The Loren family made aliyah to Israel this summer from Boca Raton, Florida, settling in Zikhron Yaakov. Yael, 44, who is originally from Israel, and Daniel, 48, who previously studied medicine in Israel, moved with their three children: Noa, 15, Maya, 13, and Adam, 6.
Their move from Florida and transition to their new life in Israel was facilitated by Nefesh B'Nefesh, in partnership with Israel's Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, The Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and JNF-USA.
"We talked about making aliyah for years," Daniel recalled. "There was never a 'perfect time' to do it, especially when you have children, careers and schools. In the end, we decided that if a life in Israel was what we wanted for our family, we had to stop talking about it and simply do it." Their choice of Zikhron Yaakov was no coincidence. Its proximity to family, including Yael's parents in Yokneam, has made the transition significantly easier.
From Boca Raton to Mount Carmel: 'This time we're home'
Although the family was part of a large and active Jewish community in Boca Raton, moving to Israel has brought an entirely different feeling. "In America, the holidays take place while the society around you carries on as usual. Here, the whole country changes. Schools close, and you see sukkahs everywhere," they said. "There's something incredible about realizing that we're not visiting and then getting back on a plane. This time we're home."
They plan to celebrate the upcoming holiday meal around a large table with Yael's parents, her aunt and cousins, and are already preparing to build their first sukkah as a family living in Israel.
Alongside the family's excitement, however, they are also facing the everyday challenges of adjusting to a new country, particularly when it comes to helping the children settle in. "The first day of school was probably the most significant moment of our aliyah," Daniel said. "For the children, this is a huge transition. They left behind their friends and the surroundings they knew in America, and now they're starting over in a new country, with a different culture and much more Hebrew.
"There was definitely a mixture of apprehension and excitement. As parents, you worry about whether they'll manage to make friends and how they'll adjust to the school system. Our greatest hope is that everything will become easier for them, that they'll gradually feel more confident with the language and understand that this is their home."
Daniel also has a clear message for other families in the US who are still on the fence about making aliyah. "There will always be reasons to wait, whether it's work, a house, Hebrew or financial considerations," he said. "But you have to ask yourselves where you want to be in five or 10 years. If Israel is the place, sometimes you just have to take the step."
Nefesh B'Nefesh Co-Founder and Executive Director Rabbi Yehoshua Fass said: "A family's first Rosh Hashanah in Israel is much more than just another holiday. It symbolizes the moment when Israel changes from a place you come to visit into a place you call home. "For the Loren family, this is the first year in which they will still be here after the holidays. There could be no more beautiful way to begin a new chapter in life."
