Making Aliyah in the Facebook Age

Baruch HaShem for Facebook. It’s the ultimate tool for staying in touch with friends and family back in the U.S. (Embedded Aliyah Tip # 1: Do not refer to your country of origin as “home.” If you do, what does that make Israel? For me, the U.S. is “the U.S.;” Israel is home.) 

What about Skype – isn’t it a miracle that I can talk to anyone, anywhere in the world for free? Instead of seeing my friend Joe’s results in a Which Harry Potter Character Are You? Facebook quiz, wouldn’t I rather, you know, talk to him? Surprisingly…not really. 

Let me explain: on one level, of course I want to speak to all my friends and family back home in the U.S.  I’m blessed to have amazing loved ones in my life, and I want to stay as close to them as I can. But the combination of the time difference, my ridiculously packed schedule, and the infrequency of the calls makes Skyping a problem for me. 

Every conversation starts the same way: HOW’S ISRAEL???  Excuse the pun, but these really aren’t calls you can just “phone in.” They’re intense. I do most of the talking, injecting fresh enthusiasm to stories I’ve told a thousand times already, and after the call I’m left feeling drained – so much, that I swear off Skype for at least a few days. The time difference doesn’t help, forcing this process on me at the end of a long day, when I’d rather be unwinding and getting ready for bed. 

Facebook, on the other hand, allows me to have bite-size interactions with everyone, minus the energy drain. Commenting about that adorable photo of you and your kids at the beach has no strings attached. Joining a snarky thread about your status update really makes me feel part of the gang. Uh-oh – how do I respond to a Facebook email that has a subject line HOW’S ISRAEL???  Simple. I just pepper my reply with a few links to my blog. (Embedded Aliyah Tip # 2: Start a blog – easily the most efficient way to keep everyone up to date without having to repeat the same stories a million times.) 

The downside to Facebook? Seeing what I’m missing. My niece wasn’t walking or talking when I made Aliyah in March. Now, she’s doing both. My buddies in the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus just appeared on America’s Got Talent without me. Ouch. Bloomberg blocked traffic from Times Square and turned it permanently into a giant pedestrian mall?  *Wistful sigh* 

You know what, though? These sad moments are totally normal…and they always pass. What stays with me is the symphony of birds outside my window, greeting me every morning. And feeling like a 12-year-old, as I ride my bicycle through Tel Aviv streets. And the feeling of belonging, stronger for me here than anywhere else. 

Actually, that would make a great status update.

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Tags: aliyah

Category: Fish Out of Water, Getting to Israel, Life in Israel, Making Aliyah