Week 7 of the aliyah vlog marks a turning point for both Daniel and Arielle.
For Daniel, the long-awaited moment finally arrives: he lands in Israel and begins the life he had spent weeks preparing for. What follows is a rapid shift from the emotion of Ben-Gurion Airport to farm work before his MBA, and then to sharing his aliyah story on a ynet broadcast.
Daniel arrives in Israel
For Arielle, the milestone is different. Already in Israel with her family, she begins turning Tel Aviv from a destination into a home, searching for an apartment, imagining the family’s new routine and reaching the point where the move finally feels real.
Arielle finds home in Tel Aviv
‘We’re home’
Daniel’s Week 7 begins with the moment everything changes. “Landed in Israel,” he says shortly after touching down. “That’s crazy.” Then comes an even simpler declaration: “We’re home.”
At the airport, Daniel is still processing the fact that the journey he had been documenting is no longer about preparing for aliyah. “So we’re in the airport, we’ve just landed and look at... wow, welcome home,” he says. “That’s pretty crazy.”
But the excitement is paired with a clear sense that the landing is only the beginning. “I can’t wait to continue the journey in Israel and build my life here,” he says.
From aliyah to farm life
Daniel’s next stop is not a classroom or office. Before beginning his MBA, he heads to work on a farm. “We’re going to be doing some farming before I get into my MBA,” he says. The scenes quickly move from the symbolic milestone of making aliyah to the much more physical reality of daily life: vegetables, soil, watering, weeds and early mornings.
From aliyah to farm life
At one point, Daniel jokingly calls himself “the king of the weeding.” The routine also means getting up long before sunrise. “Guess who woke up at 4:30 in the morning?” he says. Still, his assessment is positive. “Farm life is nice.”
Daniel Bielak
The Israeli heat soon becomes part of the experience as well, forcing a break during the hottest hours of the afternoon. The contrast is sharp: within days of the airport welcome, Daniel is already immersed in a completely different rhythm of life.
Taking the aliyah story to ynet Global
Week 7 also brings Daniel’s journey onto a larger stage. After documenting his aliyah process for weeks, he appears on an international ynet Global broadcast and talks about what it has been like to share the experience publicly.
Daniel brings his aliyah journey to ynet Global
Daniel explains that he had been working with Nefesh B’Nefesh on a weekly vlog over the previous two months, giving viewers a look at the less polished side of making aliyah. That includes, in his words, “headaches, drama and all the benefits.”
For Daniel, the appearance becomes a chance to reflect on a process that had until recently been focused almost entirely on getting to Israel. “It was such an amazing experience to be able to share some of that insight,” he says. “I’m so grateful for this experience.”
Arielle looks for a place to call home
Arielle’s Week 7 story begins with another kind of realization. “It’s really hitting me that we are living in Tel Aviv,” she says. “I freaking love this city.” After the disruption of the move itself, the city is beginning to feel less temporary. “We’re here,” she says. “I can’t believe it.”
The city is beginning to feel less temporary
A major part of that transition is finding a permanent home for the family. Arielle takes her family to see an apartment they had previously toured remotely and hoped would become theirs. “We are taking the family to see our hopeful apartment,” she says. The plan is to see it in person, finalize the details and, if everything works out, move in soon. “Fingers crossed.”
The uncertainty does not last long. “This is our new apartment,” Arielle says. “I love it.” One feature immediately stands out. “My favorite part of the apartment is this amazing wraparound garden,” she says. Outdoor space had been particularly important to the family, and Arielle is visibly excited by what they found. “I’m really happy,” she says. “This is like our dream apartment.”
‘Where I’m supposed to be’
The apartment gives Arielle’s Week 7 story a tangible payoff, but the emotional payoff comes later. Standing in the new space, she admits the experience is beginning to overwhelm her. “I’m literally so happy,” she says. “I think if I had more energy, I would probably be crying right now.”
The apartment is coming together
Then, as the family prepares for its first Shabbat in Israel, she describes herself as feeling “at peace” and “where I’m supposed to be.”
For both Daniel and Arielle, Week 7 is ultimately about what happens after arrival.
For Daniel, it means moving immediately from the airport into the routines, work and experiences that will shape his new life. For Arielle, it means finding the place where her family can begin putting down roots.
The milestone of aliyah may happen on the day the plane lands. Week 7 is about what comes next: the moment a move begins turning into a life.
Catch up on the journey so far: Watch Week 1, Watch Week 2, Watch Week 3, Watch Week 4, Watch week 5 and Watch week 6.
All three made 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