There are some people who announce their aliyah and no one is surprised to hear it. But that was not the case with Tali (Wohlgelernter) and Elie Rosenberg.
When Elie showed up in khaki pants to their first date, Tali, a Los Angeles native who attended Michlala and Stern, pegged him as Dati Leumi and blurted out, “I just want you to know, I’m not making aliyah.”
Luckily, they were on the same page about that.
Instead, they moved to Elie’s hometown, Dallas, where they spent 11 happy years as active members of the community, serving on the boards of Akiba Academy and Shaare Tefilla. They built a beautiful home with a pool, and loved living near both Elie’s parents and Tali’s sister, as well as having Tali’s parents visit from LA every month. They talked about aliyah “one day” but it felt like a distant dream or a long-term plan.
Then, Covid hit, with its ensuing lockdowns. “Our world became much smaller, everyone’s lives slowed down, and we paused and reconsidered things,” says Tali. “We realized we wanted a different kind of life, and the challenges about aliyah that we felt were so daunting no longer seemed insurmountable. Above all, we wanted to raise our kids in a place where they would want to and be likely to raise their own kids. And, fortunately, our children really wanted to make aliyah.”
The challenges of making aliyah on a short timeline and in the midst of lockdown were many, but Tali says, “Once we made the decision, Hashem carried us on His back to our new life. Somehow, our spirits remained high through every challenge, even when we found out the Airbnb we had booked for our two-week isolation time was an internet scam 24 hours before our flight and we would soon be landing in Israel as essentially homeless lepers.”
The Rosenberg’s new neighbors in Beit Shemesh mobilized quickly and readied their new home with just hours of notice, from cleaning it to stocking it with mattresses and groceries, and then delivering delicious dinners nightly. “Every day, our kids were visited – masked and socially distanced – by new neighbors who would soon become friends.”
That welcome represented the spirit of aliyah so perfectly for the Rosenbergs. Life in Israel was so different from what they were used to, but they found heart and meaning in the country. “Everyone, from the taxi drivers to the store owners, is ready to embrace you with love, thank you for giving up your comfortable life in America, and help you in any way they can.
“We came as ‘medium Zionists,’” says Tali, “But we’ve been inspired by the commitment of others, and have become passionately Zionistic by seeing how people sacrifice for this land. By ourselves sacrificing to live here.”
Their children’s education has been inspiring and moving for them. From learning the mitzvot hatluyot ba’aretz and then immediately putting them into practice, to tearfully re-experiencing their aliyah every Parshat Lech Lecha, and many other small and huge things in between. “I truly feel that “ain Torah k’Torat Eretz Yisrael.”
Living a less materially focused lifestyle is another big part of what the Rosenbergs love. Tali gave up a housekeeper but gained four of the best in-house helpers in her children, who seemingly became Israelis overnight in that regard, confidently walking to the store on their own to pick up last-minute items, taking the bus to school, and helping with household chores without complaining, because it’s simply part of the culture there.
“Aliyah is for everyone. I say that 100% without judgment because I know how enormous the challenges can seem, how comfortable life can be, how important extended family is, how crazy it can feel to even think of upsetting a carefully created balance. I know that I could easily still be living the life I was before happily and thinking that aliyah is just a dream.
“But I urge everyone to make the leap, or at least consider it. Come. It’s your land. You’ll find your place. You will forge your own path on the backs of those who have done it before you. You will find it incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. Hashem will help you and you will find in yourself and in your family and in your children new strengths you never knew possible.”
