NBN, Aliyah Flight, and Gaza (Not in that order)

This will be my last post in America before my trip.

For those of you who have not yet heard, there has been Israeli strikes in Gaza over the last few days. Many hamas military compounds, terrorist infrastructure, and around 40 tunnels used for smuggling arms have been destroyed by the Israeli air force (IAF). A few thousand reservists have been called in by the Israeli government, and the Israeli defense force (IDF) has been mobilized along the Gaza border. This came soon after a cease fire between Israel and Hamas ended, in which hamas bombarded southern Israel with ketyusha rockets. If you want to read more (from an Israeli standpoint) you can on JPost or Haaretz. All of this has enfolded within the last 24 hours.

Although there is currently a dangerous situation in the south, it will not affect my trip. I will be staying in Jerusalem, far from where the maneuvers are. However, it is a bit of an unsettling experience. Things in Israel have been relatively quiet for some time, and the fact that this violence has unravelled so quickly has made me think about 

a lot of things. Unfortunately, this fighting is part of being an Israeli and it is something I must begin to get used to in my life. I have faith in Hashem (g-d) that everything will be alright. And, as I've promised my parents, I won't be riding buses in Jerusalem in the very near future (at least until things quiet down a

 bit). 

That all being said, everything is set for my Aliyah!!! I packed up my entire life today. All it took was a suitcase, duffel bag, saxophone, and backpack. A move like this really makes one realize how much superfluous stuff you have! There was so much crap in my dorm room, I couldn't believe it! I mean, what do we really need to live? Some clothes and a few things that are meaningful to us, being my sax and some pictures of family. Honestly, I probably could have fit it all into a single suitcase, but the weight limits being what they are today held me back. What ever happened to the days when you could check a 75 lb bag for free, AND get free soda and peanuts! What is this world coming to?!?!?!?

I applied to fly with an organization called Nefesh B'Nefesh (NBN) or Jewish Souls United (I think...). This group is advanta

geous because you usually have an entire El Al jumbo jet reserved for people making Aliyah. That is what I was originally supposed to do, however, the flight was cancelled, due t

o some flight route trouble, and now I am flying a day later on Dec. 30th. Instead of the entire airplane there are blocks of seats reserved for the people making Aliyah, 160 people on my trip. Along with this, they try t

o ease the governmental bureaucracy that comes with moving to Israel. I will be receiving my Teudat Zehut (Israeli ID card) when I get off the plane, instead of having to go to four different gov't offices. They also have a great support network in Israel for Olim Chadashim (new immigrants). 

So, there it is. My flight is out of JFK at 6pm this tuesday December 30th. If you have any question, email me! Oh, and h

ere are a few picture from graduation (if you haven't seen them already)!