For weeks, aliyah has been something to prepare for. This week, reality took over. Arielle finally boarded the flight she had spent months planning for. Dani, already in Israel, discovered that building a life in Tel Aviv meant finding somewhere to put all the belongings currently crowding her Airbnb. Daniel, whose own aliyah is still ahead of him, confronted a different obstacle: the expectation that he should already know what he is doing.
For all three, progress came only after letting go of the idea that the process would unfold perfectly.
Arielle Sabol
Arielle’s departure morning began not with a dramatic farewell, but with children to dress, luggage to check and a driver waiting outside.The family had spent weeks preparing, including an unexpectedly complicated immigration process for Lilu, their cat. Veterinary appointments and paperwork eventually led to one more member of the family being ready for Israel.
By the time they reached the airport, the scale of the move was beginning to sink in. “These are our last few moments in the U.S.,” Arielle said, still struggling to believe the day had finally arrived.
Arielle Sabol
Then came check-in, security, the children, the cat and the long flight itself. Landing at Ben-Gurion Airport did not immediately bring the process to an end either. Up next was passport control and aliyah processing. But eventually came the words the family had been waiting for: “We’re all Israeli,” Arielle said. Hours after landing, they finally left the airport.
For Dani, arriving in Israel had almost become old news. The challenge now was finding a place that truly felt like her own. “Honestly, I am dying to get out of the Airbnb,” she said. “When you're here with all of your stuff for your entire life, there's just no space.”
Danielle Adessky
That sent her into the Tel Aviv apartment market, where optimism quickly met reality. One apartment was too small and had no washing machine. Another had a large living room but cramped bedrooms and a balcony memorable for all the wrong reasons.
After days of searching, Dani had had enough. “Everything has just been either a shoebox or, like, way out of our price range, or, like, bad location,” she said. There was also a deadline. The Airbnb was available for only one more week.
Dani in her Airbnb apartment
(Photo: Screenshot)
Then, after one disappointing viewing after another, Dani walked into an apartment she actually liked. “I actually really love this place,” she said. Soon afterward, a phone call confirmed it. “Oh my God, no. Are you for real?” she said. “Oh my God, thank you.” For Dani, settling in suddenly became a little less temporary.
Daniel’s challenge this week was different. He is still preparing to make aliyah, but has been documenting the journey as it unfolds. That has forced him to confront whether he needs to have answers before speaking publicly about the experience.
Daniel Bielak
“I've recently discovered I'm an amateur at making Aliyah, and I couldn't be happier,” he said. The admission followed a period of questioning whether what he had to say was useful at all. “Making Aliyah is scary, but talking about it, being vulnerable about it, that's even one step further in that fear,” he said.
Daniel realized that waiting for the perfect message was preventing him from sharing the process itself. “Being an amateur doesn't mean that I don't care,” he said. “It means that I'm gonna ask questions, make mistakes, show up, learn, continue to improve, all in front of you.”
Daniel’s challenge this week was different
(Photo: Screenshot)
That idea could apply just as easily to Arielle and Dani this week.
One family reached Israel only after navigating children, luggage, a cat and hours of bureaucracy. Another found a home only after days of bad apartments and mounting frustration. Daniel, still preparing for his own move, decided that not knowing everything may be part of the story rather than a reason not to tell it.
Daniel realized that waiting for the perfect message was preventing him from sharing the process itself
(Photo: Screenshot)
Aliyah comes with plans, checklists and dates. Then real life begins. And while that reality can be stressful, frustrating and full of unknowns, Dani and Arielle couldn’t be happier to finally be home in Israel, while Daniel can’t wait to keep learning and soon begin his own journey in the country.
All three are making Aliyah with the assistance of Nefesh B’Nefesh, in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, and Jewish National Fund-USA.
In cooperation with Nefesh B’Nefesh