http://hebrewyou.com/2009/11/19/will-i-find-spirituality-in-israel/ All about you and Hebrew University in Jerusalem Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:08:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://hebrewyou.com/2009/11/19/will-i-find-spirituality-in-israel/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Deena Levenstein Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:09:35 +0000 http://hebrewyou.com/?p=231#comment-21 Thanks Yonny! Yes, hopefully we become less confused over time and not more confused. Though I'm not assuming that will happen. : ) You must see Israel if it's been 20 years. My family moved here in 1990 and things have changed unbelievably in those 19 years. Thanks Yonny! Yes, hopefully we become less confused over time and not more confused. Though I’m not assuming that will happen. : ) You must see Israel if it’s been 20 years. My family moved here in 1990 and things have changed unbelievably in those 19 years.

]]> http://hebrewyou.com/2009/11/19/will-i-find-spirituality-in-israel/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Yonny Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:40:54 +0000 http://hebrewyou.com/?p=231#comment-19 A lot of honesty in there from you, Deena. I went on Aliyah as a 21 year old in 1978. I had grown up in South Africa as part of an on-off-on again Orthodox family, so I was pretty confused about my Judaism growing up. What I was not confused about, though, was my Zionism. I had read all of Leon Uris' works by the time I had been barmtizvah'd and was adamant that Israel was the place for me to go, as soon as possible. But nothing can quite prepare the new arrival in Israel on the realities of life there. It took a lot of getting used to! And spiritually, particularly when I was in Jerusalem, I found myself searching for G-d and searching for my Jewish roots in the streets and shuks, in the archeological digs, at the Wall, because I figured that as I was in Jerusalem I needed to be religious! Ahhh, the folly of youth! Like you, I had to leave Israel to discover the truer meaning of my spiritual side, to connect to my religion, and how to love Israel and Jerusalem in a real, not imagined way. I will be there next year (G-d willing) and am extremely excited to see the changes after a 20 year absence. A lot of honesty in there from you, Deena. I went on Aliyah as a 21 year old in 1978. I had grown up in South Africa as part of an on-off-on again Orthodox family, so I was pretty confused about my Judaism growing up. What I was not confused about, though, was my Zionism. I had read all of Leon Uris’ works by the time I had been barmtizvah’d and was adamant that Israel was the place for me to go, as soon as possible. But nothing can quite prepare the new arrival in Israel on the realities of life there. It took a lot of getting used to! And spiritually, particularly when I was in Jerusalem, I found myself searching for G-d and searching for my Jewish roots in the streets and shuks, in the archeological digs, at the Wall, because I figured that as I was in Jerusalem I needed to be religious! Ahhh, the folly of youth! Like you, I had to leave Israel to discover the truer meaning of my spiritual side, to connect to my religion, and how to love Israel and Jerusalem in a real, not imagined way. I will be there next year (G-d willing) and am extremely excited to see the changes after a 20 year absence.

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