I’m writing this on June 4, two days after a day that felt too meaningful to simply rush past.

I’m writing this on June 4, two days after a day that felt too meaningful to simply rush past.

June 2 marked nine months and twelve days since I arrived in Israel.

The amount of time it takes for new life to develop.

Looking back, I realize that Aliyah has been its own kind of birth process.

When I boarded my flight on August 21, 2025, I knew what I was leaving behind. I was leaving a career of more than thirty years, family, friends, routines, and a life I had spent decades building.

What I didn’t know was what I was stepping into.

People often ask me what I’ve learned during these first nine months.

The answer is surprisingly simple:

Do your hishtadlut. Trust Hashem. Let go of the rest.

That doesn’t mean sitting back and doing nothing.

Over the past nine months, I applied to hundreds of positions, attended interviews, followed up on leads, networked relentlessly, and remained open to opportunities I never would have imagined before making Aliyah.

There were many moments when, from my limited perspective, it appeared that nothing was happening.

Yet I never doubted that something eventually would.

I simply trusted that if Hashem brought me to Israel, He would help me build a life here.

And perhaps that uncertainty was a gift.

If I had found a job immediately, I would have missed so much.

I would have missed the opportunity to truly experience Israel.

To wander the streets of Jerusalem.

To build friendships.

To create a women’s group.

To accept Shabbat invitations from people who were strangers only weeks earlier.

To discover that life could be measured by more than meetings, deadlines, and performance reviews.

For the first time in decades, I had space.

I also learned to remain open to possibilities I never would have considered before.

Twice, people suggested I become a dental assistant and offered to train me on the job. Had someone suggested that to me in Canada, I would have laughed. Yet Aliyah taught me to remain open to........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)