Jeff and Marcy Manas, ages 66 and 63 respectively, made aliyah only a few weeks ago on Feb. 16, from Teaneck, where they lived for 40 years. They are staying in Netanya and hoping to make it their permanent home.

Aviva: What shul did you daven at in Teaneck?

Marcy: Beth Aaron and Shaarei Teffilah after many years at Rinat.

Aviva: Did you raise children in Teaneck? Where did they go to school?

Marcy: Thank God, we raised four children in Teaneck — Yair, Donny, Ari and Naomi. They all went to Yavneh for elementary school, the boys went to TABC, and our daughter went to Frisch.

Aviva: Do you remember one of your early trips to Israel that impacted your feeling of wanting to live in Israel one day?

Marcy: When I was 18, I spent six months on Kibbutz Beirot Yitzchak. At the end of the program, a few of us stayed in an apartment in Netanya for a month. Afterward, Jeff and I came here for our honeymoon.

Jeff: I was a lifeguard on a summer program on Hof HaCarmel, and then came to Yeshivat HaMivtar (Brovenders) for a year after high school. We were afforded the opportunity to tour the Land and get to know Israel from both a historical and a modern perspective.

Aviva: Did either of you have a strong Zionist education?

Marcy: I grew up on the Lower East Side and didn’t go to particularly Zionist schools.

Jeff: I went to yeshiva high school and to YU for college. My parents thought that visiting Israel was a nice idea, but that living here is insane.

Aviva: What was the experience like for you when your children decided they wanted to live in Israel?

Marcy: We knew our oldest son would make aliyah because even when he was dating he was looking for a girl that was like-minded. But I’ll admit that I was a little surprised that all three of the boys came.

Aviva: What was the impetus for coming on aliyah when you did?

Jeff: COVID pushed us forward in our aliyah plans.

Marcy: Our granddaughter was born in March of 2020, and we weren’t able to see her in person until she was 16 months old. And even then, we needed to file papers and prove that we were our granddaughter’s grandparents. We wanted to be able to see the kids whenever we wanted.

Aviva: Is either of you still working?

Jeff: I am retired from running my own window treatment business for 40 years.

Marcy: I am working remotely as a nurse doing chart reviews.

Aviva: You were on a group flight. What was that experience like?

Marcy: It was good to be among other people because we were processed as a group. When we landed, the pilot wished us good luck, and everyone applauded.

Aviva: What have you noticed in the last three weeks that reminds you of why you’re here?

Marcy: We had an appointment at an office in Tel Aviv. While we were waiting, two different people offered to let us come into their offices, told us to sit down, and offered us drinks. Once, we had trouble scanning our cards on the light rail, and someone just took the card out of Jeff’s hands and helped us. Another thing is that I just love the international feeling here. We’re all Jewish, but we’re from all over the world. We met a lot of people in shul this week — they were Irish, English and South African.

Aviva: What do you miss in New Jersey?

Jeff: I do NOT miss the snow, and I love that Netanya is flat, which is a very big plus as you start to age. I do miss our friends, but today communication is such that you just pick up the phone and you can talk face-to-face.

Marcy: I accidentally pocket-dialed my friend in New Jersey, and I told her that even my phone misses her. I miss people, but not material things.

Aviva: Do you have a message for anyone who’s considering making aliyah?

Marcy: Yes. Don’t wait till the last minute to start cleaning out your house.

When you first come, if you accomplish one thing a day, you will feel confident. Also, use Google Translate, but ask for help when you need it. Take a more veteran oleh with you the first time you go to the supermarket, bank or anyplace else that is new.

Jeff: It’s a new beginning.

Marcy: I’ve said this every single day that we’re here: every day is a new adventure.

By Aviva Zacks