A Reflection: August 17, 2005

Twenty years. Twenty years since the unilateral and complete removal of every Israeli and Jew, both residents and army personnel, from every one of the 21 yishuvim, towns, farms, and communities in the entire Gaza Strip. Twenty years since that land and everything on it was handed over as a one-sided gift to the Palestinian Authority. For the sake of “peace”.

August 17 marked the 20th “anniversary” of the infamous and disastrous Disengagement, and the forced evacuations of all the Jews in Gaza. Yet, this anniversary was bittersweet for me and my family. Because on August 17, 2005, something else happened: We arrived in Israel on aliyah.

As Jews were being dragged out of their homes in Gush Katif, not that far away from Ben Gurion Airport, my family landed in Israel on the sixth Nefesh B’Nefesh charter flight. The SIXTH. Just to put that into perspective, Nefesh B’Nefesh, the organization that has facilitated immigration to Israel from North America since 2002, is currently bringing its 65th charter flight to Israel! That’s how long ago it was. My children who came with us, and those who were subsequently born here, are either adults or on their way to adulthood, and all of them are proud, fully-acclimated Israelis, serving this country both in the IDF and through National Service (or both!). And I, as their mother, couldn’t be prouder.

But way back on August 17, 2005, we didn’t really know what was happening nor what to expect. Though we thought we knew what was going on in Israel that summer of 2005 – the political upheaval, the protests against the Disengagement, demonstrations throughout the country – we didn’t actually see the significance of it all as North American Jews. We certainly didn’t feel it as we prepared for our big move, and our experience on the EL AL flight didn’t give away any clues as to the storm we were walking into. On the contrary, as was common back then on Nefesh B’Nefesh flights (and I hope it still is), notable Jewish VIPs would join the flights, interacting with passengers and wishing everyone mazel tov on this important occasion and significant milestone. On our aliyah flight, we were delighted to be accompanied by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, z”l, of Blessed Memory. “The Rebbetzin”, as she was known across NYC and to much of the Orthodox Jewish world, was a Holocaust survivor who became a Torah scholar, renowned public speaker, author, founder of the Hineni Outreach Organization, and more. The Rebbetzin didn’t waste one minute of the 10.5-hour-flight, walking up and down the aisle, greeting each passenger, and handing everyone a copy of her most recent book.

Also with us on the plane was Ron Dermer (!!!), former Israeli Ambassador to the United States and currently the Minister of Strategic Affairs. At the time, he wasn’t either yet, but was “just” the economic attaché at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. I would venture to say that many people on the flight weren’t aware of who he was at the time, and most were more excited about the presence of “The Rebbetzin”! How times have changed …

Upon landing, we were met on the tarmac by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, shlita, founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone and one of the founders of the city of Efrat (really, does he need an introduction?),  greeting each new arrival with blessings and good wishes as we disembarked. This was our welcome as new citizens to Israel. What could be better?

But the reality would soon hit us straight on. After entering the baggage collection area of the old Terminal 1, we listened to welcome speeches. One of them was given by Ehud Olmert, who was then the Acting Minister of Finance and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s right-hand man. The crowd gathered was a mix of several hundred American Jews, standing around with heaps of luggage looking and feeling tired and a bit lost, along with an almost equal number of Israeli friends and family who had come to welcome the new immigrants. Not long into Olmert’s address, loud boos and heckling began amongst the Israeli crowd. Shouts of “liar!!” (in Hebrew, of course) drowned out his speech, and we gave one another worried glances. What had we just walked into? Leaving the airport was equally tense, as we were met by demonstrators waving orange banners and shouting into megaphones. As we drove to our new home, watching the protests all along the highway while listening to the news of our fellow Jews being dragged out of their homes, I realized that we were in the middle of something big. And scary. But I also knew that for us, for better or for worse, there was no turning back.

Since that day we have experienced many happy occasions and milestones, Thank G-d. But there have also been tragedies: Battles and wars with many soldiers and civilians murdered,  as well as political turbulence, and, even with all that, unprecedented hatred between Jews. Nearly two years ago we suffered the worst terrorist attacks ever to occur in the modern State of Israel. We are still suffering. As I write this, 50 innocent people are still being held hostage and tortured in the Gaza Strip. The same strip of land that our government naively handed over to our enemies 20 years ago on the premise of “peace”, beginning on the day that I arrived with my family here in Israel, to start living the ultimate dream of Jews around the world. Such a harsh irony.

But I haven’t regretted moving to Israel. Not for one day, not for one minute. On the contrary, I wish I would’ve come years earlier. Despite all that has happened since that day back in 2005, I know that we made the right choice, and I feel grateful and  privileged to have raised our children here in this precious country, to be good Jews and Israelis, proud of their heritage and their homeland. I hope my fellow Aliyah passengers are feeling the same way I do. Happy 20th anniversary to all of us. Am Yisrael Chai!