On May 10, 2021 Hamas launched rockets from Gaza to Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh. While alarmed and praying for the people living and celebrating Yom Yerushalayim in Jerusalem, I wasn’t too concerned because I assumed the Iron Dome would prevent any rockets from hitting populated areas.
Avi Abelow live from the Kotel when the sirens sounded
While this turned out to be mostly true for Jerusalem, it wouldn’t be true for other parts of the country. Over the next two days, terrorist factions in Gaza would hurl over a thousand rockets all over Israel, specifically targeting Tel Aviv and communities in the Gaza Envelope.
After we got married and everything settled down, we decided it was time to apply for our Israeli passports. The process was relatively easy. I didn’t expect that I would be able to apply for and order my passport at the same appointment I had made to change my name legally here in Israel.
It’s no secret to those in the Aliyah community that there is a large number of failed Aliyot- olim chadashim who move back to their country of origin. This phenomenon is known as yeridah, lit. descent. It is difficult to know the exact statistics of this phenomenon, as neither the government of Israel nor the Jewish Agency for Israel conduct population studies to investigate failed Aliyot. Regardless, we know it’s a big problem.
The Israeli postal service is notorious for delivering packages late, sending them to the wrong address, or losing them altogether. I’m sharing this story as a guide for dealing with them, should any issues come up. Please note: I’ve ordered countless items online; this is the first time I’ve run into a case this bad.
myaliyahstory 