12 Reasons to Live in Israel.

Nefesh BNefesh is sponsoring an aliya awareness this week, encouraging those who live in Israel to send their own top 12 greatest things we love about Israel, to 12 friends.

I got tagged by Rafi G, with the following:

Israluv tagged me with the following message:

Today I received an email from Dudy Stark of Nefesh B'Nefesh:This coming Shabbat, the Torah portion , Shelach, that recalls the sin of the spies, is read. These were the 12 men that Moshe sent to scout out the Land of Israel before entering.

When they returned, their reports were distorted and negative and caused a 40 year delay before the Children of Israel could enter.Today despite the challenges that come with living in Israel, we are witness to all that is good and special about living here and it is in our ability to tell our family, friends and neighbors abroad what those things are.

Nefesh B'Nefesh is initiating a simple project this week called "12 to 12". We are asking every Oleh to compose a list of 12 great things you appreciate and love about living in Israel and email your message to 12 (or more) friends abroad.

If you send this out to your friends, please CC 12to12@nbn.org.il when you send it out. Please send out your letter before Friday June 8.

You can see Israluv's list of 12 things she loves about Israel at the above
link.

So...here's my list.

1. Brings Judaism to life. Improve the chances of your children continuing our heritage, by living in the land where the mitzvot were meant to be kept.

2. Be part of the future of Jewish history, and actively influence it, instead of watching from the sidelines (Rafi used almost the exact same explanation).

3. Can be Oleh LaRegel to Yerushalayim for the Chagim/holidays...or any day! Make it your city as a resident of Israel and not as a tourist.

4. The Torah/Tanach is not just some book about stories from faraway places. Watch it come alive as you can walk around chapter by chapter as you traverse our history.

5. Makes your family smachot more meaningful. Walk around the old city of Yerushalayim, visit the Kotel (or Har HaBayit if your halachik authority approves). Go to the final resting place of our ancestors; Hevron, Shechem, the Galil, the Shomron...its all here just waiting for you.

6. Every 4 paces is another mitzva (just think how much merit Egged bus drivers get!)

7. Jewish holidays are not counted as vacation days from work or school.

8. The bus driver/bank teller/felafel seller/garage mechanic will wish you a shabbat shalom. The directness and "busybodyness" is because people CARE.

9. Alot of your paid taxes go to all sorts of great places: Jewish Education, Jewish Welfare and Charity, Jewish Security and Defence, Yeshivot, Kollel, and many others.

10. You can find a gemach for anything from shabbat hot plates to wedding shoes.

11. It's a beautiful country; where you can find almost everything from coral reefs to a snow capped mountain...the lowest point on earth...the Mediterranean Sea, desert, mountains, and green pastures. It's all here, all traversable from top to bottom in less than 8 hours.

12. If you leave Israel for work or pleasure...you don't get all teary at the airport not knowing when you'll be back, since you already have a return/round ticket back home...to Israel.

I probably have more to write or would redo this list if I had more time...but don't have more time today. Maybe later...maybe later...

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael