Weekly Interview: Mrs.S.

I have been a regular reader of Mrs. S.’s blog for quite a while now and always enjoy her sense of humor, especially in her Heblish or teenager posts. Thank you Mrs.S.; it is a pleasure to feature your wonderful contribution on my blog.

Can you introduce yourself in a few words?

I was born in the US and made aliyah with my husband and older kids almost twelve years ago BA”H. (Our younger children were born in Israel.)

What is your religious background (if any)?

Dati-Leumi Torani.

When and why did you decide to make aliyah?

During our first date, my husband and I discovered that we each dreamed of eventually moving to Israel. We had both spent a considerable amount of time in Israel and felt very comfortable here. But most of all, we were – and, of course, very much still are! – motivated and inspired by Religious Zionism.

When our eldest was born, we decided that the time had come to make concrete plans.

My family had spent a two-year sabbatical in Israel when I was in elementary school, and so I had firsthand experience of moving to Israel as an older child. We didn’t want our kids to have to go through that, and so we resolved that we would make aliyah before our eldest started school. Baruch Hashem, everything fell into place, and we were able to come the summer before our eldest entered first grade.

Why did you choose your specific community?

About a year and a half before our aliyah, we decided to purchase a home in Israel. We felt that owning something would force us to actualize our aliyah plans. To that end, we came on a pilot trip and looked around.

Ironically, we had a very different type of community in mind for most of that trip. However, we were having a difficult time finding a specific house or apartment which would fit our needs. And so, our Israeli relatives recommended that we check our current neighborhood out, and the rest is history… ☺

When and why did you start blogging?

I’d been lurking on other people’s blogs for a while, and it looked like fun. And then, two years ago, our home renovations (shiputzim in Hebrew) provided me with a good excuse to finally take the blogging plunge.

Have you been surprised by the way your blogging activity has evolved over the years?

I certainly never imagined that I’d still be blogging two years later or that blogging would play such a major (and enjoyable) role in my life. A frequent refrain in our house is, “Imma, are you going to blog about that?” ☺

To what extent do you feel your blogging activity reflects on the global perception of Israel?

In general, my blog is deliberately apolitical, and I tend to shy away from current events. IMHO, there are many other bloggers out there who are much better equipped than I to make Israel’s case to the international community.

Instead, I focus on everyday Israeli life. My hope is that someone out there will read my blog and identify with me and my family and, as a result, perhaps take his/her own aliyah plans to the next level.

What post(s) are you most proud of?

Without a doubt, the most amazing post on my blog was the now-famous letter written by the brother of an IDF chaplain during Operation Cast Lead. I think this incredibly moving letter speaks volumes about the inherent beauty of both Israel and Judaism.

Thank you, Ilana-Davita. I really enjoyed doing this interview.

Last week’s interview