Becca Davidman, 35 years old, made aliyah from Clifton, New Jersey, in the summer of 2018 with her husband Simcha and their children Shira, Eliora, Ayelet and Azarya. They live in Ramot Bet.

Aviva: Which shul did you go to, and where did your kids go to school?

Becca: We went to Rabbi Hirsch’s shul, and we sent our kids to YBH (Yeshivas Beis Hillel).

Tell me about your Zionistic upbringing.

I went to Yeshivat Rambam, which was very Israel-focused. We had a lot of fun around Yom Ha’atzmaut and learned about how important it is to be in Israel. My parents sent me to Bnei Akiva, and I went to Camp Moshava, and then to MMY for seminary, which is also very Zionistic.

When did you realize you wanted to live in Israel?

Honestly, it was always in my heart. I have always known that the Jewish people belong in Israel, so it was natural for me.

When you got married, was there a plan to move to Israel one day?

When we were dating, we spoke about it and we agreed that if we found the right jobs and the right community, and if everything fit into place, we would make aliyah. We got married, settled down, had four children and found jobs and a community that we loved. Whenever we talked about Israel and aliyah, we always concluded the same way—we would love to move to Israel, but we didn’t really think we could find what we were looking for. For a while, I thought we weren’t going to make aliyah, and it made me a little sad to give up on that dream.

And then one day Simcha came home and said, “I don’t know what we’re waiting for. If we wait for the perfect moment, it’s never going to come. We should just sell our house and go.” And that was it.

How long was it from that day until your aliyah?

That was the summer a year before we made aliyah. We immediately started researching it and looking into everything much more seriously. Once you decide, I think you have to keep going.

How did you tell your kids?

We decided to tell them with an Israeli flag cake. We surprised them one day and told them we were making aliyah. We made it fun and exciting, like a party for them, and they got excited.

What was it like to make aliyah on a charter flight?

It was surreal. We were surrounded by friends who were making aliyah. Each of my kids had a friend who was also making aliyah, so it was fun for them. There was so much excitement in the air when we landed. When we walked down the stairs and saw our Israeli siblings waiting to greet us, we knew we were home!

How did your families take your decision?

Everyone was excited for us and proud of us. My parents were always Zionistic and taught us how important it is to live in Israel, so they did a good job. My sister and I both made aliyah, and my parents also made aliyah last summer. I’m sure, despite all of that, at the time it was hard to see us go. My in-laws were also sad we were leaving, but they followed us here, too.

What do you both do professionally?

Simcha invests in real estate in America, and I am an Occupational Therapist. I work as a teletherapist in a virtual charter school in California.

Is there anything you miss about living in New Jersey?

I miss my friends a lot. I also miss Target and some other conveniences that are harder to find in Israel.

And what do you love about living in Israel?

I love feeling like we are where we’re supposed to be. I love that the Kotel is really close and we can go whenever we want. I love that my kids are growing up in a place where, on Chanukah, we see menorahs everywhere, and we don’t see any Christmas lights or hear Christmas music when we walk into stores. We are raising our children in the Jewish homeland.

Do you have a message for anybody who’s reading this interview?

Don’t wait for the perfect moment when everything is going to fall into place. Sometimes you have to just go and do it.

By Aviva Zacks