Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Sal Guggenheim, 68, considers himself a second-time immigrant. Sal and his wife, Mira, made aliyah from Passaic to Efrat this past April, after already having lived in Israel for a few months.
Aviva: Where did you daven in Passaic?
Sal: For over 20 years, we davened at the Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton and then switched to the Adas.
What schools did your kids go to in New Jersey?
For primary school, they all went to YNJ. Everyone went to a different high school. Bracha went to Breuer’s; Michael went to MTA; Dovi started at MTA and finished at Yeshiva Tichonit in Maale Adumim; and Meir went to Frisch.
Since you have been living in Israel, what have you been doing with your time?
Luckily, I have a very accommodating and kind employer, and I work American hours as a manager in an insurance agency.
Where did your desire to make aliyah start?
I had always wanted to live in Israel ever since I was in my teens because I’m a product of Bnei Akiva. Switzerland was a nice place to grow up from a material point of view, and the physical environment is very pleasant, but the Jewish educational system in Switzerland leaves a lot to be desired. Growing up, I went to public school and an after-school and Sunday program, amounting to about 15 hours a week.
Was there any Zionist education in your family?
My father always wanted to live in Israel and actually did a little field test in the 60s, but my mother did not. My father was a card-carrying member of Poalei Aguda and was a gold medalist winner at the 1961 Maccabiah in pistol shooting.
What was your recent motivation to make aliyah while you’re still working?
There is a combination of factors. One is retirement planning even though my wife, who is a tenured professor with no mandatory retirement age, refuses to retire. I told her that, for most Jews in New Jersey, the two options are Florida and Israel. My wife immediately chose Israel.
The second reason is that I’m worried about what’s going on with the politics in the U.S. We have extremism on both sides, and frankly speaking, it doesn’t matter whether it’s left or right when things go wrong. Somebody will blame the Jews. So I wanted the exit door wide open; I wanted that extra passport.
What do you love about living in Israel?
Oh, the coffee is so good. I love it extra strong, extra tall. Also, having grown up in Europe, there are more similarities in lifestyle compared to the U.S., so I feel a bit more at ease.
Israel is so friendly. We have been invited left and right for Shabbat meals. We fit right into the age bracket in our neighborhood in Rimon. It’s a great, Anglo community.
For people with children, Israel is very family-oriented and child-friendly, and the work-life balance is more defined here.
Do you have a message for anyone who’s considering making aliyah?
Be open-eyed about it and realistic. If you’re realistic, don’t expect too much or too little. Know that there are pros and cons, like every decision you make. Nothing is ever clear-cut, but try to find the right environment for yourself with the right community.
For retirees, it’s not a bad place to be, especially if your income is in pre-inflationary dollars. If you live outside of the expensive places like Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, and you live like an Israeli, your dollar will stretch further than it does in New Jersey.
By Aviva Zacks
