אוירא דארץ ישראל Avira DEretz Yisroel

Yechezkel Toporowitz, Shmuel HaNavi, Yerushalayim

I have my roots in Eretz Yisroel. My grandfather had come to Eretz Yisroel in the 1930’s already as a bochur, as he felt that it was getting dangerous to stay in Europe. He eventually went to Chaifa, with the encouragement of the Chazon Ish ztz”l, settling in the then-completely irreligious neighborhood of Neve Sha’anan. He was one of the only Chareidi people who were raising their family in the area. He dreamed of building a yeshivah there which would be a positive influence on the whole area, and he and his sons were eventually instrumental in the founding and upkeep of the prestigious Yeshivas Nachlas HaLeviim in Neve Sha’anan. Despite financial difficulties and ruchniyus challenges, my grandparents were moser nefesh for yishuv Eretz Yisroel and for spreading the light of Torah.

I was born in London, where my father had come as a bochur and married my mother. When I was eight years old, we moved to Eretz Yisroel – my father’s home country. Our family was here for about ten years, and then left for the U.S. As I was in yeshivah at the time, I stayed behind, considering myself still a resident of Eretz Yisroel. Two years later I married my wife, who grew up in Bnei Brak. We subsequently moved to Monsey, where I was a magid shiur and mashgiach in a yeshivah for Israeli baalei teshuvah.

I was actually quite successful at my job, and happy to be disconnected from the social pressure I felt when we were in Eretz Yisroel (maybe because as a foreigner in the U.S., I didn’t feel a need to fit in; this might be true in the converse – for an American immigrating to Eretz Yisroel). I will even admit that there were some ma’alos I attained during this period that I would possibly not have achieved in Eretz Yisroel. At the time, I wasn’t aware of the importance of yishuv Eretz Yisroel, for which my grandparents had been moser nefesh. We viewed our grandfather as a Torah pioneer, with no difference to us had his activities taken place in chutz laAretz or in Eretz Yisroel. He was actually involved with the opening of two Novardok yeshivos when he was still a bochur back in Europe.

Three years later we decided we were done with our stint in Monsey, and we headed back to Eretz Yisroel. Our move was purely technical, with nothing at all to do with the ideal of yishuv Eretz Yisroel. When we came back to Yerushalayim, I experienced a huge culture shock – I think even more than a total foreigner would have. As someone whose formative years were spent in Eretz Yisroel who then experienced a disconnect from the so-called “harsh” Israeli culture, it was all suddenly back “in my face.” I am embarrassed to say that there were days when I would think to myself, “what am I doing here?”

After a short while, I went to visit my father in Monsey. I chanced upon a nice house available to rent there, and we found ourselves pulled back to the quiet atmosphere there. That’s how we ended up back in Monsey, and we could have ended up staying there for many more years if not for the substantial change of mind that we went through. I found myself constantly trying to justifying my stay in chutz laAretz through all sorts of ideologies that I adopted (for this purpose…).

One day, a friend suggested that I learn with him a masechta from Seder Zera’im. We started learning – I don’t recall which masechta it was, maybe Shevi’is or Pe’ah – and after a short while, maybe a week or two, I started getting strong feelings for Eretz HaKodesh. I have no way of explaining this as a natural phenomenon. Everything was going for us in Monsey: We had a nice house (albeit rented), two cars (albeit a bit old), the kids were learning in good mosdos, and we were thriving with the quiet and serenity of Monsey. HaKadosh Baruch Hu just put a powerful idea in my head and I began feeling passionate about Eretz Yisroel – the Land which HaShem always has His Eyes focused on.

I found myself wondering, “What am I doing here? I have a house in Eretz HaKodesh, I have the possibility of living there – it’s not just a random place where people live because it’s comfortable to live there.” Similar thoughts continued to flutter through my mind, until one day I told my wife, “We’ve had enough of this romance with the serenity of chutz laAretz!”

We were headed back to Eretz Yisroel, but this time it wasn’t because it was technically better or would work out better to live there. This time we were going for the sake of it being Eretz Yisroel, even if it would be difficult. Our Gedolim throughout the generations strongly desired to come here; some of them had to overcome serious difficulties and literally be moser nefesh. Like them, this time we would return with a desire to connect with Eretz Yisroel itself.

We moved again to Eretz Yisroel, but this time we were emotionally prepared to deal with the difficulties. The knowledge that what we were doing was for the sake of yishuv Eretz Yisroel gave us the strength to overcome the challenges. Since then, our emotions towards Eretz Yisroel have grown stronger – we feel strongly connected. It’s a whole other world, entirely different from our earlier experiences of living in Eretz Yisroel.

In conclusion, I would say that each person who comes here or stays here in Eretz Yisroel, in spite of any challenges and at any level of mesirus nefesh, is taking an active part in rectifying the sin of the Meraglim. May we merit to see the world through the lens of Torah and Geulah, and may we be zoche to the Geulah Sheleimah!

Deepening our Zechus – A Mitzvah with a Neshamah

Even those of us who are zoche to live here in Eretz Yisroel should ask ourselves: Are we here in Eretz Yisroel just to live here, or to really settle here? Even if we’re here to settle, is it just for technical reasons – even if those technical reasons are ruchniyus-related, such as having a better place to learn – or for the mitzvah of yishuv Eretz Yisroel? Even if it’s for the mitzvah, is it just for the actual mitzvah, that, as with any mitzvah, can also be performed without a neshamah – or is it with a desire to connect to the inner dimension of Eretz Yisroel and its kedushah, and to appreciate each and every moment that we are zoche to live here?

In our day and age – when the process of kibutz galuyos and the Geulah is continuing to unfold before our eyes – we may be able to add: Is it just a private and personal thing to be here, or do we feel we are a part of HaShem’s pekidah (consideration) of Eretz Yisroel and Am Yisroel, on the way to His zechirah (remembrance) and ultimate geulah?

When I first came as a young bochur to Eretz Yisroel, I thought, no chance I would stay to live here. I was in a typical state of denial, convincing myself that back in “my” home country everything is better; there’s nothing like America. I had two married brothers learning in Eretz Yisroel at the time, and I just came here to grow in learning in a different setting.

From mid-high school in my hometown of Baltimore, I skipped to a post-high school Israeli yeshivah gedolah – Yeshivas Kol Torah in the Yerushalayim neighborhood of Bayit Vegan. It took a little bit of time to acclimate to the people, language, and culture, and to being away from home. There were a lot of ups and downs, but B”H I was able to push past the hard parts and make it through yeshivah.

During this time, as I got a bit out of being defensive for my “home country,” I advanced to “I’m too young now; I’m not going to think about living here now.” It was only later, a year and a half before I got married, that I thought about it again and realized that I didn’t have much more anywhere else. My friends were here, I had some family here as well, and my rebbeim were here. I sort of just realized that I’m here, too – it’s Eretz Yisroel that is my real home country. Of course, I had some family back in the U.S., but I was sure they would also love to come to Eretz Yisroel, so why shouldn’t I stay?

It wasn’t that I was only here out of default; there were positive things I appreciated about living here. There is a high level of Torah and yiras Shomayim, and of course the ma’alah and kedushah of Eretz Yisroel that I wouldn’t have back in America.

I started shidduchim here in Eretz Yisroel, and got married to someone from an American-Israeli family that we knew from Beitar. Her two brothers learned with me in Kol Torah, and my parents were acquainted with her parents. This made things a lot easier.

After getting married in Eretz Yisroel, we moved into a really small apartment (called here yechidat diur, lit. housing unit) in the Geulah neighborhood of Yerushalayim. It is very common here for young couples to start out for a short time in a yechidat diur – they are often too small for even just the first baby! I then started learning in Yeshivas Brisk of R’ Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveitchik shlita, and my wife worked in the neighborhood of Har Nof. The bus ride to Har Nof every morning, going through all of Geulah traffic, could take a full hour.

We moved several months ago to the Chareidi yishuv of Ma’aleh Amos. Although some might have a feeling that it’s a bit “out-of-the center,” it actually takes my wife less time to get to work in Har Nof than when she had to go through all of Geulah traffic! Some friends were wary of moving to Ma’aleh Amos, as it is supposedly in an Arab area. We do drive through some Arab areas a bit, but I don’t find it to be a real issue; in some ways it is actually better than in Yerushalayim.

As for me, since moving I switched to a kollel in Yerushalayim, joining another three avreichim from the yishuv attending the same kollel. Traveling by car, it is a short commute – I get a ride every day with someone from the yishuv who works in Yerushalayim.

When we had started our search for more affordable housing, we were concerned we would have to leave our family and friends behind and venture into unfamiliar territory. Most of the financially realistic options for us were a long commute away to the north or south, where Yerushalayim could no longer realistically remain the center of life. We were relieved to find that Ma’aleh Amos would allow us to enjoy affordable housing while maintaining our connection with Yerushalayim. In a sense, I feel as if we never really left Yerushalayim.

The atmosphere here in Ma’aleh Amos is relaxing, and there is beautiful achdus among the residents. It’s a small place where people are helpful and friendly while not being intruding and judging. People are accepted for who they are, avreichim and working people alike. People mostly know each other. Everyone helps in their own way, such as arranging meals for families after birth, etc. Local drivers stop by the yishuv gate to offer people rides. All in all, we’ve been very happy here.

In general, people here are from yeshivah backgrounds, though a Chassidish community is starting, as the Biala Rebbe is sending his Chassidim to live here. They opened a shul here in addition to the central Litvish shul. In this small place, it’s nice to have another minyan with additional times for Shacharis, Mincha and Maariv.

Aside from myself and my wife, there are several Americans and children of American immigrants who are English speakers from home living here. For anyone who would want to live here but is not yet integrated into the Israeli community, I’m sure we’d all be happy to help.

On HaShem’s Schedule

There were recently several new developments here in Ma’aleh Amos which make it even easier to live here.

A new shuttle service between Ma’aleh Amos and Beitar means more commuting options; to Yerushalayim, there are a few buses a day. A popular countrywide once-a-week “neighborhood goods sale” opened a local branch, where we order supplies and groceries to be delivered to the yishuv. A major supermarket from a nearby city started offering home delivery for our yishuv, albeit for a small fee. We are no longer dependent on the small local makolet (grocery), which isn’t open all day.

All of these developments happened about the time we moved to the yishuv, half a year after we were originally scheduled to move. While waiting, we were a bit frustrated about the delay, but afterwards realized how HaShem cared for us – making sure we’d come only when it would be even easier for us here.

Bracha Toporowitch CHT, Zichron Yaakov

In my professional practice of Mind-Body Healing, I often tell people that difficulties can be looked at as stones. It is up to them to decide if they view these stones as stumbling blocks or stepping stones. Aside from the “sunny side” of living in Eretz Yisroel, my own experiences here included such challenges – stumbling blocks that were really stepping stones – as well.

My husband is Israeli, but we met in America and settled in Lakewood. Although I was never exposed to life in Eretz Yisroel, nor had any of my own close family members living there, I knew I wanted to live there. As a Jew, being drawn to Eretz Yisroel was just an integral part of my neshamah. When we already had four children, I told my husband that if we wouldn’t make the move now, we would never. So on Zos Chanukah 1970 we moved to Bnei Brak.

We lived there with our four little children in a third-floor apartment with no elevator. There was no home delivery back then, so there was a lot of shlepping to do. In the winter the apartment could get really cold. I had my fifth child when my oldest was all of seven years old, with none of my family around to help.

As followers of the Chazon Ish, we would not use the locally-generated electricity on Shabbos, or the water pumped on Shabbos into our pipelines. We would use kerosene lamps which would sometimes blow out before the end of Shabbos, leaving us in the dark till Motza’ei Shabbos. We didn’t have our own water tank on the roof like some others had, so I would fill the bathtub with water before Shabbos and make sure the bathroom door was locked to keep the kids out!

I remember having to manage our first Shmitta year in 1972. There was almost no produce. A truck would come, and people would come and share a sack of potatoes, some onions, and some carrots. We’d have to manage with whatever we got.

There were difficulties and challenges. There were things I had to adjust to. There were changes I had to make. Though in spite of it all, I still always just wanted to stay and live here, where áveera d’Eretz Yisrael machkim – the air (atmosphere) of Eretz Yisroel makes one wise. I believe this atmosphere greatly influenced our family’s spiritual growth. We were close to many gedolei Yisrael of the Litvish world living in Bnei Brak; my husband was a ben bayis (like a member of the family) by some of them. We were upstairs neighbors of Rav Chaim Greineman ztz”l, a nephew and adherent of the Chazon Ish ztz”l. I very often discussed issues, such as child rearing and cooking, with his wife Rabbanit Chana z”l. My children gained tremendously in their spiritual lives from growing up friends with their children.

A bit after the Yom Kippur War (1973), we ended up leaving Eretz Yisroel to England, and shortly thereafter to Monsey, where we lived for the next few years. We were destined to undergo quite a bit of moving, with all the challenges that entailed. We did return to Eretz Yisroel in 1980 and remained for ten years. Then we did another ten year stint in Monsey.

Finally, when we had our sights on moving back to Eretz Yisroel in 1999, we decided it wasn’t going to be to Bnei Brak. We were looking for a place that would be a bit more spacey and quieter. We moved to the Chareidi kehillah in Zichron Yaakov, on the northwest coast of Eretz Yisroel, where we built our own house. Like Monsey, it was in a pastoral setting, with small private houses and a lot of greenery. We were very happy with the calm and quiet atmosphere.

At the time we came we didn’t really know anyone living there. Over time I got to know the local Americans more and felt comfortable with them, and I eventually gave shiurei Torah in both Hebrew and English. Although there may always be political or hashkafic “stress” anytime and anywhere, amongst the women I didn’t feel it at all.

There was a yeshivah gedolah down the street from our house where two sons-in-law of Rav Chaim Greineman ztz”l were the roshei yeshivah. Though many mosdos were local, for Beis Yaakov high school the girls would have to travel, about a half an hour commute, to nearby Chadera. My boys went to the local yeshivah gedolah, though one did go to learn in Bnei Brak.

Living far from the center of Eretz Yisroel had its own set of challenges. I would rarely go to a wedding in Yerushalayim, as travelling with public transportation could take about 1 ½ hours in each direction. Friends coming from America would just never get out to Zichron (as Zichron Yaakov is called in short). I would travel once a week to the center where I operated a clinic, for many years in Bnei Brak, and more recently in Ramat Beit Shemesh – a two-and-a-half-hour commute by train and bus – where I would stay over for one night. B”H my therapy sessions and evening “Joy & Vitality” workshops in Beit Shemesh, Bnai Brak and Zichron were very popular. I worked to create awareness of the connection between mind and body. I wanted to make people healthy by positive thinking, talking, and emotions, utilizing the various modalities of Mind-Body Healing.

Our choice is what we do, physically, emotionally and spiritually, with the situation HaShem gives us. We can go shlepping and complaining through hard times, or we can learn to cope and become so much stronger. Being spoiled will just be to our detriment. This applies to everything in life, including the challenges of living in Eretz Yisroel – the place where we all belong.

Sparks of Radiance

My most recent book, “Sparks of Radiance” (Mosaica Press 2020), includes a fictionalized account of a terror bombing attack. I wrote it to help people understand the mindset of victims of terror, and how steadfast faith and an intense desire to create kiddush HaShem turn these darkest moments – which have effects for years and years – into brilliant radiance.

My daughter, her husband and three little children were on the Egged #2 bus bombing seventeen years ago; my 3-year-old granddaughter was killed, Hy”d, and all others were injured. There were a lot of interviews in the media. I remember saying to one reporter, “People are afraid there’s no peace here in Israel, but it’s we who have to make peace. Peace will come when we make peace with each other.”

It doesn’t matter where you live, for you are not necessarily safe in any place on earth. The recent Covid-19 virus proves this. Therefore, I believe that lack of safety is not a valid reason for not living here. No one can escape what HaShem plans for him. Let us realize that we all belong here and make the best of it. With a positive mindset we can turn our greatest stumbling blocks into powerful stepping stones of elevation.