Wow. You've given this some thought. I do question though how seriously you weigh each of your considerations.



Like, no doubt I believe you when you say you legitimately fear anti-semitism, but to what degree is that fear realized that you would up & move your family half way around the world? I think that sounds more theoretical than a practical motivation.



I'm not too sure I buy a couple of the other reasons either.

1 - I've actually met a couple of people since I've been here who were not attracted to Israel from a religious or nationalistic perspective, but rather from a point of economic consideration; that Israel seems to have a lot going for it, and compared to their home country appears to be headed in a brighter direction.



2 - the aesthetic angle. To be honest, I'm not always sure when I look out at the Judean Hills if I actually think they are beautiful, or if they simply stir something beautiful inside me. But I think for most people, once you make Aliyah your sense of what is or isn't a "nice" neighborhood gets flipped upside down.



But again, I don't think either of those 2 reasons are enough pro or con to making Aliyah. They don't have enough weight to affect the scales one way or the other. (Am I being too judge-y here?)



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The point you mention that most resonates with me as a concern is "I always thought I would raise little Americans."



The first part of that re: your own loss of Americana is Meh, because you won't actually lose out on any of that. Particularly if you don't want to.



Stay with me here for a moment: In the years leading up to our move, the analogy I kept thinking about that always made me uncomfortable was - do you remember the Russian kid who moved to your city and joined you sometime in elementary school? And no matter how much Yardy or Max assimilated and integrated into our American culture, their parents were always going to be immigrants.



That's a roundabout way of saying, as Americans in Israel we still have our cultural predilections, for better or worse. Certainly some olim are more committed to shaking those habits and integrating deeper into Israeli society, but ultimately it is difficult enough to leave behind the comfort of everything we know/expect and, in many cases, leave behind our family and by retaining some sense of familiarity in sticking with other American olim, and staying in touch with our American roots, it helps to maintain a balance with all the change going on.



But back to the point about our children.



That. Is. Weird. Raising a bunch of little Israelis is something I'm not sure I'm prepared for.

At the end of the day it's largely the reason we make Aliyah, because we truly believe the way of life is "better" for our children, and so it is a challenge we gladly tackle . . . but it is disconcerting. And the language thing, I expect, will only add to that challenge. Will I be able to communicate as effectively with Emmy as I can with Eliora? What about if I can't speak with and get to know their friends? And don't even get me started on what happens down the line if/when they marry an Israeli (am I getting too far ahead of myself?).....