LETTER FROM ISRAEL
April 2025
Hi all,
As we approach our second Pesach in Israel (Yes hard to believe isn’t it), I thought it might be a good time to tell you all a bit more about how we’re getting on.
Firstly, can I congratulate you all on a wonderful Match Fund Campaign. Of course, I had massive FOMO but I was so very proud of all of you. I really wouldn’t expect anything less, but it was still wonderful to watch such an amazing team in action.
OK so here we are, 13 months since we started on this mad adventure. I must admit, as I sit on our balcony having breakfast looking out over the sea, I still have to pinch myself and remember that we’re not on holiday. It’s really a most wonderful life. We live right in the heart of the Anglo community here in North Netanya. Many of you will know Nitza, which is basically the first row of buildings in front of the sea. So we live one row behind in a road called Shlomo Hamelech.
We live on the 4th floor so not too high, but high enough to have a lovely view.
I had to give up on ulpan in favour of work (more about that in a minute), and I did one term online in the evenings but it was so tiring. Roz is being amazing. She goes three mornings a week to the main ulpan from 8.30am – 1.00pm. Its pretty hard and she is constantly schvitzing over her homework.
Exciting Goldschneider news in case you didn’t hear. Our daughter Leah who qualified as a teacher a couple of years ago just got the job as a teacher of art and design at JFS so if you have kids there……..don’t blame me!! Seriously we are so very proud of her and so pleased that she got her dream job, back in the Jewish community which she really wanted.
We get to see our grandchildren about twice a month. We have two boys who are nearly 6 and 4 and little Hadassah who is just 1. They are coming to us after the first part of Pesach to spend the rest of it at the seaside with us which is super exciting. Our children are Charedi and they are very picky about what they will eat so Pesach shopping is even more difficult. You don’t realise how easy you have it – just go into KK and buy what you want. Here if you’re Ashkenazi there is a thing called Kitniot which you can’t eat and because the majority of people in Israel are Sephardi (They can eat it), most stuff has kitniot in it. Roz and I can be spotted hour after hour at the shelves desperately trying to work out whether we can buy it when its all in Hebrew. Very stressful. Thank Heavan’s for Google translate…..genius!
Work is great. My main work is with a charity called Myisrael which raises money, mostly in the UK and distributes it to some absolutely amazing smaller charities working on the front line here with a huge range of welfare issues. We visited a special farm the other day near the airport where soldiers suffering from PTSD come to help on the farm and to receive group therapy and other support services. Its an amazing project and its so easy to forget that most front-line soldiers have been witness to some horrendous sites and stresses and PTSD is so very common. I have a strategic role with the charity, so I get to be involved in almost everything and it’s a wonderful team. I should say though that we work over 95% remotely. There is around 5 part-time people in each country. As you all know, WFH has its advantages for sure and so does online working, but communication is definitely harder, and it’s so much more fun to be together, even if it’s just some of the week.
I’m also working with a charity that does some work for Camp Simcha families called Art Therapies For Children. It’s a small charity am trying to help them onto the next stage of their development. They provide art therapies to children in Jewish primary schools and they do a wonderful job.
I have another slot for one more charity so if you know of any other charities who I might be able to help. My charges are tiny!!!
I’m still an avid listener to LBC every day, so I keep up with all the news…even if its painful having to listen to James O’Brien……so anti-Israel. Today they were all going on about the Trump tariffs and I found myself relieved that the UK will only have to grapple with 10%. I pinch myself as quite honestly, why am I so wrapped up in how it is for the UK – I don’t live there anymore, but as the saying goes “You can take the boy out etc”.
Lastly, I have one more serious reflection. One year in, do we think we made the right decision a. to make Alyah and b. to semi-retire and come earlier than we might have?
So I know I have said this before, but I’m really not a great Zionist. I didn’t make Alyah because I passionately believe in the Zionist dream. I made Alyah because, after nearly 2,000 years of living in diaspora, our generation has the opportunity to come home, to live where G-d intended us to, and let’s be honest…the people of the world like to keep remining us, we’re really never that welcome in the end in other people’s lands. So whatever one thinks of the people who live here and believe me I’m no big fan of many Israelis and the way they behave, this really is home.
I know that whilst the guy next to me in the shop will push in and nobody will ever say thank you and, and etc. ultimately, we are all Jewish here. I know deep down that most people around me would fight with me to sustain out life here as Jewish. This is our land and SO many of us have sacrificed our own flesh and blood to protect it. Life here can be difficult at times, sometimes very difficult, and it’s the middle east – it’s so different from what we’re used to – but it’s still ours….and we’re home, where deep down, we know that we belong, and that’s a very special feeling.
And were we right to leave a bit early? – I have to say that it’s been really hard watching all the wonderful happenings at Camp Simcha and as I said, I couldn’t be more proud of you all. I’m thrilled that you’re led by a wonderful CEO and any leader wants to walk away knowing that they’ve created an organisation that can thrive without them. But I won’t pretend it’s been easy. I miss you all every day and I miss being part of it. But I am really proud of the fact that I was able to walk off into the sunset at the right time, when Daniel was ready to take over and SMT were more than capable of transitioning and growing even stronger. It’s great that we have come whilst we’re still young enough to have lots of fun and PG if things get better here, we will start to travel around more and see the country. So broadly speaking yes, I think we made the right decision and I’m pleased to report that one year in, as we approach our second Pesach, we’re very happy, even though we miss each and every one of you!! Looking forward to Bubalas on the balcony for breakfast.
Roz and I wish you all a very Happy, Kosher Pesach and hope that you get to enjoy Seder with your friends and loved ones in peace and that soon we will have peace for all of Israel.
Last but by no means least – as you all know, there is a very nice balcony and coffee (or even a nice cup of English tea…you can always bring us supplies!) awaiting visitors at any time – we even have spare bedrooms if required and would love to see you!
Chag Sameach
Neville & Roz