Ola to Oleum that are coming to Israel right now advice about the new life in Israel well first of all I'd say yalla first like hurry up and get here because you can't afford to wait any longer so the first thing is the sense of urgency I would urge them to have a sense of urgency about picking up and moving and not waiting till the dollars worth more of the shekels worthless or they sell their house at the right price every minute you waste not making alia is exponentially made up for by bad things happening on the other side what would your advice be to the new Olema come ready to have lots of fun cuz it's really fun here the advice is to just ignore what's going on around you and just love the land that's over so what did you do in America believe it or not it was a synagogue rabbi what would your advice be tell the other synagogue rabbis around America that have not yet made aliyah it's time to lead by example and in this case leave by example what would you say about the Israeli culture shock I think that really in order to be successful you have to forget about all your preconceived notions and conceptions and let go of the trappings of North America you know I met Oleum that complain that they you know they can't find the cereal brands that they were used to or the clothes or the shampoos they get caught up in these trappings and it's it's really very silly and you know I think that you have to just realize that life is going to be different here I'm reminded of the Jewish people in the mid bar complaining and saying you know we remember the the onions and the the cucumber's we remember the fish that we got for free in Egypt you have to just come with an open mind and with a certain freshness actually in the Talmud says that rabbis era before he made aliyah from Bevelle to Eretz Easter alfie fasted 100 fasts in order to forget the Babylonian Talmud Rashi explains what you know there's a different style of learning in bevelle verses in air that sister L but the truth is you know it's part of that adjustment that you know forgetting the past and embracing the future you made Holly up in the United States that's right on your own yeah yeah I'm actually asking him I mean are we up from the United States you're born here oh man you're drooling intellectually stimulating so first of all I would say hurry up and second of all I would say once you get her don't rush because like you hurry up and get out of here but once you get here you have to like you have to like meld into the experience of living in garrison what percentage of your earthly possessions would you be willing to forfeit to remain here in the land of Israel everything everything you want everything well we gave up our two Toyota's we have two brand new Toyota's brand new - that's a big deal and now with the acceleration you would have driven into walls by now right so saved your life I've already given up 100% of my earthly possessions to make sure that I could come and stay - Israel came here with three suitcases much of which the contents were stolen in two successive robberies so I actually I've already given up all my earthly possessions do you have any regrets ah what percentage of your earthly possessions would you be willing to give up to stay here in the Land of Israel 98 percent 98 percent right but if someone said hundred percent you're like I'm going back to the Exile 100% 100% 100% you're right he put me on the spot you have you convinced me 100 percent 100 percent right here you can be comfortable you can be Jewish you can you know have your beards flowing your seat seat flowing you're free to practice your religion as you feel there you feel stifled you feel uncomfortable you feel you're in oddity you're it's awkward there it's not natural here in Arkansas the Torah lives and breathes in its natural habitat the fact is that when you're in America and when you're in Israeli to different people you're not the same thing okay so now that you're here what what are you gonna do to make Israel a more beautiful country even more than it is right now well me being here makes it a beautiful country there's no future for Jews anywhere outside of Israel the future is here no matter what happens and [Music] the change of leaving wherever they are coming to Israel is always a positive one and it's always for the best and it turns out great what's your favorite thing about Israel that contrasts to the African safari uh-huh there's a lot more animals here Israel is actually safer than most other places I've been to so why did you make alia and they make alia yet I'm studying here in University I'm my own lab but you're never gonna leave I probably won't I'm gonna shave your head and go into the arm oh I wish I could do the army but I'm gonna tell you something for sure I wasn't thinking of ever making alia before coming here I was just coming here for the year then going back to Kat Montreal going to university there but now now I'm really thinking about it like seriously thinking about it because I'm just having an amazing year and it's just a great time what do you think maybe we go to Montreal we burned down a couple synagogues get the fear of God in these Jews you know and then they'll be like oh my goodness we got to get Israel good idea I don't know that's a family isn't synagogue oh yeah if you do that they're probably not much if that's created but you could do it was your idea I don't know about that but I appreciate everybody saw one-third of the minutes in the Torah can only be performed here in the Land of Israel that's pretty telling us to the centrality of the Land of Israel and while you know the Jew for 2,000 years in exile should feel proud to be Jewish and to express his Judaism to serve God as he wishes and has to have that holy foot spot as the you know the Hasidic masters speak of that is only until we have an opportunity to come back and after 2,000 years you know if the last 61 years it's been handed to us on a silver platter what I'm gonna name my firstborn son dudu okay dudu and my daughter's and oats nuts because they're not gonna leave the Land of Israel and go to live in America with a name like that no there's beauty to that idea though could you give a brother as a rabbi to all of the new only what would your brother beat in it my brother is that you really feel that this is your home you really just embrace it and the same way when you you come into your home and you take off your coat and you sit into couch and you just feel so relaxed and so at home you feel that this is really your home and that this is where you belong and this is where you hang your head what barakah would you like to give to all the new only you should stay here and you should plant roots here and you should have children and grandchildren here and they should all stay in the land what would your Brucker be to all of the new orlean that just stepped off foot from the plane mmm my bra ha my bra ha that's a hard one that wait let me channel it first southla newt you should have lots of patience and you should realize that everything's happening exactly as it's supposed to be happening and that Hashem should only put you together with people who will do good and not harm that you should be able to tell the difference between alam shell Shakur and Alon shell cabina that is the prevailing thing that happens here sometimes and being able to see the good the new khodataeva and everything and to rejoice as you shed all of the layers of the galoot behind you and peel them away like onions piece by piece until you emerge new and fresh and holy and whole in the Holy Land should you sing a song for all the Jews that are coming from America from Canada from North America throughout the world come back to land of Israel maybe a welcome song some Solly a song and a liason you're thinking too much gotta be from the heart yeah it's gonna be from the heart Bonnell elección allah let's see on our Laila tea or bone Allah LeZion Allah LeZion Allah let's see on it's been two thousand years right now that were waiting so long and the bodies are already here so let's bring all our brothers from America from Canada right up here at the zoo throughout the world throughout the world banality or knowledge to your knowledge CEO banality or not let's eat all night a boner boner boner boner boner after meeting the streets of Jerusalem stay tuned next week when we meet a hero of Israel prisoner of Zion a former member of Knesset a man who sat for nine years in the Siberian gulag for Israel the chairman of the Jewish Agency natan Sharansky Shalom from Jerusalem [Music] some pizza baby yeah [Music] you're Charlie get some game your turn stop it top your jaw okay they have been [Music] [Applause]